Revelations
by JenJethero4everasone
Summary: Set after a month after Mike's death, Gibbs learns of a secret joint cover up between NCIS and the CIA.
1. Code Name Phoenix

_***Disclaimer, I do not own any of the characters of NCIS, if I did Jenny Shepard, Paula Cassidy, and Mike Franks would be alive and well on the series. As of my writings, I am not a writer, just a disgruntled JIBBS fan who felt that they got the shaft by TPTB on this series, what appears before you is from my imagination only.***_

August 20th 2011

A month after Mike's passing Gibbs is in his backyard putting in the posts for the foundation to Amira's swing set. Leyla walks out of the kitchen door with a cup of coffee and walks over to him. "You shouldn't go through the trouble." She smiles at him.

"It's no trouble at all; I'm doing this for my goddaughter." Gibbs smiles and gets up from the ground and takes the cup from Leyla.

"To build Amira a swing set for a few months." Leyla frowns.

"You and Amira are welcome to stay here." "I promised Mike I would look after the two of you, if something should happen to him." Gibbs nods over at her.

"Just until we get settled." "Amira will be starting her first day at school next week." "While she's at school, I'll begin my search for a job."

"If you need any help, let me know." Gibbs asks.

"I will!" Leyla smiles and looks down at the posts that are sticking out of the ground in wet cement.

"While the cement hardens overnight, I'll start the framing down in the basement."

"You ever build a swing set for your daughter." Leyla curiously asks.

"No!" Gibbs frowns with regret. "Didn't have the time."

"Mike told me that you had remarried several times after your wife had died." "You never had children with any of them." Leyla sadly asks.

"It didn't feel right with them." Gibbs shrugs.

"So sad, your greatest gift Jethro is your ability with children." Leyla smiles and walks off for the house.

"It only felt right with Jenny." Gibbs frowns and flashes back to a time that he had asked Jenny in Paris about the possibility of her having a child.

Paris, France

April 10th 1999

Gibbs and Jenny are sitting in a bench near the carousel near the Eiffel Tower. Jenny smiles up at the kids as they sit on top of their horses. Gibbs taking in his lover's facial expression. "Ever think of having children?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Maybe five years ago." Jenny shrugs.

"What changed your mind?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"My career plans."

"Federal Agent is more important than having a family of your own." Gibbs says with surprise.

"Being a Federal Agent is my top priority at this time." "If I have to sacrifice having children of my own, so be it." Jenny answers and gets up from the bench. "I'm in desperate need of caffeine." Jenny grumbles and walks away.

"Maybe the right guy might change your mind Jen." Gibbs smirks with determination and gets up from the bench and chases after her.

Present Time

"You and your damn five point plan." Gibbs angrily growls.

NCIS Headquarters

Ziva steps out of the elevator and raises a curious eyebrow as she finds Tony busy working at his desk. She walks over to his desk. "Tony it's a Saturday, what are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same question." Tony curiously asks and quickly minimizing his computer screen so that Ziva can't see what he's working on.

"I left something in my desk." Ziva lies and walks over to her desk.

"That could have waited until Monday morning." Tony quickly answers.

"I could say the same thing to you." Ziva sharply says to him.

"Just killing time before I head on over to the ballpark." "Phillies are in town for the weekend." "Our boys need some morale support with all of the Philly fans that invade our ballpark." Tony grins.

"Aren't you originally from New York?" Ziva asks.

"Yankees first, Mets, second, and Nationals third." Tony smirks.

"So you would root against the Nationals if they were to play the Yankees in the World Series." Ziva asks.

"Damn straight!"

Ziva unlocks her desk drawer and pretends to take something out and puts it inside of her pocket. "I'll see you at 0700 hours on Monday morning." Ziva nods over at him and walks off for the elevator.

Tony making sure that Ziva is at the elevator when he puts his screen back up. A bank account in EJ Barrett's name from the Cayman Island's is shown. "Seems that you received a large amount of money the week you resigned from a bank in Nice, France." Tony notes.

Tel Aviv, Israel

2200 IDT

Trent Kort angrily glares out his apartment bedroom window and looks down at the busy street below. An arms shipment from Riohacha, Colombia is a week overdue. "I would have put a bullet in the bitches head three years ago." He groans in frustration. Flipping open his cell phone. Kort dials his boss' cell phone.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

In a villa overlooking the Aegean Sea the back of a white haired man is shown sitting at the table smoking a Cuban cigar. His personal assistant Iris Stathos approaches him with a satellite phone. "Trent Kort!"

"I told you I didn't want to be disturbed." He angrily growls at her.

"He said it was important." Iris sighs.

"It's always important." The man angrily snarls and takes the phone from her.

Iris picks up his empty glass. "I gather you want a refill on your glass of scotch." Iris purrs at him.

"Take it up to the bedroom; I'll meet you up there soon as I'm done my phone call."

Iris sashay's out of the room. "Don't keep me waiting or I'll punish you for it." She seductively calls out to him.

"You and Iris done with your vocal foreplay." Kort impatiently asks.

"You're just jealous that a man of my age can keep a woman like Iris satisfied in bed." The mysterious voice snorts.

Kort quickly gets on to the subject at hand. "The shipment from Riohacha is a week overdue." Kort informs him.

"I thought that it was being handled." The voice snaps.

"So did I." "I sent Ray Cruz out to check up on the situation." Kort informs him.

"And?"

"She's not there." "Her hotel room is empty." "According to the manager, she checked out on August 10th." Kort smoothly says.

"I hope her cover wasn't jeopardized, the CIA was counting on those weapons for the Libyan rebels."

"How hard is it to give her another burn alias?" Kort grumbles.

"And waste another three years."

"Ray is looking into her last known where a bouts and I'm checking into both her cell and satellite records." "Maybe that should shed some light into Code Name Phoenix's where a bouts." Kort suggests.

"Keep me in the loop."

"I will!" Kort answers and hangs up. "I'll keep you in loop on a need to know basis, soon as Phoenix turns up, I'm going to set up a little accident." Kort smirks.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Ziva is waiting out in the parking lot near the guard gate with her car out of view. She is talking away on her prepaid cell phone. "Tony was at the office." "I have to wait for him to leave, then I'll have my contact from Interpol look into EJ Barrett's off shore accounts and also check out Julien Benoit's known associates." Ziva informs her mystery caller. As Ziva waits for a response, Tony's car pulls up to the front gate. "Tony is at the front gate now." "I'll meet you on the first level in the parking garage at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown at midnight."

Gibbs' House

Later that evening Gibbs is down in his basement building the framing for Amira's swing set. Amira curiously sits in a chair next to the worktable watching over her Uncle Jethro. "So when can I play on my swing?" Amira asks.

"Tomorrow afternoon." Gibbs smiles down at her.

"Can I help?" Amira asks with a smile on her face.

"Sure!" Gibbs smiles at her. "Under the workbench there's a box with some old t-shirts in it." "I don't want you ruining your new clothes that your mother got you the other day."

"Ok!" Amira cheerfully answers and gets off the chair and runs over to the workbench. Leyla walks down the stairs and approaches Gibbs. Near the box of t-shirts, Amira finds an open shoe box with photos of Jenny from the farm house in Serbia. She picks up one of the photos and walks back over to the table. Speaking in Iraqi. "Momma, look!"

Leyla takes the photo from Amira and her face goes ashen. Gibbs taking in Leyla's facial expression glances over at the photo. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Gibbs asks with concern.

"No, just taking in her beauty." Leyla softly answers.

Gibbs takes the photo from Leyla. "That's my old partner Jenny Shepard." Gibbs sadly answers.

"Why are you sad?" Amira frowns.

"I lost her three years ago." Gibbs answers with his voice choking up with emotion.

"Lost?" Amira asks with confusion.

"She died!" Gibbs frowns and gets up from the table and walks over to the work bench to retrieve a screw driver.

"Dinner should be ready in ten minutes." Leyla informs him.

"I'll be up in a few minutes." Gibbs shrugs.

Leyla takes Amira by the hand and they walk up the steps. A few minutes later inside the upstairs bathroom, Leyla is speaking to Amira in Iraqi. "Remember what Grandpa had told us."

Amira answers her mother back in Iraqi. "I don't like keeping secrets from Uncle Jethro." Amira frowns.

Ritz Carlton Hotel Georgetown

Midnight

Inside the parking garage, Ziva is talking to a person dressed in black cargo pants, wearing a black hooded sweat shirt pulled over their head to conceal their face. A black GMC Yukon speeds up to them with the front passenger side window open. A gunman open fires at Ziva and her mystery contact. Ziva severely wounded goes down. As the Yukon pulls away, Ziva's mystery contact returns fire. Hearing the voices of the hotel security guards as they rush inside the parking garage the hooded figure runs off for the emergency exit, leaving a trail of blood drops behind on the asphalt.


	2. Alias Harriet Jones

Ritz Carlton Hotel Georgetown

0100 Hours

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee are inside the parking garage processing the crime scene. "Ziva free lancing with Mossad?" Gibbs angrily asks.

"No, not to my knowledge?" Tony answers and then remembers seeing Ziva at work on her Saturday off, which is a rarity.

Gibbs noting Tony's facial expression. "Remember something?"

"Yeah, I was killing time yesterday afternoon in the Squad Room." "I had tickets for the Phillies-Nationals game." "Ziva showed up, she said that she left something in her desk."

"McGee, soon as you get back to headquarters I want Abby working on Ziva's cell phone, desk phone, and home phone number records, plus I want her desktop and field laptop checked." Gibbs orders him.

"While I work on analyzing the crime scene evidence." McGee quickly answers.

"Any word from Bethesda yet?" Tony anxiously asks.

"EMT's took Ziva to Georgetown University Hospital." Gibbs informs them.

"Closest hospital makes sense." McGee nods.

"Soon as we wrap things up here, DiNozzo and I will go over to the hospital to check up on Ziva."

McGee begins to take photos of the crime scene. Spotting glass on the ground, McGee walks over and is about to snap a photo when he notices blood. "Boss!" McGee calls out to him. Gibbs rushes over. "I think Ziva might have got a few shots off."

"I want Abby analyzing that before Ziva's phones and computers." Gibbs instructs him.

Tony places a marker where Ziva's body was located on the ground, as he gets up; Tony notices a blood trail leading over towards the emergency exit. "Boss, I got a blood trail." Tony shouts over to him. Gibbs and McGee run over, they follow the blood over to the door.

Gibbs opens the exit door that leads to the sidewalk outside. "I want the video footage from this hotel ASAP." Gibbs barks at them.

"On it!" Tony nods over at Gibbs and walks off for the stairs.

With the heavy down pours outside, Gibbs and McGee walk back inside the parking garage. "The rain has washed away our blood trail." Gibbs growls in annoyance.

"The rain is working against us, not to mention a car hit a pole on the next street corner over knocking out power." "Luckily the hotel is working on backup power."

"I don't find Ziva getting shot lucky McGee." Gibbs barks.

"Who do you think Ziva was meeting?" McGee frowns.

"I don't know McGee, but whoever it was; they took a bullet for her."

Georgetown University Hospital

Waiting Room

Early the next morning, Gibbs and Tony are anxiously sitting waiting for the doctor to update them on Ziva's condition. Doctor Martin Wallace walks into the room. "Special Agent Gibbs!" He nods over at Gibbs.

Gibbs and Tony quickly get up from their seats. "How is she?" Tony frantically asks.

"Agent David is in critical condition, she lost a lot of blood." "She had multiple gunshot wounds, one to the right shoulder that nicked the artery, wound to the left thigh, and to her abdomen."

"Will she make it?" Gibbs asks.

"I'm surprised she made if off the operating table with the blood loss." "The one thing Agent David has going for her is that she's young." "For the next twenty-four hours I'm going to keep her in a drug induced coma to help her body stabilize."

Five minutes later Gibbs and Tony are at Ziva's bedside. Tony clutches on to his partners hand. "Tony I don't want you leaving her side." Gibbs smiles and pats Tony on the back.

"Jenny didn't leave your side for the first three days that you were in your coma." Tony fondly recalls.

"I was there for her when she got shot in the Czech Republic." Gibbs smiles.

"Has Director Vance been notified yet?" Tony curiously asks.

"He's in Munich, Germany on an Anti-Terror Conference."

"I know that, he flew out Friday afternoon." "You still didn't answer my question."

"It's a phone call that I've been dreading to make." Gibbs grumbles and walks out of Ziva's room.

Munich, Germany

Marriot Hotel

1300 Hours

Leon Vance walks into his hotel suite after having lunch with Director David of Mossad. He takes off his jacket and loosens his tie. He's about to sit down on the couch, when his Blackberry begins to ring. "Leon Vance!" He answers.

Georgetown University Hospital

"Director Vance!" Gibbs says from a hospital waiting room.

"Gibbs surprised to hear from you."

"Ziva got shot in a parking garage at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Georgetown last night; she's in critical condition at Georgetown University Hospital." Gibbs informs him.

"Who's responsible?"

"Don't know yet?" "McGee and Abby are working on it back at headquarters."

"Soon as you get any leads let me know." Vance orders him.

"I will!" Gibbs abruptly answers and hangs up.

Vance presses the end button on his Blackberry and then walks over to his hotel room phone. "Front desk, can you please patch me to room number 35?"

NCIS Headquarters

An hour later Abby is busy checking over Ziva's desktop and field laptop. Gibbs walks in carrying, Ziva's cell phone and a prepaid cell phone. "What's Ziva doing with a prepaid cell phone?" Abby curiously asks.

"Since the incident with Cobb, I've instructed my team to carry a prepaid burn phone." "I don't trust Vance."

"You've never trusted Director Vance."

"True, but my gut is telling me something about him and Davenport." Gibbs growls.

Abby takes the evidence bags from Gibbs and signs them. "I haven't gotten any results back on the blood that was found at the crime scene."

"Remember, a dead Mossad Agent tried to set Ziva up once before." Gibbs reminds her.

"Right!" Abby smiles in amazement. "Alive or dead!"

"Come up with anything on Ziva's laptop or computer yet." Gibbs asks.

"Yes she had e-mailed one of her Interpol contacts around four-thirty yesterday." Abby shrugs.

"Any response back?" Gibbs asks.

"None!" Abby frowns.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Squad Room

McGee is standing in front of the plasma screen watching the video footage from the crime scene. "Boss I'm sending the video footage from the parking garage down to Abby's Lab." "By the build it's definitely a woman." "Her face is concealed unfortunately."

"Abby, McGee is sending down video footage from the parking garage." Gibbs nods over to her. Abby puts the video up on the plasma screen in front of her worktable. She looks on in horror as the Yukon pulls up alongside of Ziva and her mystery contact and open fires at them. As the Yukon pulls away, the hooded figure returns fire, shattering the windshield. "McGee I want a bolo on that tag."

"I already put one out." "The vehicle was stolen last night at a TGIF Restaurant in Arlington." McGee informs him.

Abby freeze frames Ziva's mystery contact as the contact rushes off for the door. "This person is a pro, avoided the camera's and had their face concealed."

"McGee's right it is a woman." "And she saved Ziva's life."

"From the hotel camera, she walks across the street and rounds the corner." McGee smoothly says.

"Let me know when you get a DNA match on those blood results." Gibbs nods over at Abby and walks off for the elevator. "McGee, I want you to head over to Ziva's a search her apartment for evidence."

"On it!" McGee answers and hangs up.

Gibbs hangs up his phone and pushes in the button for the elevator. He recently lost Mike in the line of duty, Jenny three years ago, Paula Cassidy a year before that and Kate at the hands of Ziva's half-brother Ari. "Why am I constantly being punished?" He openly asks out loud.

Munich, Germany

Marriot Hotel

Room Number 35

That evening, Vance is sitting in a chair talking with former SecNav Phillip Davenport. "Gibbs thinks I'm here on an Anti-Terrorism Conference." Vance answers.

"You want him to know the real reason why you're here." Davenport snorts from his couch and takes a healthy gulp from his glass of gin.

"I gave Julien Benoit classified information on a joint CIA-NCIS Operation." "With in twenty-four hours after I gave Benoit that information, Ziva David is shot by an unknown assassin."

"I can't help it that you have close ties to Director David her father from Mossad." "Keep in mind your loyalty is to me first Leon." "I made you and I can also destroy you." Davenport angrily reminds him.

"Or you can make me disappear." Vance snaps and gets up from his chair.

"Where are you going?" Davenport demands.

"I bumped into Eli David this morning out on the street and had lunch with him." "He's staying in Munich for a few days."

"Are you going to tell him about his daughter?" Davenport asks.

"It's the least I can do, Eli and I go back a long ways." Vance frowns and walks out of the room.

Back in Washington at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs and McGee are sitting at their desks waiting patiently for Abby's blood test results. "I guess it's a lot of dead people to eliminate boss." McGee grumbles.

"Keep in mind Namir Eschel was suppose to be dead as well." Gibbs bitterly reminds him.

"I keep forgetting that Ziva may have enemies from her Mossad Op's." McGee sighs.

Gibbs desk phone begins to ring. "Gibbs yeah!" He answers and listens in. "We'll be there in ten minutes." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Black Yukon was found burned at Rock Creek Park." "There were remnants of a body in the rear seat."

"Poor Ducky, he was looking forward to his golf match with the Metro PD ME today." McGee answers and gets up from his desk.

"I guess he'll have to postpone it until next week." Gibbs answers and grabs his gun and badge from his desk drawer, checking his clip before he puts it inside his gun. He gets up from his desk and walks off for the elevator with McGee following him from behind.

Forty minutes later at Rock Creek Park, Gibbs and McGee are photographing the vehicle. "Skull is the only thing that's left of the body, it must have burned away." McGee notes.

Palmer arrives with his medical bag in tow. "Where's Ducky?" Gibbs asks and glancing over towards Ducky's ME truck.

"He said he wasn't feeling well." Palmer shrugs.

"That's unusual for Ducky, boss." McGee says with surprise.

"I know, but with Duck's age I'll give him the benefit of the doubt." Gibbs nods.

Palmer looks through the charred window frame, noting that only a charred skull remains. "My best advice is to transport the remains in the vehicle back to NCIS Headquarters." Palmer suggests.

"Good idea!" Gibbs smiles at Palmer. "McGee after we're done with the photos, get two tarps from inside of the truck."

Munich, Germany

Sofitel Munich Bayerpost

In the lobby of Eli David's hotel, Vance sitting next to Eli in a sofa next to the coffee shop. "Who's responsible?" Eli seethes.

"Gibbs doesn't know yet."

"What do you mean he doesn't know yet?" Eli says in disbelief. "Isn't he your best agent?"

"Yes, Gibbs and his team are working on it." Vance reassures him.

"I'm taking a first flight available to Washington."

"Your daughter is getting the best care; I don't think that's necessary." Vance answers and pats him on the back.

"One of my enemies might have tried to take out my daughter." Eli bitterly answers and gets up.

"I don't think it has anything to do with Mossad."

"Theories Leon."

Vance, knowing it's possible that Trent Kort maybe on to him, with his association with Julien Benoit. "CIA!"

"To be on the safe side, I'm sending several Mossad Officers to coordinate an investigation with Agent Gibbs." Eli informs him.

"You keep forgetting, Ziva is an NCIS Agent now, she doesn't work for Mossad anymore." Vance reminds him.

"But she is my daughter, as the Director of Mossad; I am asking you as a favor." "Particularly since we have an established working relationship." Eli requests.

"I'll notify Gibbs of your arrival and I will order him, his full cooperation."

"Unlike the last two disasters that held the position of Director of NCIS, the one thing I admire about you Leon, you put Special Agent Gibbs in his place." Eli smirks.

"Unlike my predecessor, it's easy to handle Gibbs." "Her vision was clouded, and it involved rolling around in each other's beds." Vance winks.

Back at NCIS Headquarters in Washington, Gibbs and Abby are down in the Evidence Room looking over the remnants of the burnt out GMC Yukon. "Jimmy told me that Ducky wasn't feeling good." Abby frowns with worry.

"I'm sure he'll be fine Abs." Gibbs reassures her. "So what do you have for me?"

"Accelerant that had caused the fire was gasoline." "From what I could make out from the seat where the body was found, the body and seat must have been soaked with gasoline."

"That explains the condition of the body." Gibbs groans.

"Making it an impossible for us to identify." Abby sadly answers.

"How are you making out on my DNA match from the blood found at the crime scene?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Gibbs do you know how many dead people there are out there?" Abby whines in protest and walks off for the elevator with Gibbs following her from behind.

Few minutes later, Gibbs and Abby step out of the elevator and find McGee sitting over at the workstation. "McGee your suppose to be at your desk in the Squad Room?" Gibbs growls.

"I was." "I heard a cell phone ringing over at Ziva's desk." McGee nods over at them.

"So?" Gibbs shrugs and walks over to him with Abby following behind.

"This is the cell phone that you gave Ziva?" McGee informs him.

"The hospital handed us Ziva's badge, gun, her NCIS cell phone and the burn phone that I gave her."

"She has a second burn phone that looks identical to the one you gave her." McGee says and brings up the phone call long up on the computer screen. "She's had this phone number since; Vance sent her back to Israel after Director Shepard's funeral."

"Bring the last number she called on screen." Gibbs orders him.

"On it!" McGee nods and puts the number on screen. "Harriet Jones!"

"Do a GPS trace on that phone?" Gibbs instructs him and walks over to the front of the plasma screen. A map of Georgetown appears on screen.

"Doesn't Ducky live near there?" Abby curiously asks.

"He lives several blocks away from Francis Scott Key Memorial Park." McGee answers.

Just before Gibbs can answer McGee, his cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Munich, Germany

Marriot Hotel

Leon is in the elevator on his way back up to his room. "I spoke with Director David on his daughter's condition." "He's on his way to Washington to see his daughter and requested a joint NCIS-Mossad investigation."

"Hell no, since when does Mossad investigate a shooting involving an NCIS Agent?" Gibbs growls.

"Since the head of Mossad is her father and asked as a personal favor." "As your Director I am ordering you NCIS' full cooperation on this matter, am I making myself understood Agent Gibbs." Vance orders him.

Gibbs biting his tongue, for the moment. "Crystal!" He snarls.

"Excellent!" "I should be back in Washington by Friday afternoon." Vance smoothly says. "See you then." Vance grins and hangs up.

Gibbs angrily presses in the end button. "I hate kissing that bastard's ass." Gibbs angrily snaps.

"Why do you do it?" "You use to put down Director Shepard for doing it." Abby reminds him.

"There's a difference between my motives and Jen's." "Her ass kissing got the two of us out of jams and also got Jen into the Director's chair." "Me kissing Leon's ass, got Ziva her NCIS Special Agent status." Gibbs answers sharply and hits the speed dial button to Tony's cell phone.

Five minutes later, Tony is sitting in the hospital waiting room. "You're kidding me!" Tony sighs in disbelief.

"No!" Gibbs growls in protest from the back room in Abby's lab.

"We have to play nice with Eli and have Mossad in on our investigation, even though Ziva is a NCIS Agent." Tony asks.

"Per Director Vance!" Gibbs groans.

"This sucks!" Tony snaps.

"Tell me about it." Gibbs mutters under his breath.

"What time should we be expecting him?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Mid-day tomorrow if he's coming from Tel Aviv." Gibbs answers.

"I'm staying by Ziva's bedside tonight."

"I wouldn't expect anything less DiNozzo." Gibbs smiles.

"I want to get back into her room." Tony frowns with worry.

"Go on; be there for your partner." Gibbs smiles and hangs up. He gets up from his chair and walks out of the back room and approaches Abby and McGee over at the workstation.

McGee noting that Harriet Jones' cell phone had called Ducky's cell phone number at 0100 hours this morning. Just as McGee is about to turn his head and tell Gibbs, Jenny's photo appears on a computer screen at the end of the workstation. Abby screams out. "Oh my god!


	3. Out In The Open

Previously on NCIS

After getting off of the phone with Tony, Gibbs walks out of the backroom in Abby's Lab and walks over to her workstation. McGee is looking into Harriet Jones' cell phone call log, noting that the last number that she was in contact with was Ducky's cell phone number at 0100 hours today. Just as McGee is about to turn his head and tell Gibbs, Jenny's photo appears on a computer screen at the end of the workstation. Abby screams out. "Oh my god!

Gibbs stands in stunned silence. "Boss!" McGee calls out to him and gets up from his chair and walks over to him.

"Don't tell me that's a mistake." Abby cries.

"You want her to run that DNA match again?" McGee curiously asks.

"No!" Gibbs answers with his voice trembling with emotion.

"That can't be." Abby sniffs and buries her face against Gibbs' shoulder.

"You want me to check the hospitals to see if Direct-?"

"She's not at a hospital." Gibbs interrupts him and quickly regains his focus.

McGee finally getting the reason why Jenny had called Ducky's cell phone number. "Ducky isn't sick." "According to the call log on Jenny's cell phone, the last number she called was Ducky's cell phone at 0100 hours."

"For now this stays between the three of us." "McGee I have a flash drive hidden from the crime scene at the diner in the Mojave Desert hidden in a box of bullets that I use for my spare gun in my left hand lower desk drawer." "Find it and come back down here and go every inch of that crime scene." "Abby delete that DNA match." Gibbs orders her and runs off for the elevator.

"Did you miss something from the crime scene photos?" Abby curiously asks.

"Yes, Jenny's body is not in any of the photographs taken by Director Vance."

"I thought Tony and Ziva took the photos." Abby asks.

"Vance processed the inside of the crime scene, Tony and Ziva processed the outside." "After they were sent away after Jenny's funeral, Director Vance sealed all of the evidence from the investigation." "It was a good thing that I made Gibbs a duplicate copy of the photos from the crime scene and on our reports from the investigation."

Ten minutes later at Ducky's house. Ducky is in an upstairs bedroom applying compresses to Jenny's face and forehead. "Stubborn mule!" Ducky chastises her. Suddenly the doorbell rings. Ducky gets up from the side of the bed and walks out of the room. Outside Gibbs impatiently paces in front of the door. He's about to get down on his knee and pick the lock when Ducky opens up the door. Surprised to see Gibbs. "Jethro, I wasn't expecting you." Ducky smiles at him.

Gibbs brushes past him and walks inside. "Where is she?" He angrily asks.

"Jethro I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play games with me Duck." "I'm sure you're aware that Ziva was shot early this morning." "She was meeting a contact when they both took on gunfire." "Ziva's contact returned fire wounding one of the gunmen and also took a bullet." "Abby ran a DNA match on the blood that was found at the crime scene that was leading towards an emergency exit in the parking garage." "It matched Jenny's."

Ducky relieved that the years of lying to Gibbs is finally out in the open. "She's upstairs, but Jethro as her doctor I'm ordering you not to question her until she's recovered."

Gibbs starts for the stairs with Ducky following him from behind. "How bad is she wounded?"

"She took an entry wound to her right side; luckily the bullet didn't hit any major organs." "Jenny lost a lot of blood." "I have my mother's sedatives around still and I sedated her."

"Does she need a blood transfusion?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes and I know you share the same blood type as her." "She's in the first room on your right."

Gibbs walks into the bedroom. "I thought you told me she was dying and that was the reason why Jenny went out the way she did at the diner." Gibbs asks and approaches the bed.

"After you left Autopsy when the bodies came back from Los Angeles, Director Vance came into the room carrying a carry-on bag."

May 14th 2008

Autopsy

2000 Hours

Ducky stares off towards the door and watches his cherished friend Gibbs stepping inside the elevator trying to keep his composure. Just as the elevator doors close, Assistant Director Vance walks into the room carrying a department store carry-on bag. "Assistant Director Vance what can I do for you?" Ducky muses.

Vance glances over at Palmer and some of the technicians that are in the room. "I need a private word with you Doctor Mallard."

"Mr. Palmer we'll begin the autopsies in another hour." Ducky nods over at him.

"I'll go see how Abby's doing?" Palmer frowns and walks out of the room with the technicians following him from behind.

"Lock out Autopsy!" Vance orders him.

Ducky walks over to door and presses in the code in the keypad on the wall. "FBI ME doing the Director's autopsy." Ducky inquires and approaches Vance.

Vance takes out an envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket and hands it over to Ducky. "Orders from SecNav Davenport."

Ducky opens up the envelope and begins to read the orders. "I don't believe this."

Vance opens up his jacket and takes his Blackberry from inside of his jacket pocket and dials a cell phone number. "You need proof!"

Edwards, California

Antelope Valley Hospital

1700 Hours PDT

CIA Agent Ray Cruz is standing next to Jenny's hospital bed watching over her every move. His cell phone begins to ring. "Cruz!" He answers.

"Put her on." Vance instructs him.

"Yes sir!" Cruz answers and hands Jenny his cell phone. "Assistant Director Vance!"

"Leon!" Jenny sarcastically calls out to him.

"Soon to be Director Vance." Vance smirks.

"Keep in mind you bastard, I leap frogged over you to get into the Director's office." Jenny sweetly answers.

"Doctor Mallard needs proof that your alive, remember our agreement."

Jenny grimacing in pain from the gunshot wound in her right shoulder sits up in bed. "Put him on."

Vance hands Ducky his Blackberry. "Make it brief doctor."

"Jenny!"

"Ducky!" Jenny softly calls out to him.

"What's going on?" Ducky frantically asks.

"For Jethro's and my sake do what you're ordered to." Jenny instructs him.

"Is Davenport putting you into the witness protection program?"

"Yes!" Jenny lies.

"Do you know the hell that Jethro and his team are going through right now?" Ducky chokes.

"Tony and Ziva know that I'm alive." "If you want to keep Jethro safe and myself, you must go along with Davenport and Vance's orders."

Vance rudely grabs the phone from Ducky. "After your funeral on Friday, I'll be flying out to California." "We will have a briefing." Vance instructs Jenny and hangs up. Vance hands Ducky the carry-on bag.

"What's this?"

"The clothing that Shepard was wearing at the diner." "Make sure that Miss Scuito goes over them."

"Who's in the body bag?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Sasha Gordon!"

"Will Decker's fiancée?"

"After the autopsies I'll have her body sent back to Los Angeles."

"Jethro will ask to see Jenny's body." Ducky angrily warns him.

"Make something up Doctor Mallard; you have the SecNav's and my orders." "Jenny Shepard in your official autopsy report died from blood loss suffered from a gunshot wound in her right shoulder." "I have various other made up injuries that I told Gibbs at the diner written in a file inside of the bag."

"What should I tell Mr. Palmer?"

"Didn't you perform Special Agent Caitlin Todd's autopsy yourself?" Vance notes.

"Yes!" Ducky shrugs.

"Tell, Palmer that you want to do Director Shepard's autopsy on your own, due to your personal relationship." Vance instructs him. "You can unlock Autopsy now."

Ducky walks over to the door and presses in the code in the keypad. "So this is the price for you to get into the Director's office."

"Three years overdue." Vance smirks and walks off for the door.

Ducky watches as Vance steps through the doors and over to the elevator. "Someday you will get yours Leon." Ducky vows.

Present Time

"I miss diagnosed Jenny's illness." "Apparently somebody was putting trace amounts of Thallium poisoning inside of Jenny's bourbon decanter in her office." "If Thallium poisoning is caught in time the patient can make a full recovery." "Now what I was told by Director Vance in Autopsy after you left, that Jenny was suppose to be going into the witness protection program."

"Vance lied to you." "From the looks of it, Jenny was working undercover."

"For who?" Ducky asks.

"My gut tells me the CIA." "There was a reason why Kort took the wrap for the Frog's murder." Gibbs frowns.

"I thought that Kort had murdered him." Duck asks with surprise.

"Jenny killed René Benoit, not Trent Kort." "The night that La Grenouille was in Jenny's study, Jenny was about to kill him with her gun." "La Grenouille had been hiding inside of Jenny's house, before she came home from work; he took the bullets out of her gun clip."

"So how did she kill La Grenouille with no bullets inside of her weapon?" Ducky asks.

"La Grenouille had asked for protection." "In exchange he would have given information on his business dealings." "Jenny refused and handed La Grenouille her gun for his own protection." "La Grenouille just as he left her study had dropped Jenny's gun on top of her desk." "I was angry with her that she was letting her personal feelings cloud her judgment on apprehending an arms dealer, so I took the clip from my Sig and slammed it down next to her Glock and stormed out of the room." "Few days later at my desk in the Squad Room, Jenny had handed me my clip back." "It was missing a bullet."

"It doesn't mean that Jenny had taken La Grenouille's life."

"Duck I kept the clip hidden in my basement." "After Fornell was done his murder investigation into the Frog's death, I had asked him to send me a copy of his report on René Benoit's murder investigation." "I received it on the day that Jenny had been shot in the diner." "I was down in my basement looking over photos of the bullet taken from La Grenouille's body and I was comparing it to one of the bullets from my gun clip." "It matched!"

"So what does this have to do with Trent Kort and the CIA?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Kort has her gun and is using it against her."

"For what purpose?"

"It got Jenny out of her office and conveniently Vance stepped in." Gibbs angrily snaps.

"Note the recent Naval-CIA venture involving Cobbs." Ducky sighs at the loss of life at the hands of Lieutenant Jonas Cobb."

"If that hadn't failed, Vance would have forced me out as agent in charge of the Major Case Response Team and would have promoted EJ Barrett in my place." "There's something dirty going on between the three of them Duck, I can feel it."

"Vance I've always suspected has been dirty." "And with the Davenport resigning and Barrett alongside of him I have to agree with you."

"Before we go after the major players we have to get both Jenny and Ziva healed." Gibbs answers and takes a hold of Jenny's right hand.

"Jenny should sleep through the night." "I need to get some supplies back at NCIS Headquarters."

"Give McGee a message from me." "Tell him to use the burn phone to keep in contact with me."

"Anything else?"

"Soon as she's up to it, I am going to be screaming at her for putting me through this." "I'm her damn partner." "First she brings Mike into that mess out in California and almost gets him killed and then for not telling me about her failure in Paris." Gibbs snaps.

"Jethro she told me that your life was on the line as well as her own if she didn't go along with Vance and Davenport."

"Bull shit!

"The two of you have wasted years." "Imagine if you would have told Jenny about your family and if Jenny had told you about her father, just think Jethro, the two of you would have a house full of children." Ducky chastises him. "While I'm away I want you to apply compresses to Jenny's face and forehead every so often, she's burning up with a fever."

"Infection?"

"Yes, it's the reason why I need to get some medical supplies." "I want to start her on an IV antibiotics and morphine for the pain."

"And the supplies for the blood transfusion." Gibbs nods up at him.

"Yes!" "I'll only be gone an hour."

Gibbs intertwines his calloused fingers with Jenny's. "It's the one thing that I've missed since she left me in Paris." Gibbs says with a smile on his face.

"You always had your hands on her Jethro." Ducky chuckles.

"We were playing a part to the unknown eye." "But in reality, I was just letting the other guys know, that she was mine, back off." Gibbs smirks.

"Jethro!" Ducky laughs and walks out of the room.

"I could say that about you Jen." "It might have been for a brief time, but you were mine."

Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport

0500 Hours IDT

Trent Kort is talking on his cell phone as he waiting for the boarding gate to open for his flight to Athens. "Julien Benoit over bid us." Kort angrily snarls.

Riohacha, Colombia

Hotel La Makuira

2200 Hours COT

"Yes!" Cruz answers in disgust from his hotel bed. "He over bid us by five million."

"I'm on my way to Kalymnos."

"He's not going to be happy." Cruz groans.

"He never is." Kort snorts.

"Jenny took a flight out to Miami on August 10th."

"That bloody bitch better not have been snooping around in Washington with your ex-girlfriend." Kort cryptically answers.

"Ziva is a valued contact of hers." "That's how I met her, through Jenny." Cruz smiles.

"To bad my Somalian contacts didn't finish the job out on her a few years ago."

"You were responsible for that." Cruz asks and sits up.

"I wanted to eliminate the one existing relationship that she had from Gibbs." "With Ziva out of the way, Jenny could concentrate on doing her job, which was to kiss ass with every arms smuggler in the free world."

Cruz angry with Kort's involvement with Ziva's kidnapping at the hands of Saleem Ulman. "The hell that Saleem had put Ziva through." "And it was all because of you." Cruz answers seething with anger.

"You better get a hold of yourself Ray." "I had my orders, just like you have yours."

"At what price?"

"Maybe you should of thought of that when you became a CIA agent." Kort snorts.

Cruz quickly changes the subject. "I'm taking a flight out to Miami; maybe Jenny had a contact that she was meeting up with."

"Doesn't explain the reason why we can't get a hold of her by her satellite phone." "The only other explanation that I can come up with is maybe her cover was blown and she's in hiding." "Miami is a good place to blend in with the crowd."

"It better be the reason or our boss will be extremely angry, he was depending on that shipment for the Libyan Freedom Alliance."

"You mean your boss was depending on the money he was going off of from the Libyan Freedom Alliance." Cruz corrects him with a smirk.

"Either way it saves the CIA money and the US taxpayer's money." "I'll get in touch with you tomorrow afternoon Miami time on an update on Phoenix's where a bouts."

"After the airport it may be tricky." "She's good at undercover work." Cruz warns him.

"I know it was the reason why Davenport had wanted her out as Director of NCIS." "Jenny Shepard is more of value to the US Government as an agent, then sitting behind a desk as an Agency Director of the lowest level Federal Arms Agency."

"And it got Leon Vance in the Director's office." Cruz reminds him.

"In the end it worked out for all parties." "CIA and NCIS have an excellent working relationship, where before under Shepard's tenure due to her meddling in Operation Lodestone."

Cruz noting that his flight is about to leave. "My flight for Miami is in a half an hour." "I want to get on board the plane."

"I still have another hour before my flight." "Find out where Phoenix got to."

"And if I don't?"

"That's up to the man himself when I go to see him." "If it were up to me Jenny Shepard would have died three years ago." Kort answers with an evil grin on his face.


	4. Anything For Mommy

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

McGee and Abby are going over the crime scene photos from the diner at the Mojave Desert. "I asked Gibbs why Jenny's body wasn't in the crime scene photos over and over again." McGee sighs in frustration.

"And his answer?" Abby asks.

"Ask Director Vance since it was his investigation." McGee answers with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"I thought maybe, because out of respect Jenny it was the reason why her body wasn't shown in the crime scene photos."

"No, Davenport treated the crime scene like it didn't happen and technically Jenny died at home in a fire from smoke inhalation." McGee frowns.

"I thought Gibbs saw her body down in Autopsy?" Abby curiously asks.

"Jethro never saw Jenny's body down in Autopsy." Ducky sadly informs them over hearing their conversation as he walks into the room. "When he was standing next to the body bag, which he thought at the time was Jenny's; Jethro emotionally could not pull back the zipper on the body bag." "He walked out of the room."

"Whose body was inside the body bag?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"Sasha Gordon's, I did her autopsy and sent her body back to Los Angeles for her family to bury." "Poor girl had her neck broken at the hands of Viggio Dratyev." Ducky sighs at the loss of a young beautiful woman.

"Body used inside Jenny's coffin for her funeral." McGee asks.

"Coffin is empty at her grave site next to her father and mother."

"Besides Director Vance, Ziva, and obviously Tony and yourself, who else knows that Jenny is alive?" McGee angrily asks.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss this with you at this time." "Gibbs will fill in some of the blanks with you." "He wants you to communicate with him through your burn phone." Ducky informs him.

"I need to get in contact with him; Tony keeps calling and asking a lot of questions." McGee groans.

"How is Director Shepard?" Abby frowns.

"As of this moment Director Vance is the Director of NCIS, Jenny does not go by that title anymore Abigail." Ducky sadly reminds her. "Jenny received a gunshot wound to her right side." "When it entered her body it grazed her side." "Luckily for Jenny it missed her organs." "I sedated her and she's resting comfortably in one of my spare bedrooms." "What concerns me the most, Jenny lost a great deal of blood and has come down with in an infection." "It's the reason why I'm here, so that I can get the medical supplies that I need to fight the infection and treat her wound." "Jethro shares the same blood type as Jenny, so when I get back home I'll perform a blood transfusion."

"Can we see her?" Abby asks with tears in her eyes.

"Right now no." "The less people that come in and out of my house, the better off Jenny is."

"Makes sense." McGee nods.

"I just came in here to update the two of you and to pass on Gibbs' message."

"You need any help on getting the supplies, since it's so late at night, there shouldn't people many not be in the infirmary wing." Abby asks.

"Infirmary got shut down due to budget costs a few months ago, but the supplies are still locked up in the supply room." Ducky winks.

"I'll hack into the Navy Yard computer system just on the safe side and I'll disable the cameras and key code for the supply room so that you can get in and out." McGee smoothly says.

"The main items that I need are antibiotics and morphine to keep Jenny pain free." Ducky sighs and walks off for the door with Abby following him from behind.

McGee begins to hack into the Navy Yard computer system. "Anything for mommy." McGee fondly answers.

Ten minutes at Ducky's house, Gibbs is applying compresses to Jenny's face and forehead. "Why didn't you come to me?" "Protecting me is not an excuse Jen." Gibbs angrily asks. Suddenly his burn cell phone begins to ring. He takes the phone out of his pocket and spots McGee's name on the caller ID. "What's up McGee?" He answers.

"Tony's calling and asking a lot of questions and I can't give him any answers." McGee grumbles from Abby's desk in the back of her lab.

"Soon as I get done talking with you I'll call him."

"How is she?" McGee frowns.

"Weak from blood loss and an infection from her gunshot wound." "Soon as Ducky gets back from the Navy Yard he'll start an IV of both antibiotic's and morphine." "And I share the same blood type as Jen."

"I know Ducky told me about the blood transfusion." McGee smiles.

Gibbs gets up from the bed and walks over to the window and looks outside. "When Ducky leaves I want you and Abby to go home for the night and get some rest, it's past 2300 hours." "I want her lab locked out after she goes home." "I don't want anybody going in and out of there, including Mossad."

"What about Director Vance's orders?" McGee asks.

"The hell with Vance's orders." Gibbs growls and hangs up. He presses in the speed dial button for Tony's burn cell phone. "DiNozzo!"

Georgetown University Hospital

Exhausted from being up for twenty-four hours, Tony is lying on the couch inside the waiting room. "What's going on, McGee won't give me any answers?"

"I'll stop by tomorrow morning and give you an update."

"You know who's responsible?" Tony asks.

"No!" "The Yukon that the gunmen had used in the shooting was stolen."

"Did Abby come up with a DNA match from Ziva's contact?" Tony curiously asks.

"Yes!" Gibbs snaps and turns and looks over at Jenny.

"Who is it?"

"I will brief you on it tomorrow at 0730 hours." "I don't want to talk about it over the phone and do not call up McGee; he's under orders not to talk about the investigation at this time, until I talk to you." "From here on out, we communicate via our burn phones."

"You don't trust Vance." Tony asks.

"Vance, Mossad, CIA, nobody and that includes the SecNav."

"I'm not looking forward to a face to face meeting with Director David." Tony grumbles.

"Neither am I." Gibbs barks, suddenly his attention is drawn to Jenny's blood soaked clothing that Ducky has discarded on the floor near a table. "In the meantime get some sleep, when Ziva wakes up, she's going to need you."

"I will!" Tony smiles.

"See you tomorrow." Gibbs smoothly says and hangs up. Gibbs puts his phone into his pocket and walks over to the pile of clothes that's on the floor. Picking up the black cargo pants from the floor, Gibbs goes through the pockets and finds a key to Jenny's rental car and a keycard to the motel room that she's staying at. Gibbs takes his burn phone out of his pocket and flips it open, presses in the speed dial number for McGee's burn phone. "McGee I want you to take a cab to Francis Scott Key Memorial Park tomorrow morning at 0600 hours."

"Why?" McGee asks from Abby's desk.

"We need to find Jenny's rental car." "I just went over the clothes that she's wearing and found a key to her rental car and also a keycard to her motel room that she's staying at."

"You want the car processed back at evidence room?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"I want the GPS device disabled at the scene and then I want you to drive the car back to headquarters." "After the evidence technicians leave for the night I want you to drive the car down into the Evidence Room and go over everything." "Then I want it cleaned up." "Blood, fingers prints, everything, I do not want Jenny linked to that car." Gibbs orders him.

"Do you want me to go over Jenny's motel room?" McGee asks.

"Yes!" "Maybe there will be something linking to whoever she's working for, my gut says it's the CIA."

Two hours later, Gibbs is lying on the bed next to Jenny on her left side as he's giving Jenny a blood transfusion. Ducky hands Gibbs a glass of orange juice. "I don't want you passing out on me." Ducky snorts.

"To bad there isn't any vodka in it." Gibbs chuckles and takes a sip from his glass.

"Jethro!" Ducky laughs and shakes his head. "I better get this wounded treated before she wakes up."

"How much longer?" Gibbs asks.

"Don't know all depends." Ducky shrugs and walks over to Jenny's side of the bed and pulls back the covers with Jenny's naked body exposed.

Gibbs noting the scar on Jenny's right shoulder. "Is that the gunshot wound from the diner?"

"I don't know Jethro I didn't ask her?" Ducky frowns and begins to pull away at the bandage.

Gibbs continues to look around for the other injuries that Vance had told him that Jenny had received at the diner. "Vance made all of Jenny's injuries up." Gibbs sarcastically asks.

"Yes, all of her injuries in my autopsy report." "With the exception of the gunshot wound to the shoulder."

Gibbs sits up in bed and watches as Ducky gently pulls back the gauze. "I still have the sounds of Jenny's screams in my head when she got shot for the first time in the Czech Republic." Gibbs chokes.

"Young and scared Jethro." Ducky sighs and begins to clean Jenny's wound. "But keep in mind she had you to take care of her."

"She let me take care of her the first seventy-two hours." Gibbs laughs.

"Just as stubborn as you are Jethro." Ducky chuckles.

"I know it was one of the reasons why I would let things slide with her, more than any other Probationary Status Agent that I trained over the years."

"No, you let things slide with her, because you had fallen in love with her." Ducky smiles at him.

"You're not suppose to fall in love with your partner." Gibbs sighs.

"Jethro you can't tell your heart what to do." Ducky softly says to him.

"After Shannon died I didn't think I could feel that way about another woman." Gibbs frowns.

"As I stated before, I blame the both of you." "It's both of your fault." "If the two of you would have communicated with one another twelve years ago, then maybe Jenny would not have chosen the path that she took."

"Communication was always my biggest problem with women when it came to Shannon and Kelly." Gibbs bitterly answers.

"Not just women Jethro, you never told your friends and colleagues about them over the years." "We only found out about them, when Jenny did a background check on you while you were in your coma." "You don't know how hurt and angry I was, Jenny was, your team, to know you had a life that you couldn't share with us." Ducky frowns.

"And I felt the same hurt, when I found out about La Grenouille." "That should have been me, not Tony helping her out." "The minute I left for Mexico, she began Tony's undercover assignment. "He wasn't on vacation for two weeks in Europe." "Tony was tracking down information on the Frog."

"Jethro part of the assignment was Jeanne Benoit."

"Tony was suppose to put a play on her so that Jeanne could lead him to La Grenouille, her father."

"But instead the poor boy fell in love with her." Ducky sadly answers.

"And almost got Tony killed in the process." Gibbs snaps.

"Did Abigail ever find out who put the bomb under Tony's car?" Ducky asks.

"Somebody that was connected to the CIA."

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Trent Kort's rental car pulls up in front of his boss' villa. He gets out of the car and walks over to the front door and rings the doorbell. Iris opens the door. "Kort!" She purrs at him.

"Don't make yourself so obvious." Kort mutters and walks inside. "Where is he?"

"Balcony eating breakfast." Iris answers and closes the door behind her. "You want anything?"

"No!" Kort sighs and walks off towards the direction of the balcony.

Outside on the balcony overlooking the Aegean Sea, the back of a white haired man is sitting down at table finishing up his breakfast. "Best view that money can buy." He brags.

"With the weapons you've sold over the years, you could buy this island." Kort smirks over hearing his boss as he walks out on to the balcony.

"Any word on Phoenix yet?"

"Figures you would get down to business." Kort sarcastically answers and approaches the table.

"I want to know where my shipment got to." "The Libyan Freedom Alliance is waiting for them."

"Julien Benoit out bid us for them." Kort snaps.

Suddenly the table is thrown over. "How did he get involved with this?" The voice angrily seethes.

"My best bet is Davenport's niece former NCIS Special Agent EJ Barrett." "A contact of mine saw the two of them together in Rome several weeks ago." Kort informs him.

"Eliminate her at once."

"If only Jonas Cobb hadn't failed a month ago." Kort groans in frustration.

"Whining over what Cobb did or didn't do isn't solving the problem." "I want Barrett eliminated." "Now back to the subject at hand." "You didn't ask me answer my first question." "Where is Phoenix at?"

"You mean your bitch of a daughter." Kort shouts at him.

Getting up from his chair, the mysterious white haired man turns and faces Kort. Jasper Shepard glares over at Kort. "If you value your life Mr. Kort, you will never address my daughter that way ever again." Shepard icily warns him.

"Is that a threat?" Kort smirks at him.

"I don't make threats." Shepard snarls at him. "I make promises."

Kort noting that if he keeps baiting Shepard, he won't make it out of the villa alive. "Jenny checked out of her hotel in Riohacha, Colombia on August 10th." "From what Ray Cruz has found out while he was in Riohacha." "Jenny took a flight out to Miami, using her burn alias Harriet Jones." "Cruz is on his way to Miami as I speak and will get back to me on where she went from there."

"Hopefully she's meeting another supplier there." Shepard mutters and grabs a cigar from his shirt pocket and puts it in his mouth.

"She better be." "Jenny has had contact with Ziva David on and off since she's went undercover for the CIA."

"Only when Ziva was working for Mossad." "Jenny has not been state side since the attempt on her life in California." Shepard shrugs and lights up his cigar.

"She was in El Salvador a year ago." Kort reminds him.

"She was meeting an Arms Dealer and I will remind you on the profit I made on the shipment of those weapons from Enrique Sanchez." Shepard answers and takes a puff from his cigar.

"Your daughter is a pro at kissing ass, she learned from it from the master herself." Kort winks at Shepard.

"It's how I've developed my empire." Shepard grins.

"Along with the CIA may I remind you?" "You wouldn't be here without them."

"I don't need to be reminded Kort." "It cost me my daughter for thirteen years." Shepard frowns and takes a puff from his cigar.

"I'll see if Cruz's plane has landed." Kort nods and walks out of the room.

Shepard waits for Kort to get out of view. "If I find out that you have anything to do with Jenny's disappearance, I'll make sure that there isn't a piece of you that can be identified." Shepard vows and takes a puff from his cigar.

Out in the dining room Iris sashay's her way over to Kort. "Iris not now." Kort warns her.

"But when?" She pouts and grabs a hold of the lapel on to Kort's jacket.

"After I track down your lover's prized asset." Kort smirks.

"What if she's dead and you're wasting your time." Iris asks.

"Trust me she isn't dead." "Jenny Shepard was trained by the best Iris."

Back at Ducky's, Gibbs sits on the edge of the bed protectively holding on to Jenny's hand as he watches over her as she sleeps. Ducky walks in with a clean wash cloth and a plastic basin filled up with cold water. "I never released how small Jenny's hands were until now." Ducky muses and puts the basin down on the nightstand.

"Jenny's soft hands and manicured nails to the contrast of my rough calloused hands." Gibbs smiles and takes the wash cloth from Ducky.

"So many differences between the two of you and yet so many similarities." Ducky chuckles.

"I know it was one of the reason why our tempers would collide with one another." "She always got the last word in and it would piss me the hell off." Gibbs growls.

"Or make you look like an idiot and she got off on it when the roles were reversed." Ducky laughs.

"I know I could hear my team laughing at me behind my back." Gibbs grumbles.

Ducky walks over to the chaise lounge and sits down. "I'm going to take a nap for a few hours." "Wake me up if her temperature goes up or if she comes to." Ducky yawns and closes his eyes.

"I will!" Gibbs smiles and dabs the wash cloth into the basin and wrings it out. Tenderly Gibbs applies compresses to Jenny's face and fore head. "You hated it when I would take care of you when we were together the first time." "Now you have no choice in the matter Jen." Gibbs whispers so that Ducky can't hear him.


	5. Regaining Consciousness

The next morning around sunrise, Gibbs sits in a chair alongside of the bed and watches over Jenny as she sleeps. Ducky walks in with a cup of coffee. "It's not what your use to drinking Jethro, best that I can do." He apologizes and walks over to Gibbs and hands him his coffee.

"Anything is better than DiNozzo's coffee." Gibbs laughs and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"What time are you leaving?"

Gibbs glances down at his watch. "0600 hours, it should take McGee twenty minutes to get to the park by cab from his apartment in Silver Springs." Gibbs answers.

"If Jenny should wake up while you're away, what should I tell her?" Ducky asks.

"Nothing!" Gibbs chuckles and gets up from the chair.

"Nothing!"

Gibbs smirks down at his white t-shirt that Jenny is wearing as a night gown. "She'll know that I was here." Gibbs grins and walks out of the room.

Ducky glances down at Jenny with a confused expression on his face. "I don't get it."

Forty minutes later Gibbs and McGee are wandering on a sidewalk near Francis Scott Key Memorial Park. "Ducky said that Jenny was driving a Green Ford Focus." Gibbs instructs McGee.

"It should be easy to spot a Ford with an out of state license plate." McGee nods over at him. Suddenly McGee spots a green Ford Focus with a Georgia license plate parked near the curb. "Boss!"

"I see it McGee." Gibbs answers and they casually walk over to the car. Inside the front seat of the car they notice the blanket that Ducky had covered the seat to hide the blood stains and also find blood stains floor on the driver's side.

"I have to sit on that." McGee whines.

"I have my NCIS jump suit and some booties in the trunk of my car." Gibbs growls in exasperation.

McGee walks in front of the car and gets down on the ground and crawls underneath. "Found the GPS tracking device and I'm disabling it."

"Two years ago you wouldn't have fit under the car." Gibbs laughs.

"My fitness trainer paid off." McGee smirks and disables the GPS signal for the car and crawls out from under the car.

Gibbs unlocks the car from the passenger side and opens up the glove compartment. "Nothing!"

"What Super 6 Motel do you think she was staying at?" McGee curiously asks.

"Besides Jenny's car key and motel keycard, I found her cell phone." "Do a GPS trace on the phone's location since she arrived in Washington that should give you a clue to which Motel 6 she was staying at." "In the meantime I'm going over to the hospital to question Tony on what happened after I got off the phone with him the day Jenny got shot at Decker's Diner."

"Boss it seems to me that Tony was only following orders." McGee answers trying to defend Tony's actions.

"SecNav Davenport and Assistant Director Vance's orders." "They were merely trying to get Jenny out of her office, so that Davenport could put Vance into place for his dirty dealings with the CIA." Gibbs angrily reminds McGee.

"Or maybe he thought he was saving Jenny's life." McGee argues.

"Still wasn't his decision to make McGee." "Jenny is my partner, not Tony's." "I'll meet you back at headquarters after I talk with Tony and check on Ziva."

Back at Ducky's house up in the guest bedroom. Jenny opens her eyes squinting at the brightness of the sunlight. "I should have kept the curtains closed." Ducky snorts and gets up from his chair and walks over to the window and closes the curtains.

"How long have I been unconscious?" Jenny asks above a whisper.

"About twenty-eight hours, I sedated you after you lost consciousness." Ducky answers and walks over to the bed.

Jenny noting that she doesn't feel any pain from the gunshot wound. "What do you have me on?" She smiles from the effects of the morphine.

"Morphine!"

"Surprised that you have morphine on an IV drip available inside of your house." Jenny says above a whisper.

"I don't, I had to go back to the Navy Yard to get the medical supplies so that I could treat your wound, plus you had spiked a high fever yesterday afternoon from an infection." "Besides the morphine IV, I have you on an antibiotic IV as well."

Jenny trying to focus on her surroundings. "This isn't your house." Jenny notes and begins to glance around the room.

"Mother passed on a year ago." "I sold our house and sent the blasted Corgi's to Corgi Rescue group." "I purchased this house over a year ago." Ducky smiles and sits down on the edge of the bed.

"Sorry to hear about your mother." Jenny frowns.

"She's at peace Jennifer." "Alzheimer's had taken its toll on her mind." Ducky chokes at the memory of seeing his mother a few days before she died. Jenny feeling the white t-shirt up against her body, suddenly the smell of Jethro's familiar scent of coffee and saw dust overwhelms her. Trying to sit up in bed, Ducky restrains her. "If you open yourself up-"

Jenny quickly interrupts him. "Why did you call him?" Jenny angrily asks him.

"I didn't call him, Abigail found a DNA match from your blood trail at the crime scene linking to you." Ducky frowns and sinks down back on to the bed. "I'm going to warn you in advance, once you're recovered, Jethro's will be screaming at you." "He's angry and most of all hurt." "You are his partner."

"His partner was trying to protect him." "You do not know what Kort had on him and me." Jenny angrily snaps.

"Your gun?"

Jenny nods up at Ducky. "Yes!"

"On Jethro?" Ducky asks.

"Kort had a contact at the Justice Department in Mexico." "He was going to have him open up the case into Pedro Hernandez murder investigation." "Kort said he knew somebody that could link Jethro into Hernandez's murder."

"Paloma Reynosa?"

"How did you know her name?" Jenny asks with surprise and gingerly tries to sit up in bed.

"She was Pedro Hernandez's daughter." Ducky sighs.

"Was?"

Ducky noting that Jenny is beginning to get agitated quickly changes the subject. "Jenny you need to rest."

"I want some answers." Jenny snaps and tries to get out of bed.

Ducky gets up from the bed and gently brings Jenny back down on to the mattress. "Afterwards, when you are healed up." "You lost a great deal of blood and I if you open yourself up again."

Jenny sinks down inside of the covers, feeling the band aid on the inside of her left arm. "Jethro gave me some of his blood last night didn't he?" Jenny weakly asks.

"Yes!" Ducky smiles and sits down on to the bed and squeezes Jenny's hand. "He gave you a blood transfusion and for the most part took care of you for most of the night." "Applied compresses to your face and forehead to help stem your fever."

"And put me into his t-shirt." Jenny answers and shakes her head.

"That was after I re-bandaged your wound and after the blood transfusion." "At the time it didn't dawn on me the reason why Jethro put his t-shirt on you." "Until after you woke up."

"His familiar scent of coffee and saw dust." "The only scent that is missing is bourbon." Jenny sadly answers.

"He hasn't drank bourbon since that day Jenny." Ducky frowns and gets up from the bed. "He mourned your loss endlessly." "I would still catch him several months later gazing up towards the balcony in front of MTAC hoping to meet your casting glance from above."

"I had to do it Ducky." Jenny answers and bursts into tears.

"You had your reasons Jennifer, but keep in mind, for those who were left behind and knew that you were alive." "To see Jethro, Abigail, McGee, and poor Cynthia." "She resigned about a month later." "She's working as an assistant for a Deputy Director over at Homeland Security."

"I would have resigned the day of my funeral." "Couldn't stomach working for that dirty bastard." "Cynthia knew Vance was dirty."

"We all know that Leon is dirty and corrupt, there isn't anything to pin on him at the moment." "Jethro has been biting his tongue for the past three years." Ducky snorts.

"He's finally learned to kiss ass." Jenny laughs.

"It's not a pretty sight." Ducky mutters.

"When will he be back?" Jenny asks.

"I'd say some time after twelve." "Tony doesn't know you're Ziva's mystery contact." "Jethro's briefing him."

"I hope he's easy on Tony." "Tony was only following Davenport and Vance's direct order." Jenny sighs.

Georgetown University Hospital

Tony is in the cafeteria playing around with his eggs. His thoughts are on his partner. "Who were you secretly meeting inside the parking garage at that time of the night?" He asks out loud. Suddenly his burn phone begins to ring. He takes his phone out of his pocket and spots Gibbs name on the caller ID. "Yeah boss."

"I'm waiting in my car inside the parking garage."

"Why aren't you coming inside?" Tony shrugs.

"Because what I want to go over with you is between us." Gibbs growls.

"I'll be there in five minutes." Tony answers and hangs up.

Five minutes later inside the parking garage. Tony opens Gibbs' car door and gets inside. "Find out who Ziva's mystery contact is." Tony asks and closes the door behind him.

"Yes!" Gibbs sarcastically snaps and tosses Jenny's photo on top of Tony's lap. "I want some answers." Gibbs shouts.

"Didn't Jenny give you the answers?" Tony shouts back.

"She can't, because Ducky has her sedated in one of his guest rooms." "She took a round to her right side during that gun fight."

"Is she going to make it?" Tony frowns.

"I think so, I gave her some of my blood last night and Ducky stole some medical supplies from the infirmary at the Navy Yard, so that he could treat her wound."

"Boss we hated lying to you, but I was under SecNav Davenport's orders not-"

"That's bullshit DiNozzo and you of all people should know that." Gibbs snarls.

"After what Davenport just put us through with the CIA." Tony sighs.

"Start from the beginning, which was after you hung up with me on the phone."

"I called SecNav Davenport." Tony answers and flashes back to the diner.

May 13th 2008

Mojave Desert

Decker's Diner

1500 Hours PDT

After hanging up with Gibbs, Tony takes his cell phone from his pants pocket and begins to dial SecNav Davenport's number. "Who are you calling?" Ziva asks.

"SecNav, I don't think Gibbs is in any condition to call him." Tony frowns and waits for his secretary to answer the phone. "This is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, I'm working on Director Shepard's Protection Detail out in Los Angeles, can I please speak with SecNav Davenport?"

Ziva puts Jenny's head on her lap and holds her cherished friend in her arms. "I told you we shouldn't have left her."

"Ziva, you keep forgetting that Gibbs trained her." "Jenny would have figured out a way to get away from us." Tony coldly answers.

Washington, DC

Office of the Secretary of The Navy

1800 Hours EDT

"Special Agent DiNozzo!" Davenport addresses Tony from behind his desk.

"Sir, I have some bad news, Director Shepard broke her Protection Detail a few hours ago." "Officer David and I tracked her down in an abandoned diner in the Mojave Desert." "She's deceased with several gunmen." "I guess she took them out during a gunfight."

"Why wasn't I notified the moment she broke her Protection Detail." Davenport seethes at Tony for his failure.

"She sent us away at our hotel." "She thought that Ziva and I could use a few hours in the sun before we flew back to Washington." Tony sadly answers.

"She broke away from her Protection Detail in Paris last year." "Didn't Agent Gibbs warn you of this?"

"Yes, over and over again." Tony sighs and remembers that Gibbs is aware of Jenny's death. "I just got off the phone with Special Agent Gibbs; he's on his way out to California."

"I want a thorough investigation into this matter and kept between the four of us at this time." "Soon as I get off the phone with you I'll notify Assistant Director Vance of Director Shepard's death."

Jenny opens up her eyes and screams out in pain. "Jethro!"

"Tony!" Ziva calls out to him and begins to apply pressure to Jenny's gunshot wound on her right shoulder.

"Sir, I guess I missed the carotid artery, Director Shepard is alive and just came to." "I'm going to call an ambulance on Director Shepard's Blackberry." "Could you hold on for a minute?"

Ziva pulls Jenny's jacket off of her and pushes it on top of her wound. "Fight Jenny, I swear if you pull though this, you will never ever pull a stunt like this on me again." Ziva screams at her.

"And we'll get head slapped until the end of time." Tony groans and begins to dial 911. "This is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo of NCIS, I need an ambulance at-"

Present Time

"I called 911 and told them of the situation and then I continued my phone conversation with SecNav Davenport." Tony answers and continues on reflecting back on the events inside the diner.

"Ambulance is on its way sir, closest hospital is over in Edwards." Tony informs Davenport.

"While you were on the phone with the ambulance I called Assistant Director Vance, he's flying out to Edwards Air Force Base and should be at your location early this evening."

"I'll call Gibbs and let him know of the current situation." Tony nods.

"No, let me do that." "In the mean time you are to take your orders directly from Assistant Director Vance." Davenport instructs Tony.

"Yes sir!" Tony answers.

"I need to get in touch with the medical staff at Antelope Valley Hospital, that's the closest hospital to your location."

"I'll start processing the crime scene." Tony suggests.

"No wait until Assistant Director Vance arrives." Davenport sighs.

"We're suppose to wait here and do nothing until Vance arrives?" Tony asks in disbelief.

"Yes, he'll go over what you and Officer David are suppose to do." Davenport answers and abruptly hangs up.

"Well?" Ziva asks.

Tony gets down on his knees. "After the EMT's take Jenny to the hospital, we're suppose to wait for Vance." "And take orders from him, not Gibbs."

"With Jenny being injured, Davenport wants Vance overseeing NCIS." Ziva answers.

"Gibbs hates it when Vance is back in Washington looking over his shoulder." Tony frowns.

"He doesn't have much choice in the matter when Jenny will be in the hospital for a few days."

"Has Jenny said anything?" Tony asks.

"She keeps lapsing in and out of consciousness." "Other than calling out for Gibbs, she hasn't said anything."

"When she pulls through, Gibbs is going to have us working every weekend for the next year." Tony grumbles.

Present Time

"Ambulance arrived with in twenty minutes; they stabilized Jenny and took her out, half a mile down the road Jenny was transferred by helicopter to Antelope Valley Hospital in Edwards, California." "Vance arrived three and a half hours later." "Apparently he stopped at the hospital to talk to Jenny when she woke up in recovery."

"And he took over the crime scene." Gibbs snaps.

"Between the time I hung up with Davenport and when Vance arrived at the diner, they came up with the scheme of Jenny's staged death scene inside of the diner." "Both Ziva and I were under strict orders not to let anybody know that Jenny survived from her gunshot wound in the diner." "As Vance processed the crime scene inside the diner." "Ziva and I processed the crime scene on the outside of the diner."

"That explains the reason why Jenny's body was never shown in the crime scene photos." Gibbs answers and presses his head back on the seat of his car.

"After Jenny came out of recovery, Ziva and I visited her at the hospital to say our final goodbyes to her."

Edwards, California

Antelope Valley Hospital

Tony and Ziva are standing next to Jenny's hospital bed. "You can't do this to Gibbs." Tony angrily shouts at her.

"I have to." "We do not know who's involved with this Tony." "For my safety and for yours and Gibbs', I have to enter the witness protection program."

"How do I pull this off, I suck at lying, Gibbs reads right through me." Tony frowns.

"To be a good agent you have to lie Tony." "If you can pull off a lie with Gibbs, you've got it made." Jenny smiles.

Ziva leans over the bed and hugs Jenny and begins to speak to her in Hebrew. "If you need me for anything call me day or night and I'll be there for you."

Jenny answering back in Hebrew. "I will, since I owe you one for Cairo." Jenny smiles and returns the hug.

Present Time

"That was the last time I saw Jenny." "Ziva and I went back to the diner." "Vance was still processing the inside of the diner." "The next morning you arrived at the diner."

"My gut told me there was something wrong." Gibbs growls in frustration.

"And you didn't listen to it." Tony shrugs.

"What the hell was Leon doing overseeing the crime scene?" "It didn't make any sense to me then." Gibbs sighs.

"But now it does." Tony nods.

"Yeah, cover up." "None of what happened in the diner happened." "Jenny wasn't dead." "She was recovering from a gunshot wound to her right shoulder at a nearby hospital." "You and Ziva were sent away to keep your mouths shut, not because of a mole at headquarters."

"Notice McGee stayed behind in Washington." Tony angrily snaps.

"Did you and Vance have a briefing about the diner when you returned to Washington after you came back from California?"

"Yes, Ziva, Ducky, and myself down in Autopsy the next day."

May 15th 2008

NCIS Headquarters

0800 Hours

Tony, Ziva, Ducky, and Assistant Director Vance are standing in front of Ducky's desk going over his orders. "By the orders of SecNav Phillip Davenport if the three of you disobey his direct order by telling anybody, including Agent Gibbs, that Director Shepard is alive will be subjected to criminal charges." "We do not know what's out there." "There could be other parties involved with the attempt on her life and on William Decker's death." "When Jenny recovers from her gunshot wound and from her thallium poisoning, she will be sent to the witness protection program."

"Thallium poisoning?" Tony asks.

"Yes there is a mole working at NCIS Headquarters that I've been trying to apprehend." "There were trace amounts of Thallium in Director Shepard's bourbon decanter in her office."

"Then she wasn't dying from advanced stages of MS." Ducky asks.

"No, Thallium poisoning mimic's MS and other neurological disorders." "She discovered your misdiagnosis while she was on her leave of absence." Vance smoothly says.

"If caught in time, Jenny should recover from that." Ducky sighs with relief.

"Either way it's not an open discussion anymore." "Jenny Shepard died on May 13th at 1450 hours PDT from loss of blood from a gunshot wound to her right shoulder." "Doctor Mallard has written her other injuries down that I had mentioned to Gibbs at the crime scene on her unofficial autopsy report." "Agent DiNozzo and Officer David I want the two of you to return to the Squad Room and put on your best act as grief stricken agents comforting each other." "Doctor Mallard I'd advise you to do the same or I will be sending out a retirement package on you." Vance warns him and walks off for the door.

Tony waits for Vance to get inside of the elevator. "How are we going to pull this off?" Tony frowns.

"For Jenny, we have to." Ducky sadly answers.

Present Time

"So it's just you, Ziva, Ducky, Vance, and SecNav Davenport?" Gibbs nods.

"Medical staff at the hospital where Jenny was recovering at and Mike knew she was alive."

"Mike?" Gibbs snarls and glances over at Tony.

"Remember the case involving Salazar?" Tony nods over at Gibbs.

"Yeah, because it was linked to a prior op that Mike and had worked on." Gibbs shrugs.

"On the elevator down to Autopsy is when Mike told me he knew that Jenny was alive." Tony answers and flashes back.

February 3, 2009

NCIS Headquarters

1900 Hours

Tony, Ziva, and Mike are in the elevator heading down, Ziva to Abby's Lab, Tony and Mike to Autopsy. "The day I have a woman fight my battles." Mike growls over at Tony.

"And ruin a good suit." Tony whines in protest.

"Back in my day if an agent dressed like you working on my team, I would head slap him silly." Mike grumbles.

The elevator stops at Abby's floor. "So what did you wear back in the day?" Tony curiously asks.

"What's the matter with a cheap sports jacket, slacks, a shirt and tie from Wal-Mart?" Mike grunts.

"Tony, buying clothing at Wal-Mart." Ziva laughs, the elevator doors open, Ziva continues to giggle as she walks out of the elevator.

"Forgot that you were brought up with money." Mike smirks.

"Yeah, and I wore the best once I got out of those pathetic sailor suits my mother put me in." Tony sighs.

The elevator door closes. Mike waits for the elevator to begin to move down. He flips over the switch just as the elevator gets between floors. "I know that Jenny survived the diner."

Tony surprised that Mike is in on Vance's scheme. "Vance bring you in on it?"

"No, I got a phone call from her while she was at the hospital." "You weren't the only one who has problems finding a pulse on the carotid artery." Mike frowns.

"What did she say to you?" Tony curiously asks.

"She had figured out that Decker's insurance policy was a case file and wanted me to fly out to Washington to look into it." "And her partner's gut wanted me to check up on Jethro." Mike sighs.

"Gibbs other than grieving for her was doing ok." Tony shrugs.

"When I walked into Jenny's study after retrieving Decker's insurance policy, Gibbs was unarmed, Slvetlana was about to shoot him." "Luckily for Gibbs, I was standing behind Slvetlana unnoticed and shot her."

"You're saying Gibbs wanted to die?"

"His gun was sitting on a table on the other side of the room." "Put two and two together." Mike sadly answers.

"I know the two of them had something going together I always assumed it by their body language in the office and while Gibbs was in his coma, Jenny slipped out something on the phone."

"It was more than something going on." "Jethro loved her, he left Mexico for her."

"And when he came back from Mexico, Jenny was seeing Gibbs' doctor from Portsmouth." Tony answers.

"Well what did he expect, for Jenny to sit around while he was picking up the local babes down at the Cantina." Mike chuckles.

"Jenny breaks up with Todd and then Gibbs hooks up with the Colonel." "I could go on and on why things kept them apart." Tony frowns.

"Secrets and I won't throw Jenny under the bus, Jethro was just as guilty and pig headed as her." Mike answers in disgust.

"They were both stubborn that's for sure." Tony laughs and shakes his head.

Mike flips the switch over. "The one thing I got out of being around Jenny for those few hours, that gal loved Probie and it's a shame that their stubbornness kept them apart." Mike sadly answers.

"I know!" Tony sighs.

The elevator door opens, Gibbs is standing outside. "I was wondering who was stealing my conference room." Gibbs playfully growls over at Mike.

"Remember Probie, you learned this trick from me." Mike smirks and walks out of the elevator with Tony following behind him.

"And several others boss." Gibbs laughs and steps inside the elevator.

Mike waits for the elevator doors to close. "Yeah, I hooked him up with ex-wife number one as well." Mike cackles and walks off for Autopsy.

"And Ducky is responsible for hooking him up with Stephanie." Tony laughs and walks off Autopsy.

Present Time

"I kept it between Mike and myself that Jenny was alive." "I figure the less people that knew the better." Tony answers.

"Better for who Tony?" Gibbs chokes over whelmed with emotion.

"For Jenny?" "I was told that she was going into the witness protection program boss." "I'm in the dark as you are as to the reason why Jenny was meeting Ziva in that parking garage."

"CIA!" "It was the price for shooting the Frog." "Kort took the wrap for it and bided his time so that he could use it to his advantage." "CIA had an agent that had the ability to blend in with whatever burn alias they gave Jenny."

"Keep in mind you trained her boss." Tony smiles.

"I didn't teach her everything Tony, Jenny is a natural at undercover work." "Smartest agent that I ever trained, she picked up so fast during her Probationary Status." Gibbs smiles.

"So where do we go from here?" Tony asks.

"For starters what I've just told you stays between my team, along with Abby and Ducky." "I do not want anybody else including Director Vance or Director David." Gibbs orders him.

"What about the SecNav?"

"The last SecNav put Jenny into this mess, what makes you think I trust him." Gibbs snarls.

"Your right!" Tony apologizes.

"I'm not doing a damn thing until I get Jenny and Ziva healed up." "Soon as Jenny recovers, she is going to get an earful from me." "Paris, Los Angeles, putting Mike's neck on the line, when it should have been me out there with her." "I'm her partner and partners don't do what she did to me." Gibbs angrily snaps.

"She said at the hospital, that she was trying to save your life and hers." Tony frowns.

"Bullshit, we could have handled it together."

Suddenly a limo pulls into the parking garage. Director David gets out with his Protection Detail following him from behind. "Boss he's-"

"Early!" Gibbs finishes and gets out of the car with Tony following him from behind. "Director David I wasn't expecting you this early." Gibbs calls out to him.

Eli stops and faces Gibbs and Tony as they walk over to him. "I was in Munich on business and had lunch with Director Vance a few days ago." "At least your Director had the courtesy to inform me of what happened to my daughter." Eli angrily answers. "I gather you were informed that Mossad was to assist on your investigation into the attempt on my daughter's life."

"Yeah I was informed." "I don't like it, but I will follow orders." Gibbs growls.

"Good!" Eli nods over at him. "My agents will arrive late this afternoon and I want them working jointly with you and your agents." "Now if you will excuse me." "I want to see my daughter." Eli answers and walks off for the elevator.

Gibbs and Tony wait for Eli to get into the elevator with his Protection Detail. "The only orders that I'm going to follow are my own."

"I hate that bastard." "I'm not suppose to feel about that way about another person." Tony snaps.

"Like father like son." "I feel the same way about Eli as I did about his son Ari."

Up in ICU ten minutes later Eli is standing next to Ziva's bed. "If you had stayed on as a Mossad Officer this would have never have happened to you."

Gibbs standing in the doorway has over heard Eli. "Then explain Saleem Ulman." Gibbs sarcastically baits him.

"An op that had gone wrong." Eli sighs.

"And NCIS came in and saved your daughter's life, not Mossad." Gibbs reminds him.

"I had to be objective and not interfere."

"You breed children to make them into agents." "Ari for Hamas, Ziva as the perfect assassin." "Ari saw who you were and turned against you and it cost innocent people's lives." "I still have nightmares of watching the back of Kate Todd's head getting blown away by your son."

"I'm not about to get into a shouting match with you." "Since I'm Ziva's immediate family I can have you and Agent DiNozzo removed from my daughter's hospital room." Eli warns him.

"Agent DiNozzo is your daughter's partner and isn't going anywhere." "As far as this conversation goes, we will continue this conversation later on."

Before Eli can answer him, Ziva weakly opens up her eyes. Noting that her father is standing beside her bed. "Father!" She weakly calls out to him.

Eli approaches the bed. "I flew out to Washington as soon as Director Vance informed me of what happened."

"I'll get the nurse." Gibbs nods over at Eli and walks out of the room. "Tony, Ziva's came to." Gibbs smiles and rushes off for the nurses' station.

Tony rushes over to Ziva's room and pops his head inside the doorway. "Hey!" He smiles at her and walks over to the bed.

"Tony!" Ziva softly calls up to him.

Several nurses' rush into the room. "Soon as Doctor Wallace comes into the room everybody has to leave." Nurse Amy Swenson informs them.

An hour later down in the parking garage inside Gibbs' car. "Once you're alone with Ziva and she's up to it." "Tell her that we know that Jenny is alive and update her on Jenny's status." "Let Ziva know that everything has to stay between our team." "If Vance should call her, tell her to say nothing to him."

"Think she'll tell Director David about Jenny." Tony sheepishly asks.

"No!" Gibbs answers with a smile on his face. "Ziva's loyalty is to us now." "She may have patched things up with her father six months ago, but in the end we're Ziva's true family that she can count on."


	6. Dirty Politicians

Later that morning McGee and Abby are sitting at Abby's workstation reviewing the call log from Jenny's cell phone. "Other than Ziva's burn phone, the only other phone numbers that Jenny has called has been Chinese take-out and a Budget Car Rental in Savannah, Georgia." McGee notes.

Gibbs walks in wearing a change of clothes coffee in hand and a Caff-Pow for Abby. "Got anything for me?" He barks as he approaches Abby and McGee.

"Not much boss, Jenny for the most part kept a low profile, only used her burn phone when she had to." McGee shrugs.

"You find out what Motel 6 she was staying at." Gibbs asks and hands Abby her Caff-Pow.

"Motel 6 on Route 29." Abby answers and then takes a sip from her Caff-Pow.

"McGee I want you to go over to Jenny's room and clear everything out of there." "If she's working for the CIA, Jenny might be using a satellite phone."

"You still want me to go over her rental car tonight?" McGee asks.

"After the Evidence Technicians go home for the night." "Process her car inside and out, then I want the blood stains cleaned from the car seat and on the floor of the car." "Drive the car to Baltimore and park it in an area where there are no cameras." "Then find a no name bus service that will take you back to Washington." Gibbs instructs him.

McGee catching on to the reason why Gibbs wants him to drive Jenny's car up to Baltimore. "I get it; you want the car to get stolen." McGee answers.

"Car will be stripped for parts and for scrap medal." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"How are Ziva and Jenny?" Abby asks with a frown.

"Ziva came to a few hours ago, unfortunately her father showed up at the hospital." Gibbs grumbles.

"I thought that Director David wasn't suppose to arrive until this afternoon?" McGee asks.

"Apparently Eli conveniently was in Munich when Vance had told him about Ziva." Gibbs answers sucking in his teeth.

"So is Ziva going to be ok?" Abby asks with concern.

"Yes, she'll be in the hospital for another week and then she'll have to start rehab on her shoulder and thigh once the stitches come out."

"I'm going to visit her during lunch time tomorrow." Abby smiles and then remembers that Gibbs hasn't answered her about Jenny yet. "And Jenny?"

"Her injury isn't as bad as Ziva's." "She lost a lot of blood and developed an infection that has Ducky worried." "I'm heading over there around noon time, so that Ducky can report to work." "Once Mossad arrives at headquarters, McGee I want your burn phone turned off while you're inside of the building." "Use the elevator if you have to make a phone call to me." "Tony has the same instructions from me also."

"Gibbs, Mossad is going to want to see the results on the blood tests I ran on Ziva's assassin and on the blood that Jenny left behind at the crime scene." Abby reminds him.

"I'll come up with something between now and then." "In the meantime stall them when they arrive." Gibbs sighs in annoyance. Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "I bet you its Vance to ream my ass out about the inappropriate behavior I had with his buddy Eli at the hospital this morning." Gibbs mutters and takes out his phone from his pocket and spots Vance's name on his caller ID. "I was right!" Gibbs smirks and flips open his phone. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Munich, Germany

1620 CEST Hours

Vance in the back seat of his Mercedes. "If your behavior towards Director David continues, I will remove you and your team from the investigation." "Am I making myself clear Agent Gibbs?" Vance warns him.

"Crystal sir!" Gibbs smugly answers.

"A team of Mossad agents will arrive at 1800 Hours your time this evening." "I expect complete cooperation between you and your team." Vance orders him.

"They and along with Director David will have complete access to all of our reports." "Abby still has not made a positive DNA match at this time on the two blood samples we found at the scene." Gibbs informs him.

"Anything on Agent David's cell phone or computer?" Vance curiously asks.

"None and none on her home phone and computer." Gibbs answers.

"According to Director David, Ziva was not working on anything Mossad related." Vance answers.

"Might have been a contact from Ziva's Mossad days." "She still uses them on cases that we work on." Gibbs shrugs.

"Anything come back from the body that was found inside of the burned SUV that you recovered?" Vance asks.

"None, only part of the body that survived the fire was the skull." "Ducky and Palmer are working to see if they can find something for Abby to do a tissue sample on."

Vance frustrated at the lack of progress that Gibbs and his team are making in the investigation on the attempt on Ziva's life. "I will be in contact with you tomorrow morning on an update." "I want results." "I expect better than this from my best team." Vance angrily chastises him.

"It's kind of hard to get them sir when there aren't any answers to give." "Pro assassins shot at Ziva and her contact." "Ziva's contact from the video feed is a pro, he or she returned fire on our suspects, wounded one of them and took a bullet also and fled the scene with their face concealed." "We've contacted all of the area hospitals to see if anybody with in the past forty-eight hours has come into the Emergency Room with a gunshot wound."

"And nobody has come in to be treated." Vance grumbles.

"Soon as I find out who Ziva was with when she got shot, I'll call you." Gibbs lies and winks over at Abby and McGee.

"I hate to cut my conference short." Vance warns him.

"You won't, not much you can do on this end." Gibbs grins.

"I have to meet a former associate." "Remember my direct order on regards to Director David." "I will have your team removed from the investigation and a possible suspension from you."

"I'll remember it." Gibbs snaps and hangs up.

Vance hangs up. "Olympiapark!" He nods over at his driver. "And I'm going in alone, do not follow me." Vance orders him.

Back at Abby's lab. "So we have to play nice with Director David and Mossad." McGee sighs in disbelief.

"If I have to so do you." Gibbs growls in protest. "McGee head over to Jenny's motel room."

"On it!" McGee answers and gets up from his stool and walks off for the doorway.

"Abby did Ziva's contact e-mail her back?"

"Yes!" Abby answers and puts the e-mail on screen.

From:

To: zdavidncis

In regards to the transaction from JBEnterprises in Nice, France to a bank in George Town in the Cayman Islands. Ms. Barrett deposited ten million dollars in her account on August 15th. This was the second of several large transactions that she's deposited over the last month by this same corporation.

Hope this comes of some help to you.

Regards, Liz Beth.

"Abs, make a print out of this e-mail and-"

"Lose it, I know!" Abby smiles and presses in the print button. "Gibbs you haven't said anything about Jenny."

"I told you if Ducky can fight off the infection she should pull through." Gibbs shrugs.

"No!" Abby frowns and sits down. "Besides being stunned that she's alive, how do you feel about it?"

"Pissed off, that she couldn't come to me about this." "I am her partner that will never change." "I'm upset with Tony, Ziva, Ducky, and I just found out that Mike knew she was alive as well and kept this from me, knowing the pain that I went through, particularly Ducky."

"Besides all of those emotions, how do you feel?" Abby smiles and squeezes Gibbs hand. "And quit denying that the two of you were only partners, Jenny accidently slipped something out on the phone with Tony when he was on the phone with her, while you were in your coma."

"I didn't know that Jenny gave us away." Gibbs shrugs and takes a seat on a stool in front of Abby. "As angry as I am with her Abs." Gibbs answers and flashes back to the night before when he applied compresses to Jenny's face and forehead as she slept.

"You still love her." Abby smiles noting Gibbs' facial expression.

"I will never stop loving her." "That will never change."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Abby winks.

"To pissed off at her at the moment to think about that Abs." Gibbs sighs.

"That's the problem with the two of you." "You're always pissed off at one another." "It's a wasted emotion for two people who love one another if you ask me."

"Jen's always has been complicated." Gibbs growls.

"Like your not!" Abby protests and gets up from her stool. "The two of you belong together Gibbs, how many chances do the two of you need to get it through to your stubborn brains."

"There was a time twelve years ago that I wanted it all with Jenny." Gibbs smiles at the memory.

"And then the two of you went your separate ways." Abby frowns.

"Via a Dear John letter." Gibbs sadly answers.

"That was Jenny." Abby says with surprise.

"A job promotion was more important than us." "Six years later it landed her ass up in the Director's chair and I was the subordinate and she was the boss."

"And threw all of your rules in your face." Abby giggles.

"I hated it when she did that." "Jenny was the only one of my agents over the years that could memorize all fifty of my rules." Gibbs laughs.

"You know something Gibbs, as of this moment she isn't the boss." Abby winks.

"I am, since I'm the agent in charge on the attempt on Ziva's life." Gibbs smirks and gets up from his stool. "I'll be at my desk if you need me." Gibbs nods at Abby and walks off for the elevator.

"This should be interesting with Mommy and Daddy back together again." Abby snickers.

Munich, Germany

Olympiapark

Vance approaches a bench and finds Phillip Davenport waiting for him. "Find out who shot Agent David?" Davenport asks.

"Not yet!" Vance sighs in exasperation and flops down on the bench next to him. "Pro's on both ends, the gunman who shot at Agent David and on the mystery contact that Ziva was talking with." "Abby Scuito can't link anybody to the blood stains that were found at the crime scene."

"Agent David come to yet?"

"This morning, she hasn't spoken yet on what happened to her, per doctor's orders, maybe tomorrow."

"I still think this is something to do with an op that she was involved with while she was working for Mossad." Davenport reassures him.

"Or it could have been a message sent by Jasper Shepard." "Remember we tipped off Julien Benoit on that arms shipment." "Benoit out bid him."

"I was just paying back Kort." "If he hadn't screwed up with Cobb, I would be in my office and my niece would be agent in charge of the Major Case Response Team." "I would have sent Agent Gibbs packing to Mexico."

"And DiNozzo I would have assigned as agent afloat on a naval ship destined to the North Pole." Vance smirks.

"What my niece saw in him I have no clue?" Davenport grumbles.

"What all women see in DiNozzo and it involves his Johnson." Vance laughs.

"Chip off the old block from his father." Davenport shrugs and gets up from the bench. "I'll be joining EJ in Rio." "If anything develops let me know."

"Only if it involves that little transaction between Barrett and Benoit."

"Remember you made a cool five million from that and it was deposited in a Cayman Island bank account addressed to your real name, Tyler Keith Owen."

"I want my kids to go to the best colleges that money has to offer, give them the things that were not offered to me growing up." "And twenty years from now when I retire." "I'll buy a house on a tropical island so that my wife and I can live out the golden years of our lives in comfort."

"Keep in mind I made Leon Vance, without me your nothing." Davenport icily reminds him and walks away.

"But your nothing now Phillip." "I'm still the Director of NCIS." Vance smirks.


	7. Positive Vibes

Motel 6 Washington

Room 25

McGee is packing up Jenny's personal affects into a small carry-on bag. "I guess she has to travel lite when you're working Black Op's for the CIA." McGee notes to himself. His burn phone begins to ring. "McGee!" He answers.

"Find anything?" Gibbs asks from his conference room that is positioned between the Squad Room floor and Vance's floor.

"A stainless steel briefcase under the bed." "I can't open it, because it has a combination lock." McGee grumbles.

"Most likely there's a laptop and a satellite phone stored in there." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"I'm packing up her personal affects."

"I'll have to figure out a way for us to sneak Jenny's briefcase into NCIS Headquarter without Mossad seeing it."

"What about her carry-on bag and personal affects?" McGee asks.

"Drop it off at your apartment for now."

McGee glances down at his watch. "I should be out of here in another half hour or so." "I'm going to wipe down the room before I leave."

"Good idea, I don't want Jenny's finger prints behind in the room." "The maid should come in at some point to change the linen's." Gibbs nods.

"You said that you're going to be heading over to Ducky's?"

"Around noon, I want him at headquarters to keep suspicion down." "We have until Friday afternoon when Vance returns from Germany."

"Then it's going to be harder for both you and Ducky to be out of the building." McGee sighs.

"I'm hoping by then that we'll have most of our investigation figured out." "Jenny should have woken up at some point this morning."

"Is Ducky going to tell her that you know she's alive?" McGee curiously asks.

"I gave Jenny a subtle hint that I was in the room." Gibbs smirks.

"You left your coffee cup behind?" McGee shrugs.

"Nope, something that only Jenny would remember." Gibbs answers with a mischievous grin on his face. "I'm in my conference room; I don't want to hold up the elevator for much longer." "I'll be back at headquarters around 1900 hours tonight."

"See you then boss."

"Goodbye McGee!" Gibbs answers and hangs up, he flips the switch over to the elevator and it starts to go down. The elevator stops on the Squad Room floor, the doors open, Palmer is waiting on the outside with a bag of pretzels and a can of soda. "Palmer!" He nods at him and steps out of the elevator.

"I'm a bit concerned about Doctor Mallard." "So strange that he missed an important autopsy yesterday and he's coming in late today." Palmer frowns with worry.

"I'm sure Ducky is fine." Gibbs reassures him and walks off for his desk.

"Something is wrong." Palmer sadly answers and steps inside the elevator.

Ducky's House

Around noon time, Ducky opens up his front door and finds Gibbs outside. "As usual you're punctual Jethro." Ducky muses and steps back.

Gibbs walks in coffee in hand. "She wake up?"

Ducky closes the door behind him. "An hour after you had left." "She's sleeping at the moment."

"Did she get my message?" Gibbs grins.

Ducky shakes his head and begins to laugh. "The only scent that was missing from your t-shirt was the smell of bourbon." "I told her you haven't drank bourbon in over three years to mourn the loss of his partner."

"I was drinking bourbon down in my basement the moment she got shot at the diner." "The thought of drinking it again." Gibbs chokes.

"Jethro I gently berated Jenny on what she's put you through the past three years."

"Did she say what Kort had on her or me?"

"Kort had a good friend at the Justice Department in Mexico." "He was going to have the Pedro Hernandez investigation reopened, claiming he knew of some vital evidence that linked you to Hernandez's murder."

"We could have worked that out together." Gibbs growls in annoyance.

"Jenny wasn't going to take that chance Jethro." "What you do as a field agent is more important." "You make a difference." "She wasn't going to risk you going to a Mexican prison for life."

"That wasn't her decision to make Duck." Gibbs sighs and starts off for the stairs.

"Remember no screaming at her and keep up with the compresses." "She still has a fever."

"Can she eat anything?" Gibbs asks as he walks up the stairs.

"Yes, but keep it lite and keep your blasted coffee away from her." Ducky mutters.

In the guest bedroom an hour later Jenny awakens, she finds Gibbs standing in front of the window looking out on the street below, his familiar salt and pepper cropped hair has changed to all gray. In silence she watches him, other than his hair, Gibbs physically hasn't changed, he's a creature of habit wearing his familiar, blazer, polo shirt, white t-shirt, and depending on his mood to wear jeans or dress pants to work. "You wore you jeans to work to tease me." Jenny mutters in annoyance. On the nightstand next to her bed, Jenny notices Gibbs' familiar Venti size cup of Starbucks coffee, grimacing she leans over and is about to reach over and grab Gibbs' coffee cup.

"Don't even think about it." Gibbs growls and turns and faces her.

"I haven't had coffee in two days." Jenny hisses in exasperation.

"I'm under doctor's orders." Gibbs barks and walks over to the bed.

"Like you've listened to doctors' orders before."

"That's when it concerned my health." Gibbs smirks and sits down on the edge of the bed.

"Typical Jethro response." Jenny sighs.

"Nothing about me changes."

"So I've noticed, same wardrobe that you've worn for the past fifteen years." Jenny laughs.

"I'm not DiNozzo who comes to work, wearing designer suits and shoes."

"I wore them when I was an agent." Jenny reminds him.

"I know the shorter the skirt, the better the view for me." Gibbs grins.

"No wonder Diane sued you for alimony." Jenny giggles.

"I only had to pay her alimony payments for a year and then luckily for me she married Fornell." Gibbs snorts.

"I didn't feel sorry for him when he had to pay alimony payments to her." "You warned him."

"He doesn't have to pay alimony payments anymore." "Diane just married a Homeland Security Agent."

Jenny bursts out laughing and grabs on to her right side. "It hurts to laugh." She grimaces.

"And she sent several wedding invitations to her wedding, which we refused to go to."

"To spite her, both of you should of went together." Jenny laughs.

"We thought about it, then said to hell with it and celebrated at a bar during the wedding ceremony." "Other than Emily's child support payments, Fornell was a free man."

"Only bright thing that came out of his marriage to Diane was Emily." Jenny smiles.

"She just turned eleven a few months ago."

"Before Fornell knows it, he'll be escorting Emily down the aisle." "Time goes by so fast." Jenny answers noting how the time has went on since Vance and Davenport declared her legally dead.

"Jen are we going to keep avoiding the question."

"I thought changing the subject would help." Jenny sighs and gingerly sits up in bed.

"I'm under Ducky's orders not to scream at you for what you've put me through the past three years." "Once you're healed up I'm going to lay into you." Gibbs angrily warns her.

Jenny looking up into the depths of Gibbs blue eyes and seeing the hurt in her partners eyes. "Jethro I had no choice." Jenny frowns.

"Bull shit that was not your decision to make." "As partners we could have worked it out." Gibbs snaps and gets up from the bed.

"Both of us being in prison, how?" Jenny sighs in exasperation.

"I don't know, but we would have figured it out." "We always did." Gibbs smiles and turns and faces her.

"Where do we go from here?"

"First we get you and Ziva healed up." "She's doing fine, woke up this morning." "Her doctor said she should be released in a week." "The problem I'm having right now is I'm under orders from Director Vance that Mossad has to share the investigation with us." "Her father flew out to Washington this morning and is at the hospital with her."

"So much for the loving father." Jenny sarcastically answers.

"I hate that SOB." "He breeds children so that they can be trained assassins for the sake of Israel."

"Does Vance know that I was the contact that Ziva was meeting in the parking garage?" Jenny asks.

"No, he's in Munich on an Anti-Terrorism Conference; he won't be back until Friday afternoon." "With you concealing your face in the parking garage, he won't be able to figure out it was you." "We only figured it out, because of the blood trail that you left behind in the parking garage." "I had Abby run a DNA match to include-"

"Anyone alive or dead." Jenny interrupts him.

"The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I saw your photo on the computer screen." Gibbs answers with his voice choking up with emotion.

"I was hoping that Ducky could patch me up and that I could be on my way by the end of the week."

"Try a few weeks." "We need to get that infection under control." "First thing first to get your strength up, I'm going to make you some chicken broth, you need to eat."

"I'm not hungry!" Jenny whines.

"I'll force feed you." Gibbs smirks and walks off for the doorway, just as he's about to walk out he glances back over at her. "By the way, I caught you checking out my ass over at the window." Gibbs grins with a mischievous grin on his face.

"You're wearing jeans what am I suppose to be looking at?" Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"Don't worry I repaid the favor last night when I saw you naked." Gibbs laughs and walks out of the room.

"Son of a bitch." Jenny mutters.

Miami, Florida

Marriot Hotel

Room 308

Ray Cruz exhausted from his flight from Columbia, is lying on his bed. "Kort thinks I'm going to every hotel and motel in Miami looking for Shepard's daughter, he's out of his mind." Cruz yawns and is about to close his eyes, when his cell phone begins to ring. "I'm not here Kort." Cruz defiantly answers and closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.

Athens, Greece

Greek Cafe

1925 Hours EEST

Trent Kort is sitting alone at a corner table. "Answer your bloody phone." Kort impatiently snarls. Cruz's cell phone goes to voice mail. "You better not be shacked up with some skirt on the beach." "The boss man wants results." Kort angrily warns him and hangs up. "I have a sneaky suspicion that Julien Benoit is responsible for Phoenix's disappearance."

Washington, DC

Georgetown University Hospital

ICU

Ziva opens her eyes and finds Tony sitting alongside her bed. "When's the last time you got any sleep?" Ziva frowns with concern.

"I crashed for a few hours during the night in the waiting room." Tony yawns.

"You need your rest."

"I won't get any rest until I find out who did this to you." Tony snaps.

Ziva glances around her hospital room and notices that her father isn't around. "Father?"

"Out to lunch, so much for the doting father." Tony sarcastically answers.

"I'm not surprised." Ziva softly answers.

Tony realizing that their alone leans over Ziva on the bed. "Message from the Silver Haired Fox." "All communication stays between us." "Vance and your father are to be kept in the dark." Tony whispers.

"That shouldn't be a problem not telling my father, since I no longer work for Mossad." Ziva sighs.

"By the way mommy took a bullet for you in the parking garage." Tony winks at Ziva and gives her a knowing look.

"She get in contact with Gibbs." Ziva whispers with surprise.

"No, she left a blood trail at the scene." "Abby ran a DNA sample on all profiles alive or dead." "Seems that Gibbs had remembered that your old partner had faked his death." "Guess who's photo popped up on Abby's computer screen."

"I take it he wasn't happy that we lied to him." Ziva whispers.

"Angry, hurt, pissed off with all of us." "From what I understand from Abby, once she recovers from her injuries Gibbs is going to let her have it."

"We were following orders."

"Davenport and Vance's orders." "And look at the price it paid." "CIA-Navy joint operation with the Navy Seals." "Cobb goes off on the deep end and innocent people are murdered." "Saving grace with Mike's death is he was dying anyway and he went out as an agent."

Ziva from the corner of her eye spots a nurse walking into her room. "I'm not up for a Berry-Mango Madness smoothie Tony."

"Not for a few more days." Nurse Swenson chastises Tony.

Tony flops back down on to his seat. "It was just a thought." Tony shrugs.

Back at Ducky's house, Gibbs is unsuccessfully trying to get Jenny to eat. "Do I have to shove this down your throat?" Gibbs snarls.

"I told you I wasn't hungry." Jenny angrily answers and shoves the spoon away from her.

"I bet if I had a pint of Lo Mien under you, you would be eating it."

Jenny sinks down under the covers and closes her eyes. "The thought of food makes me want to throw up."

Gibbs puts the bowl of broth on top of the nightstand. He leans over Jenny and feels her face and forehead. "You're burning up."

"One minute I'm sweating the next I'm freezing."

Gibbs applies a washcloth on top of Jenny's forehead. "When's the last time Ducky took your temperature?"

"Few hours ago."

"I'm going to take it again."

Half an hour later Gibbs is standing next to the window talking on his burn phone with Ducky. "Duck it's a hundred and two."

"It was a hundred in two a few hours ago." Ducky sighs in exasperation from Abby's desk. "Did she eat anything?"

"Few mouthfuls and it was a struggle." Gibbs frowns with worry.

"After I change her bandage tonight I suggest giving her a lukewarm sponge bath."

"Sponge bath!" Abby giggles.

"Abigail!" Ducky sighs at her. "Jethro I have a slight problem." "I can't keep coming in going out of the building like this." "You remember when Ziva had called you while you were living down in Mexico?"

"Yeah she needed my help." Gibbs shrugs.

"The FBI was looking for her." "Under Jenny's orders we had to work under the FBI." "Tony, McGee, Abby, Palmer, and myself had a secret meeting that if Ziva were to contact one of us, that we would help her." "We trusted Palmer in on this."

"Ducky I don't know about that." Gibbs grumbles and glances over at Jenny as she sleeping on the bed.

"Jethro you can trust him with this." Ducky reassures him.

"Ok, but do it in Abby's Lab in her back room and do it now before Mossad gets there."

Ducky nods over at Abby to call Palmer up to her lab. "How was your first face to face meeting?" Ducky curiously asks.

"She made an attempt at stealing my coffee when my back was turned." "As usual I caught her red handed." Gibbs laughs and shakes her head. "We kept it lite at first and then I warned her that I knew the reasons why Jen followed Davenport and Vance's orders and once she recovered I was going to let her have it."

"Hopefully I'm not around when that's going to take place, it's the one thing that I haven't missed between the two of you the past three years is your shouting matches." Ducky mutters.

McGee walks into the room. "Ducky can I have my phone back?"

"McGee wants to speak with you." Ducky muses and hands McGee his burn phone back.

"Boss I did a background check on that business in Nice, France that had sent out that check to EJ. Barrett." "You're not going to believe this."

"At this point I'll believe in the Tooth Fairy." Gibbs groans.

"Julien Benoit!"

"Is he related to the Frog?"

"One and the same." "Try his son, forty-two years old." "Seems he's taken up where his father left off with the arms dealing trade."

"So this was the information that Jenny was about to give Ziva in the parking garage at the Ritz Hotel?"

"I believe so." "If I can break into Jenny's brief case, I might be able to get some more information."

"That is going to have to wait until tomorrow."

"Boss you seem tired." McGee frowns with worry.

"I've been up for two straight days McGee." Gibbs growls.

"You think maybe you should get some sleep in the meantime." "Jenny isn't going anywhere." McGee smiles.

"Not with a hundred and two fever she ain't." Gibbs sighs.

"I'll see you back at headquarters tonight." McGee nods.

"See you then." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

Palmer walks into the backroom with Abby following him from behind. "You wanted to see me?"

Abby closes the door behind her and locks it out. "Mr. Palmer what is said between these walls stays between the four of us." Ducky instructs him.

"Does this have something to do with the attempt on Agent David's life?" Palmer asks.

"Yes!" Ducky answers choosing his words before he speaks. "For the past three years, Tony, Ziva, and myself have lied to you, Gibbs, Abby, and McGee." "Not by choice, we were under orders from Director Vance and SecNav Davenport."

"What was the lie?" Palmer frowns.

"Director Shepard survived her gunshot wound inside the diner in the Mojave Desert."

"She's been alive all this time." Palmer asks with surprise.

"I thought Vance and Davenport were going to put Jenny into the witness protection program once she recovered from her gunshot wound."

"But instead we think to get Vance into the Director's office; him and Davenport had something on Director Shepard and blackmailed her into going into undercover work for the CIA." McGee finishes.

"Ziva's mystery contact in the parking garage was Director Shepard." Palmer asks.

"Yes, she took a round to her right side." "Jenny lost a lot of blood and has developed an infection from her wound." Ducky frowns with worry.

"Is there anything you want me to do?" Palmer nods.

"Yes, we need to watch over Jenny in shifts." "Director Vance is returning from Germany on Friday afternoon." Ducky suggests.

"They'll catch on if they see us going in and out of your house." McGee sharply says.

"Nobody will catch on to Palmer." "Timmy, tomorrow during lunch we'll pay Ziva a visit at the hospital." "At some point I'll slip out of Ziva's room and I'll take a cab over to Ducky's house and I'll relieve Jimmy." "Make up an excuse that I had a doctor's appointment or something."

"That might work Abby, but we'll have to see what Gibbs thinks." McGee shrugs.

"Jethro better get some sleep tonight, he's not doing himself or Jenny and Ziva and good." Ducky mutters.

"Palmer since you are less obvious then the rest of us go to a no name convenience store and purchase several burn phones." "Abby, Ducky and you will need one." "Gibbs does not want us to use our day to day cell phones, home phones or the phones at NCIS to talk about this case." "It stays between everybody in this room, including Tony and Ziva." "The main thing is the few people that know that Jenny is alive, the safer that she will be." McGee instructs him.

"Does the CIA know she's in Washington?" Palmer asks.

"We don't know we're working on it." McGee sighs in frustration.

"And all I want at this moment as Jenny's Doctor, is for her to rest." "She's too weak to answer questions at this time." Ducky answers and gets up from his chair.

"You're worried about her?" Abby asks and walks over to Ducky.

"We can't take her to a hospital." Ducky chokes overcome with emotion.

"Positive thoughts Ducky." "You and Gibbs will heal her." Abby smiles and buries her face up against Ducky's shoulder.

"I hope so Abigail!"


	8. You're Not Invisible Jethro

*Blame Irene for the delay, lost power for three days*

Mossad Officers Kaylah Lusztig and her partner Jamiel Rozenkwit step out of the elevator on the Squad Room floor, spotting an agent walking off towards the Interrogation Room, Kaylah quickly calls out to him. "Sir, could you please tell me where I could find Special Agent Gibbs."

The agent points towards Gibbs' section. "Over there!"

"Thank you!" Kaylah smiles at him and walks off for Gibbs section. McGee is sitting at his desk going over a copy of Ziva's e-mail. "Special Agent Gibbs!"

"Out of the building!" McGee answers and glances up at Kaylah and Jamiel. "You must be the Mossad Officers that Deputy David sent over for the joint NCIS-Mossad investigation."

"Yes, I'm Officer Kaylah Lusztig and this is my partner, Jamiel Rozenkwit." Kaylah informs McGee and shows him her ID.

McGee flips over the e-mail and gets up from his desk and approaches them. "Special Agent Gibbs left the building an hour ago; he should be back in a few hours."

"One of his agents has been shot and he's left the building." Jamiel sneers in disbelief.

"Gibbs has been working on this case nonstop for two days." McGee angrily informs him.

"So what do you have?" Kaylah asks.

McGee grabs the clicker from under the plasma screen. "Ziva met a mystery contact inside the parking garage at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown around midnight" "A GMC Yukon drove past them and opened fired on them." McGee plays the video feed from the parking garage. "Ziva was shot several times, her contact returned fire shattering the windshield and wounding one of the gunmen." "Afterwards he or she fled the scene on foot through the emergency exit."

"I want to read your preliminary report." Jamiel instructs him.

"Got it right here along with the photos from the crime scene." McGee answers and walks over to his desk and grabs the report.

Half an hour later at Ducky's house, Gibbs is downstairs and is getting briefed by Ducky. "Mr. Palmer will relieve me around 0630 hours." "Abby will slip out of Ziva's hospital room around lunch time and will take a cab over to my house and will relieve Palmer."

"Makes better sense." "Now the both of us will be at headquarters at the same time, less questions." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"She still sleeping?" Ducky asks.

"Been asleep for most of the afternoon." Gibbs sighs with worry.

"I brought some yogurt home." "Jenny needs to eat to get her strength back." Ducky mutters.

"Hope you have better luck than I did." Gibbs growls.

"I still do not know who's a worse patient, you are her."

Before Gibbs can answer him, his burn phone begins to ring. "Yeah!" He answers.

McGee at headquarters is inside the elevator in between floors. "Boss I stole your office."

"Mossad there?" Gibbs asks.

"Yeah two agents." "I showed them our preliminary report and they keep questioning if we got a positive DNA match from the blood that was found at the crime scene." "They may request to redo it again."

"Like hell they will." Gibbs grumbles.

"Director Vance called me."

"What did you say to him?"

"That we did not get a DNA match yet and that it will be impossible to identify the remains that we found in the Yukon."

"Hopefully that will keep him off of our backs." Gibbs sarcastically answers.

"Until tomorrow!"

Gibbs getting an idea. "I'm going to pay Ziva a visit at the hospital." "I think I just came up with an idea."

"Is it legal?"

"To save Jenny's ass does it really matter McGee?"

"No!" McGee smiles.

"I should be at headquarters by 2030 hours." "In the meantime, keep stalling Mossad." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

McGee hangs up his phone. "Easy for you to say since you're not here to help out." McGee whines in protest and flips the switch over on the control panel.

Georgetown University Hospital

ICU

Half an hour later, Tony is sitting at Ziva's bedside. "Tony I want you to go home tonight." "I'm getting moved to a regular room tomorrow." Ziva softly asks him.

"Ziva-"

Ziva weakly interrupts Tony. "Tony you're in desperate need of a shower."

Gibbs standing in the doorway listening in on them. "Yeah god knows when you took a shower last, since you only shower three times a week." Gibbs chuckles.

"I want everybody to breathe in the essence of DiNozzo." Tony grins.

"Your essence is getting pretty rank." Gibbs playfully growls at him and approaches the bed. "I brought a pizza; it's sitting on the coffee table inside the waiting room, along with a two liter bottle of soda."

"Thanks boss." Tony smiles and gets up from his chair and walks out of the room.

"Where's your father?" Gibbs curiously asks and approaches the bed.

"Checking into his hotel room, he usually stays at the Ritz by the Pentagon." Ziva answers and gingerly sits up in bed.

"Most likely he's checking in with the two agents he assigned to help in the investigation into your shooting."

"I wish Director Vance had kept my father out of this." "I no longer work for Mossad." Ziva sighs.

"So do I, I'm only giving Mossad need to know information." Gibbs answers and sits down in a chair next to Ziva's bed.

"You just came from Grandfather's house." Ziva winks up at Gibbs.

"Yes!" Gibbs frowns with worry. He leans over Ziva's bed. "I guess she was repaying the favor from Cairo."

"I was doing my job back then."

"She told me once she owed you." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"How is she?"

"Weak, she lost a lot of blood and has developed an infection from the gunshot wound." "It's scaring the hell out of me and Ducky."

"And because she's going under a burn alias from the CIA, Jenny couldn't risk going to a hospital for her gunshot wound."

"Kort?" Gibbs nods over at Ziva.

"Yes, Kort is now working for La Grenouille's replacement."

Gibbs gets up from the chair. "Grenouille's son Julien has taken over where his father left off." "He was tipped off about you're meeting with Jenny in the parking garage."

"By who?" Ziva weakly asks.

"We'll get the answers, tomorrow is another day." "We'll have to wait for Mossad to leave the building tomorrow night." "Jenny had a stainless steel briefcase in her motel room." "I bet there's a satellite phone and laptop inside of it."

"I'll chase Tony out of my room tomorrow; he's more of use at the office than sitting at my bedside all day." Ziva smiles.

"Get some rest." "I don't want any setbacks." "I need both you and Jenny healed up before we take on who ever tried to kill the both of you."

"Scream at her yet." Ziva giggles.

"Not allowed per Ducky's orders." Gibbs grumbles and walks off for the door. He turns and faces Ziva. "Night!"

"Night Gibbs." Ziva smiles.

Five minutes later inside the waiting room. Tony is inhaling slice number four of his pepperoni and sausage pizza. "I take it you went to Rizzoli's for the pizza." Tony asks between bites.

"It was Abby's idea." Gibbs smiles and grabs a slice of pizza from inside the box.

"McGee stalling Mossad."

"Trying to, after I finish my slice of pizza I'm going down to the ER to see if there's any deceased patients." "Mossad wants us to rerun the blood tests from the crime scene."

"And you don't want them to know that Jenny was Ziva's mystery contact."

"I hate putting Abby's career on the line." Gibbs sighs and gets up from his chair.

"What evil Eli and El jefe doesn't know what hurt us?" Tony smirks.

"Where did you learn the line from?" Gibbs laughs.

"From Jenny, she said it was a saying that your team had over in Europe, what Gibbs doesn't know, won't hurt us." Tony smiles.

"I hate to tell her, Decker and her were lousy at keeping things from me." Gibbs chuckles and walks off for the door. "I expect you at headquarters after you visit Ziva tomorrow, no sense in staying at the hospital all day, when you're needed back at your desk."

"I should be in by 1000 hours." Tony says in between bites of his pizza.

"Night Tony!" Gibbs smiles and walks out of the room.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs is lurking in the Emergency Room wearing a white doctor's jacket; a doctor pulls back the curtain from one of the examination rooms. "Time of death 1945 hours." The doctor sadly says with a nurse following him.

"So sad, she has no identification on her and by the look of her clothing; I think she's been living on the streets." The nurse frowns.

"Most likely she will be buried as a Jane Doe."

Suddenly the head ER Doctor rushes over to them. "Multi vehicle accident, involving a bus."

"Time of arrival." The nurse asks him.

"Five minutes!" "I need all available staff." The Head ER Doctor shouts and rushes off for the door with the doctor and nurse following him from behind.

Gibbs walks into the examination room and pulls the curtain back. He approaches the bed and pulls the sheet back. A young woman in her mid-twenties lifelessly lies on the table. "The streets are not a way of life." Gibbs sadly tells the deceased girl.

NCIS Headquarters

Half an Hour Later

Gibbs and McGee are taking the elevator down to Abby's Lab. Gibbs hands McGee a vile with several bloody Q-tips in it. "What's this?" McGee sheepishly asks. Gibbs rolls his eyes in exasperation and glares over at McGee. "You want Abby to run a DNA test using these blood samples."

"Right!" Gibbs growls in annoyance. "Jane Doe was hit by a car."

McGee shoves the vile inside of his pocket. "How are we going to give these to Abby with Mossad down in her lab?" McGee asks.

"Have they been down in the Evidence Room to see the Yukon?" Gibbs asks.

"Not that I'm aware of." McGee shrugs.

The elevator stops on Abby's floor. "While I'm down in the Evidence Room with Mossad, give Abby the blood samples from the Jane Doe." Gibbs instructs him.

"Hopefully they do not match anybody." McGee answers with concern.

The elevator door opens. "I doubt it McGee, by the looks of it, she was a homeless woman and has been living on the streets for a long time." Gibbs frowns and steps out of the elevator with McGee following him from behind. They walk into the lab and find Abby going over the evidence that she found inside of the burned out Yukon with Kaylah Lusztig and her partner Jamiel Rozenkwit at her workstation. "Get a DNA hit on those blood samples yet." Gibbs playfully barks at her.

"Not yet!" Abby sighs and turns and faces him. "Where's my Caff-Pow?"

"Forgot!" Gibbs shrugs.

"You forgot!" Abby playfully pouts.

"You must be Special Agent Gibbs." Kaylah nods and shows Gibbs her ID. "Kaylah Lusztig, this is my partner Jamiel Rozenkwit." "Per Director Vance's orders you and your team must show complete cooperation."

"Have they?" Gibbs sarcastically asks.

"Agent McGee and Miss Scuito yes, you no." Kaylah snaps.

"I just got here." Gibbs growls.

"What was so important that you had to leave headquarters, knowing full well that Officer Rozenkwit and myself were arriving at 1800 hours to go over the investigation into the attempt on Miss David's life?" Kaylah chastises him.

"Special Agent David's life." Gibbs corrects her. "Keep in mind she no longer works for Mossad."

McGee noting that Gibbs and Kaylah are about to get into a shouting match, quickly interrupts them. "Boss how was Ziva?"

"Better!" Gibbs smiles.

"You were at the hospital?" Kaylah asks.

"Yes, I wanted to see how Ziva was doing and dropped off a pizza for DiNozzo." "If all goes well, Ziva is getting moved down to a regular room tomorrow morning."

"I'll check with Tony tomorrow morning to get her room number." "Abby and I want to visit her during lunch." McGee smoothly says.

Gibbs needing a distraction so that Abby can run the blood samples that were taking from the Jane Doe at the hospital. "Did McGee show you the stolen Yukon down in the Evidence Room yet?"

"No, we've only been in Miss Scioto's lab and in the Squad Room so far." Kaylah answers.

"I'll take you down to the Evidence Room." Gibbs nods and walks off for the elevator with Kaylah and Jamiel following him from behind.

"Not going with them." Abby curiously asks.

McGee waits for the elevator door to close. "No!" McGee answers and takes a vile out of his pocket with several bloody Q-tips. "There was a deceased Jane Doe in the Emergency Room." "Gibbs took some blood samples from her."

Abby grabs a pair of latex gloves and puts them on. "I'll start running the blood tests right away."

"Abby what your doing is illegal." McGee reminds her.

Abby grabs the vile from McGee's hand. "If I run the blood sample from the crime scene it will link back to Jenny." "I'm doing this for her." Abby defiantly answers.

"You just want your dysfunctional family back." McGee smiles.

"Damn right!" "Gibbs hasn't been the same since she's been gone." "He rarely head slaps Tony anymore." Abby frowns.

"Or gives us the stare when we ask what to do, when we know how to do it." McGee sighs.

"It's like he's been going through the motions the past three years." "I want the Silver Haired Fox back to the way he was."

"If anybody can get the Silver Haired Fox back to the way he was, it's Jenny Shepard." McGee smirks.

Down in Evidence Room, Gibbs is showing Kaylah and Jamiel the burnt out Yukon. "What remained of the body was found in the back seat." "Only the skull survived the intense heat of the fire."

"Doctor Mallard find a viable tissue sample yet?" Jamiel asks.

"None!" "When Doctor Mallard comes in tomorrow I'll take you to Autopsy to view the skull."

"Miss Scuito has showed us Agent David's call log on her cell phone." "She didn't have any incoming or outgoing phone calls on the day of the shooting." Kaylah notes.

"And on her home phone she had a few phone calls." "One from a gym that her membership was about to expire." "The other call was from Ted Farmer a guy that she's been seeing for over a week." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Her desk phone?" Jamiel shrugs.

"NCIS business, Abby has her outgoing and incoming phone calls up in her lab." "The same thing with her e-mails, all work related." Gibbs answers.

"Director David isn't going to be happy that you haven't found a suspect yet." Kaylah sighs.

"As I've stated to Director Vance, there were pro's on both ends, it's going to be hard to identify Ziva's shooter and her mystery contact."

"Unless she talks." Kaylah smugly answers.

"Which she won't do unless I'm present." Gibbs barks at her. Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Abby's Lab

"I'm running the blood samples again." Abby innocently informs him.

"We're on our way up." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Abby is rerunning the blood samples again."

"Hopefully she has better luck this time around." Jamiel groans.

Up in Abby's Lab, while Abby and McGee wait for Gibbs, Kaylah, and Jamiel to return. "Abby soon as Gibbs, Kaylah, Jamiel, and myself leave your lab, can you go down to the Evidence Room and open up the garage door for me." McGee asks.

"I'll help you clean the blood stains on the car." Abby offers.

"With your help that should speed things along."

"There shouldn't be too much traffic at this time of the night on 95." Abby smiles.

"Tony gave me a suggestion where to drop the car off, I hope I make it out of that neighborhood alive." McGee grumbles.

"Call a cab a head of time to meet you at the location you want him to meet you at." Abby suggests.

"Good idea!" McGee smiles.

Gibbs walks into the room with Kaylah and Jamiel. "What's a good idea Special Agent McGee?" Kaylah asks, over hearing his conversation with Abby.

"I had suggested that we bring Ziva a Berry Mango Madness smoothie for her, when we visit her during lunch tomorrow." Abby lies.

Kaylah gives McGee a confused look. "Berry Mango Madness?" She asks.

"It's Ziva's favorite smoothie flavor." McGee smiles.

"Get a hit yet." Gibbs asks.

"Nope, might take all night like the last time." Abby sighs.

"It's getting late, we need to check in with Director David and give him an update on your investigation." Kaylah nods over to Gibbs.

"McGee and I will escort you over to the elevator." Gibbs offers and then glances over at Abby. "Night Abs!"

"Good night Gibbs, Timmy and Officers Lusztig and Rozenkwit." Abby calls out to them and watches as they walk off for the elevator. "Soon as they step inside the elevator, I'll take the stairs down to the Evidence Room floor."

Miami, Florida

Marriot Hotel

Room 308

Ray Cruz is sitting at his table eating a late dinner, when his cell phone begins to ring. "I can't avoid Kort forever." Cruz grumbles and answers the phone. "Cruz!"

Athens, Greece

Hotel Hyatt Regency

Room 234

0420 Hours EEST

"Where the hell were you?" Kort snarls as he's packing up his suitcase.

"I've been through every cheap motel in this city and every car rental place." "Shepard is nowhere to be found."

Kort slams his suitcase shut. "Find her!" Kort orders him.

"I'm trying; she's had a week and a half head start on us." Cruz snaps.

"You're not trying hard enough Ray." "I better expect results by tomorrow." Kort warns him and hangs up.

Cruz tosses his cell phone down on the table in disgust. "Tomorrow morning I'll call Ziva and see if Jenny has made contact with her."

Ritz Carlton Pentagon

Director David's Suite

Just before midnight Officers' Lusztig and Rozenkwit are briefing Eli into the investigation into Ziva's shooting. "Unfortunately Special Agent Gibbs and his team can only do so much." "Video surveillance from the parking garage showed Ziva's assassins to be professionals and her mystery contact had their face hidden as well." Kaylah sighs.

"From the body build of Ziva's contact, it's definitely a woman." Jamiel suggests.

"But who?" Eli angrily asks.

"There was nothing on any of Ziva's phones to suggest that she was going to meet somebody." Kaylah informs him.

"Miss Scuito was rerunning the blood sample that Ziva's contact had left behind at the crime scene, before we left her lab, maybe it will shed some light on to who she was meeting." Jamiel shrugs.

"I just pray that it's not retaliation from the Somalian Rebels that had kidnapped my daughter a few years ago."

"I thought that NCIS took out Saleem Ulman terror cell." Kaylah asks.

"His brother Gahiji has taken over his brother's cell." Eli snaps and gets up from his chair and approaches the window. "Gahiji is more powerful than his brother Saleem."

"You want us to have Agent Gibbs look into Gahiji?" Jamiel offers.

"No!" "I'll send some agents out to Somalia to look into it." "In the meantime keep Gibbs in the dark about Gahiji."

Ducky's House

After midnight, after giving Jenny a sponge bath, Gibbs is drying her off with a towel. Ducky walks in with several ice packs and is amazed that Jenny is sleeping through her bath. "How she is sleeping through that is beyond me." Ducky chuckles.

"I use to haul her ass to bed after a late stake out, sound to sleep and she wouldn't wake up." Gibbs smiles.

"You mean you didn't wake her up when you undressed her and redressed her for bed." Ducky curiously asks.

"What's the fun in putting clothes on her for bed, when they would have been off at the crack of dawn?" Gibbs smirks.

"Jethro!" Ducky laughs.

"Hopefully this brings down her fever." Gibbs frowns.

"Sponge bath and the icepacks." "If her fever breaks during the night, I want to discontinue the IV antibiotics and I really want to get her off of the morphine."

Gibbs takes the icepacks from Ducky and puts them under Jenny's arm pits and up against her groin. "McGee has Jenny's carry-on bag back at his apartment."

"Clothing will be out for at least twenty-four hours." "I suggest keeping Jenny in one of my old robes." "She'll be more comfortable and it will be easier for me to treat her wound."

Gibbs along with Ducky's help gets Jenny into a blue terry cloth robe. "She looks better in my t-shirt." Gibbs grins.

"I think you preferred her out of it." Ducky teases him.

"She isn't a saint." "I caught her checking out my ass." Gibbs growls.

Ducky shakes his head and backs away from the bed. "Jethro your exhausted, get a few hours' sleep on the chaise lounge near the window." Ducky orders him.

"Highly doubt that I will fall asleep." Gibbs grumbles and throws the covers over Jenny.

"You are not doing Ziva or Jenny any good if you're tired."

Gibbs reluctantly walks over to the chaise lounge and flops down into the chair. "I'll just close my eyes for a few minutes." Gibbs yawns.

Five minutes later, Ducky is covering a sleeping Gibbs up with a blanket. "You're not invincible Jethro." Ducky whispers, he glances over at Jenny one last time and then quietly leaves the room. "If this doesn't bring the two of you back together, then you both deserve to be miserable for the rest of your lives." Ducky mutters as he walks down the hallway for his bedroom.


	9. Phantom Contact

Around sunrise, Jenny opens her eyes and finds Gibbs sleeping in a chaise lounge in front of the window. Other than her bedside vigil during his coma in the hospital, the last time Jenny had watched over Gibbs as he slept was their last morning together inside of the Paris apartment bedroom. Jenny had woken up around sunrise. Gibbs in his sleep had his face pressed up against the crook of her right arm. After a romantic night on the town to celebrate their final night in Paris, Gibbs and Jenny had returned to their apartment. Gibbs wanting to get in touch with Director Morrow, before their flight back to Washington, called Morrow in his office back in Washington. Jenny went into the bathroom and took a bath. Unknown to Gibbs, Jenny had taken a Team Leader position in Naples. It was important that she take the position to further her career up the hierarchy of NCIS, part of her five point plan that would lead her to René Benoit an Arms Dealer that went by the code name La Grenouille. For the past four years her mind set has been bringing her father's murderer to justice, her justice, since the eyes of the US Government's Laws has proclaimed her father's death a suicide not a homicide. Her five point plan was going along smoothly, until a small cliché got in the way of her quest. Jenny fell in love with her boss, while he was training her as a Probationary Status Agent. The words that she told Tony after he blew his cover by falling in love with Jeanne Benoit, daughter of René Benoit, during the La Grenouille Op four years ago repeat in her mind over and over again. "You're not suppose to fall in love." She harshly told a heartbroken Tony as he sat across from her and Gibbs at the conference table inside of her office. "I shouldn't have said that to Tony, when I did the same thing myself, difference between Jeanne and Jethro is." "Jeanne was an innocent unknowing victim." "Jethro and I should have known better since we were partners." Jenny frowns and flashes back to their final night inside their Paris apartment.

November 11th 1999

Paris, France

Gibbs and Jenny's Apartment

2130 Hours

Gibbs is lounging on the living room sofa talking with Director Morrow on his cell phone. "The three day weekend should give our bodies the time to adjust to DC time." "I can't wait to get back to crime scene investigations; this two year op has me worn out." Gibbs groans and waits for Morrow to respond back to him. "I'll see you Monday morning." "Goodbye sir!" Gibbs answers and gets up from the couch. "This time tomorrow night, hopefully the both of us will be drunk down in my basement making out in my boat." Gibbs smirks and walks off for the bedroom. "I hope she doesn't drag out taking her bath." Gibbs growls in sexual frustration and begins to work open the buttons on his shirt.

Half an hour later with the covers pulled back on the bed, Gibbs lies on his back naked, impatiently waiting for his lover to join him in bed. Jenny walks in wearing a short plum satin robe. "I was about to dive into the tub in another five minutes." Gibbs barks.

Jenny slowly approaches the bed and unties the sash on her robe. "All good things come to those who wait." Jenny seductively purrs and drops her robe down on the floor.

"I've waited long enough." Gibbs grins and reaches up and pulls Jenny down on the bed, he flips Jenny on to her back. "Last night in Paris."

Jenny reaches up and touches Gibbs' face. "I want you to show me how much you love me." She softly says to him.

"I've got all night Jen." Gibbs smiles and leans over and kisses Jenny on the mouth. Throughout the night, Gibbs and Jenny passionately make love to one another, frequently changing positions.

0300 Hours

"Yes!" Jenny screams out with pleasure, her muscles convulse around her lovers harden length, Gibbs on his back, watches as Jenny falls apart on top of him, her long sweat soaked red hair sprayed out across his chest. "Jethro come on." She screams out.

Gibbs wanting to have his release on top of her, flips Jenny on to her back, her heels press up against his lower back as he quickens his strokes. She grabs on to the metal posts on the footboard. With a final thrust, Gibbs climaxes inside of her. "I love you!" Gibbs cries out with pleasure, he slumps down on top of her burying his face up against Jenny's shoulder.

"I love you Jethro." Jenny whispers and kisses the top of his forehead as they both come down from the orgasm.

Five minutes later, Gibbs with his face pressed up against the crook of Jenny's arm is fighting to keep his eyes open. "Jethro get some sleep, our flight isn't until 1100 hours."

"Before I go to sleep I want you to think about what I asked you during dinner." Gibbs yawns.

"About us moving into together." Jenny asks.

"You think that after what we've been through together the past year and a half that I'm going to be going back to our arrangement that we had from before the Europe Op, your mistaken Jen." "I want you with me, living at my house."

"We can't be partners if we move in together Jethro." Jenny sighs.

"You can transfer over to the Case Agent division."

"Excuse me; I've busted my ass to become a field agent." Jenny snaps.

"Jen it's the only thing that I can think of." Gibbs groans and closes his eyes.

Jenny watches as Gibbs drifts off to sleep. "I'm sorry Jethro, after tomorrow morning my path is going into a different direction than yours." "Four years ago I would have taken you up on your offer." Jenny chokes fighting back her tears. "I was a different person then with different goals in life." "The idea of carrying your child inside of me." Jenny sobs, knowing that a life with Gibbs would get in the way of bringing La Grenouille to justice.

At first light, Jenny awakens; Gibbs has his face pressed up against her triceps. Jenny watches over her lover as he sleeps in her arms, this is the last time she'll wake up holding him in her arms or Gibbs protectively holding her in his arms. "I won't let another man get this close to me again."

Gibbs blinks open his eyes; he glances over at the nightstand and notes that it's past six. "Jen!" He calls out to her.

"I'm awake!"

Gibbs turns and looks into the depths of Jenny's green eyes. "You look like you're lost in thought."

"It's our final morning in the City of Love." Jenny smiles.

Gibbs leans up and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. "We still have time to make love one more time before our flight."

"I want it slow and prolonged."

Gibbs shakes his head and laughs. "Took you two years to finally pace yourself." Gibbs smirks and leans over and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth. Slowly and tenderly they make love to one another, with Gibbs on top being the dominate partner. Jenny runs her fingers through his short cropped hair as his body slowly thrusts up against her. Fifteen minutes later their bodies trembling from the afterglow from their love making, Jenny presses her chin on to Gibbs' stomach, content with the knowledge that whoever comes after her, will never satisfy Gibbs in the bedroom the way she could. "What's that smirk on your face for?" Gibbs growls.

Jenny gets out of bed. "It's something that I will keep in the back of my head many years from now." Jenny teases him and walks out of the bedroom.

"What?" Gibbs snarls and gets out of bed and chases after her.

Inside the bathroom, Jenny is inside the shower turning on the water. "The power I have over you in the bedroom."

"I can say the same thing about you." Gibbs laughs and closes the shower curtain behind him. "Last time in the shower."

"Jethro I'm still recovering." Jenny whines

"To bad!"

"Keep your hands off of the-" Jenny screams out with pleasure as Gibbs aims the shower nozzle in between her legs. "You bastard!"

"You should have kept your mouth shut." Gibbs laughs and pulls Jenny into his arms and begins to ravish the side of her neck.

Present Time

Ducky walks into the bedroom and finds Jenny awake lost in thought watching over Gibbs. "Jenny!" He whispers and slowly approaches the bed.

Jenny startled by Ducky's presence. "Ducky!"

Ducky begins to feel over Jenny's face and forehead. "You seemed like you were in another place and time and it involved Jethro." Ducky muses.

"How did you know it was about Jethro?"

"Remember my dear; I was there when you and Jethro were a couple in love." "You haven't looked at Jethro like that since Europe."

"I just woke up and found him sleeping in the chaise lounge and had a memory of our last morning together in Paris." "Other than the time he spent in the hospital from his coma, the last time I saw Jethro asleep was in our apartment in Paris." Jenny smiles.

"I ordered him to get some sleep last night." Ducky mutters and continues to feel Jenny's face. "I believe your temperature has gone down." Ducky sighs with relief and picks up the digital thermometer from the nightstand.

Two minutes later. "One hundred!" Ducky smiles.

"Can I have coffee this morning?" Jenny asks with pleading eyes.

"No, maybe tomorrow."

Jenny rolls her eyes in exasperation. "I'm on day three of caffeine withdrawal." Jenny whines.

"Noted my dear." Ducky laughs and walks over to Gibbs. "Jethro it's 0530 hours."

Gibbs wakes up and begins to stretch in the chair. "I slept through the night." Gibbs yawns with surprise.

"Small wonder, you were exhausted." Ducky snorts.

Gibbs gingerly gets up out of the chair and slowly walks over to the bed. "Did you check her temperature?"

"Yes, thankfully the icepacks and sponge bath worked, her temperature was at 100." Ducky smiles.

"Are you taking her off of the morphine?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes, I don't want Jenny getting addicted to it." "I'll start her on Percocet's after she gets something in her stomach." "I'll continue the IV antibiotic's until this evening."

"Don't change her bandage until I get home tonight." "You're going to need help with that."

"While she's still under the influence of morphine, when Mr. Palmer gets here I'm going to change her bandage and show him what to do, just in case she over does it and opens herself up." Ducky mutters and gives Jenny a glare of warning.

Gibbs sits on the edge of the bed. "I'll head slap her silly if she moves an inch from this bed." Gibbs smirks.

"Like hell you are." Jenny hisses in protest.

"You have no choice in the matter, because I'm the boss." Gibbs grins.

"It seems the tables have turned my dear." Ducky chuckles and walks out of the room.

"You may be the boss while I'm in this bed, once I get out-"

"I'll still be the boss." "I'm investigating the attempt on the life of one my agents and you were the reason why Ziva got shot." "Get use to it Jen." Gibbs barks and gets up from the bed and walks out of the room.

"Difference between now and Paris is I'm no longer your Probie." Jenny grins.

"You'll always be my Probie." Gibbs shouts from the hallway over hearing her.

"Son of a bitch!" Jenny snaps in disbelief.

Down in the kitchen, Ducky is making a scrambled egg for Jenny, Gibbs walks in with an amused grin on his face. "I haven't seen that look on your face in over three years." Ducky muses.

"I keep forgetting on how much fun it is to bait Jenny." Gibbs laughs and walks over to the coffee pot and pours himself a cup of coffee.

"Just like Tony gets off annoying Ziva." Ducky laughs.

"Jenny's facial expressions are funnier." Gibbs chuckles and takes a sip from his cup of coffee. "What time is Palmer getting here?"

"O600 hours!"

"Soon as I finish my coffee I have to make a quick trip to my house so I can get a shower and change my clothes." "I don't trust Mossad, starting tonight I'm going to drive home, get a change of clothes and sneak out of the house and take a cab over to your place."

"Good idea, your Dodge Charger is noticeable from the street." Ducky nods.

Around six, Palmer and Ducky are walking up the stairs. "What should I say to her?" Palmer curiously asks.

"Jenny, she's no longer Director Shepard."

Inside the bedroom, Jenny is finishing up her breakfast when Palmer and Ducky walk into the room. "Palmer!" Jenny warmly calls out to him.

Palmer stands in stunned silence. "Don't mind him Jenny; he's not use to seeing you alive." Ducky snorts and approaches the bed.

"I better get use to it, since Abby is coming over during lunch time." Jenny giggles.

"I've already told her no hugging; your body isn't up to it." Ducky laughs.

"I can't get over it." Palmer says in disbelief. "You look good." "Your hair is the same length when you first became Director."

"Try longer!" Ducky smiles and takes the tray from Jenny. "If she asks for coffee Mr. Palmer, the answers is no."

"Gotcha!" "Besides the coffee and bed rest, any other restrictions." Palmer curiously asks.

"There shouldn't be any, since Gibbs isn't here." Ducky chuckles and walks out of the room.

Palmer walks over to the bed. "Gibbs has not been the same since you-"

"Died!" Jenny finishes.

"You would ask a question about a case when you first became Director, Gibbs would be screaming and yelling." "Director Vance could ask a question, show up at a crime scene, and within months he was already in the Interrogation Room asking a witness a question."

"And Gibbs didn't say anything to him, so he could kiss his ass to get his team back" Jenny sighs.

"You're fake death was the reason why Tony and Ziva got sent away." Palmer frowns.

"To keep their mouths shut." Jenny sarcastically answers. "Jethro only had Ducky and Abby to help him go through his grief." "I know McGee was sent to the Cyber Division, but he still wasn't on his team."

"And even though they got reinstated on to Gibbs' team, it still wasn't the same." "Tony had Ziva to play off with." "McGee had Abby." "Gibbs rarely fought with Director Vance, the office got boring, Tony had nothing to bet on." Palmer sadly answers.

"Now there's a shock, Tony having nothing to bet on." Jenny laughs and shakes her head.

"Who knows now that you are back." Palmer smiles.

"Who says that I'm back?" Jenny asks and narrows her eyes over at Palmer.

"I just assumed?" Palmer shrugs.

"Soon as I'm healed up I'm out of here." "I keep hanging around, I put everybody's lives a risk."

"Abby was looking forward to having her dysfunctional family back together." Palmer frowns.

"I'm sorry it's the way things are Palmer." "It's not 2008 where Abby thinks that things should be back to normal." "Three years have gone by."

"But we're all the same with the exception of Agent Gibbs." "He's lost you and Mike Franks died a month ago."

"I know!" Jenny chokes at hearing the news from Camilla. "I sent flowers to his funeral."

"While you're recovering in this bed, think long and hard, before you decide on leaving." "We all missed you." Palmer smiles and walks out of the room.

Jenny sinks down into the covers taking in Palmer's words. Can she slip back into her normal life as Jenny Shepard, instead of being recognized by her CIA Code name Phoenix? "I've missed the bickering amongst Gibbs' team in the bullpen as I worked above on the balcony." "I miss Ducky's musings, Abby's energy from the half a dozen Caff-Pow's that she's consumed in a sixteen hour workday." "Most of all I miss Jethro barging into my office and slamming the door behind him." Jenny frowns.

Ritz Carlton Pentagon

Director David's Suite

0800 Hours

After finishing up his morning breakfast, Eli picks up his cellphone and calls Vance.

Munich, Germany

Paulaner Am Nockherberg

1400 Hours

Vance is sitting at a corner table with Regine Smidt. He slips Regine a flash drive. "You're bosses competitors."

"Jasper Shepard I gather is at the top of the list." Regine sarcastically answers.

"Yes, he quietly won't go away." Vance says in disgust.

"And René wanted to know where his daughter Jenny got it from."

Before Vance can answer Regine, his Blackberry rings. "Leon Vance!" He smoothly answers.

"Director Vance!" Eli addresses him.

"Agent Gibbs cooperating?"

"Yes, there is not much to go on according to my Mossad Officers." "A black SUV drove past Ziva and her mystery contact who was dressed in black with their face concealed by a hood and fired at them." "Ziva's mystery contact returned fire and was also shot at and fled the scene." "Officer Rozenkwit believes Ziva's contact was a woman by the body build."

"Find out who she was talking to?" Vance asks.

"Not yet, her doctor wouldn't let us question her yet, perhaps today."

"Soon as Gibbs gets done questioning her, call me?" Vance instructs him.

"What if it's late?"

"Don't care about the late hour."

"I will do that." Eli answers.

"Eli, NCIS will get to the bottom of this, trust me." Vance reassures him.

"I trust you, but not Agent Gibbs." Eli snaps.

"You leave Gibbs to me, I'll handle him." "I always do." Vance grins.

"So I've noticed." Eli chuckles and takes a sip from his cup of coffee. "I'm heading over to the hospital now; Ziva is getting moved to a regular room today."

"Remember call me day or night?"

"I will, Shalom Director Vance."

"Shalom Director David." Vance smiles and hangs up.

"Agent Gibbs hasn't retired yet." Regine says with surprise.

"I keep trying to make him retire." "If I was Director of NCIS back in 2006, Gibbs retirement package would have been filed to Navy Human Resource."

"What kept his package from being filed?" Regine curiously asks.

"His lover and boss Jenny Shepard." Vance bitterly snaps.

Back in Washington at NCIS Headquarters several hours later, Tony is returning from Abby's Lab, when he finds Kaylah Lusztig sitting at a desk next to McGee's talking on the phone. "I wonder who she's talking to." Tony inwardly asks and ducks down and crawls over to the partition and slowly gets up on his knees and peeks over the top of the partition.

"What did you get on Gahiji Ulman?" Kaylah asks her contact.

"I've heard that last name before?" Tony says to himself.

"So besides taking over his brother's terrorist group, he funds the Somalian Pirate's."

Up on the balcony, Gibbs walks out of Vance's office, immediately his attention is drawn on to Tony. "Something is up."

Tony spots Jamiel Rozenkwit returning from a coffee run and quickly ducks down. "Find out anything?" Jamiel asks as Kaylah hangs up her phone.

"Nothing yet?" Kaylah sighs in frustration.

Tony crawls over to elevator. The doors open, Gibbs from inside the elevator gives Tony the stare. "Hi boss!"

"Get up DiNozzo." Gibbs grumbles.

"There's a reason for this." Tony quickly answers and gets inside the elevator.

Gibbs presses in the button for Abby's floor, the doors close, as the elevator goes down and gets between floors, Gibbs flips over the switch. "I know, out with it."

"Officer Lusztig was on the phone."

"That I saw." Gibbs growls in annoyance.

"Mossad thinks that Gahiji Ulman the head of a Somalian Terror Cell is responsible for Ziva's shooting."

"Any relation to Saleem Ulman?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes, his brother." "Apparently he took over his brother's terrorist cell after you killed Saleem." "He also funds the local Somalia Pirates."

"This is the distraction I need to get Vance off of my ass." Gibbs smirks.

"Blame Gahiji Ulman for Ziva and Jenny's shooting?" Tony shrugs.

"If he's a terrorist, who cares?" Gibbs barks.

"Right and with vessels that keep getting boarded by pirates and he's funding them." Tony nods.

"McGee should be in any minute with Jenny's briefcase." "I'll send Lusztig and Rozenkwit on a wild goose chase down in Autopsy, they haven't seen what was left of our shooters body." "Call down to Ducky's and let him know where coming down."

"I'll let him know to drag it out." Tony answers.

"While I'm down in Autopsy with Mossad, tell McGee to sneak Jenny's briefcase down to Abby's Lab and hide it in the back room." "I already told Abby to lock out her back room when she leaves for lunch." "Then I want him back up in the Squad Room helping you out with doing a background check on Gahiji Ulman." "We'll need to know everything about him."

"What time are you going to question Ziva?"

"Around one, daddy should be out of the hospital having a late lunch like he did yesterday." "I want to hear Ziva's version of events and to look over the contents of Jenny's briefcase, before I question Jenny, hopefully this weekend, if Ducky lets me." Gibbs grumbles.

"How is she, since I didn't get a chance to ask with Frick and Frack being in the room this morning?"

"Fever went down, seemed more alert this morning." Gibbs smiles with relief.

"That's good; I know both you and Ducky were worried about her." Tony smiles.

Gibbs flips the switch over to the elevator. "I wonder how McGee made out in Baltimore last night."

"Bright side is he didn't have to drive back." Tony shrugs.

Elevator goes down and stops at Abby's floor, the doors open and Abby steps inside. "I'm heading upstairs."

"So are we, I used the elevator as my conference room." Gibbs smoothly answers and pushes in the button for his floor.

"Anything new?"

"Yes, we have a false suspect to distract Mossad with." Gibbs chuckles.

"Huh?" Abby asks in confusion.

"We'll explain on the way up." Tony grins at her. Tony's burn phone rings for an incoming text message. "McGeek's in the parking garage."

"Text him back on your burn phone and tell him to stay in his car."

"I can't wait to see Jenny today, how is she?" Abby smiles.

"Fever went down and seemed more alert this morning."

Elevator door opens, Gibbs steps out with Tony and Abby following him from behind. They walk over to the bullpen and find Kaylah and Jamiel sitting around. "Keeping secrets from us Agent Gibbs." Kaylah baits him.

"No, Doctor Mallard has the remains from the SUV on a table down in Autopsy for you to see."

"The one piece of evidence we haven't seen yet." Kaylah sarcastically answers and gets up from her chair along with Jamiel

"Tony I'll be back." Gibbs shouts and walks off for the elevator with Kaylah and Jamiel following him from behind.

"Hopefully Ducky will come up with some story to drag on and on and on." Tony laughs and flips open his burn phone. He pushes in the speed dial button for McGee's phone. "Probie, it's safe to come up now."

Down in Autopsy several minutes later, Ducky is showing Kaylah and Jamiel the charred skull that was found in the SUV. "As you can see making an identification is going to be nearly impossible" Ducky mutters.

"Did Miss Scuito get a DNA match on the blood samples yet?" Jamiel sheepishly asks.

"Not that I'm aware of." Gibbs shrugs.

Kaylah glances over the skull. "I guess you've had less to work with before doctor."

"Try a set of eyeballs."

"Really!" Kaylah answers in fascination.

"That was a long dragged out case Doctor Mallard." Gibbs baits him.

"Indeed it was Jethro." Ducky answers.

"I haven't heard this story in a while." Gibbs smiles.

While Ducky and Gibbs are distracting Kaylah and Jamiel down in Autopsy, Tony is sitting at his desk doing a background check on Gahiji Ulman. "Ulman was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of that British couple, whose yacht was seized by Somalia Pirates that were backed by him."

McGee returns from Abby's Lab. "Find anything?"

"That Gahiji Ulman was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Malcolm and Marjorie Whitfield."

"I thought they were kidnapped and murdered by Somalia Pirates." McGee curiously asks.

"Somalia Pirates that were funded by Gahiji Ulman." "When Gahiji's ransom demands couldn't be met, he murdered them on board their yacht."

Ziva's desk phone begins to ring. "Wonder who that could be?" McGee asks and walks over to Ziva's desk. "Special Agent David's desk, Special Agent McGee speaking."

Miami, Florida

Sitting outside a Starbucks. "McGee its Ray Cruz, is Ziva there?"

McGee, moves the phone away from his face. "Tony its Ray Cruz."

Tony gets up from his desk and approaches Ziva's desk and pushes in the speakerphone button. "Ray its Tony DiNozzo, long time no see, how's life in the CIA treating you?"

"Keeping me busy DiNozzo." "I take it that Ziva isn't available?" Cruz asks.

"No, she's most likely in Interrogation with Gibbs." Tony lies and shrugs over at McGee.

"I tried getting her at home and on her cell phone, but both her answering machine and voice box are full."

"It's a long dragged out Interrogation." "Soon as she's done I'll let her know that you called."

"I'd appreciate that." Cruz shrugs.

"So where are you?"

"Miami soaking up the sun." Cruz grins.

"Hit the beach yet." Tony frowns in jealousy.

"Did that yesterday, I'm on my way to the airport now."

"How many thongs did you see?" Tony drools.

"Too many for me to count."

"Damn!"

"I'm about to flag down a cab in a minute."

"Ok, soon as Ziva gets out of Interrogation, I'll let her know that you called."

"Thanks Tony, talk to you later." Cruz answers and hangs up. He gets up from his table and grabs his carry-on bag from the sidewalk and walks over to the curb. Cruz spots an oncoming cab. "Taxi!" He shouts.

Back in the Squad Room. "I wonder what he wanted with Ziva." Tony asks and walks back over to his desk.

"Maybe to say hello." McGee mutters and walks over to his desk and sits down. He types Gahiji Ulman's name. "By lunch time we'll know everything about Gahiji Ulman."

Down in Autopsy, Ducky is finishing up on his story. "Interesting doctor." Kaylah smiles.

"I could go on and on about some of the cases that we've worked on over the years." Ducky muses.

"You sure can." Gibbs snorts.

"Agent Gibbs we're going to head up to Forensics'." Jamiel nods over at him.

"Fine, I'm going to head back to my desk, see how my team is making out." Gibbs smoothly says and walks off for the door.

"Doctor thanks for the story." Kaylah cheerfully says to him and walks off for the door with Jamiel following her from behind.

"My pleasure!" He shouts out to her. Ducky waits for Kaylah and Jamiel to join Gibbs in the elevator and walks over to his desk and turns on his video camera. "Abigail!" He calls out to her.

Abby's face appears in the monitor. "I take it that they're on their way up here."

"I'm afraid so."

"Gibbs joining them."

"No!"

"I'm stuck alone with them." Abby pouts.

"Yes!"

Abby hears the bell from the elevator door. "Incoming!"

"Good luck!"

"Thanks a lot!" Abby sighs.

Back up in the Squad Room, Gibbs walks in. "Got anything?" He asks and walks over to McGee's desk and leans behind his shoulder.

"Oh yeah, Gahiji Ulman is a major player." "He's responsible for several bombings in Sudan and Egypt, along with the kidnapping and murder of Malcolm and Marjorie Whitfield."

"The British banker!"

"Ulman is on MI-5's most wanted list, because of the Whitfield's murders." McGee informs him.

"He's now on NCIS's most wanted list." Gibbs barks and begins to walk off for the stairs.

"Where you headed?" Tony shouts.

"MTAC!" Gibbs shouts over his shoulder.

London, England

NCIS Headquarters

MTAC

1535 BST

Special Agent Max Tasker is standing in front of the plasma screen. "Jethro it's been thirteen years since I've seen you." Max smiles at him.

"Last time I saw you, you were in a pub trying to pick up a brunette." Gibbs smirks.

"I married that brunette." Max chuckles and we have three kids.

"Damn you two work fast." Gibbs laughs.

"She's pregnant with twins."

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks, they were an unexpected gift."

"A child is a gift." Gibbs smiles.

Tasker getting back to the subject at hand. "What's up?"

"Do you still have contacts over at MI-5?" Gibbs sheepishly asks.

"Yes!" Tasker shrugs.

"I need all everything on Gahiji Ulman and his involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Malcolm and Marjorie Whitfield and all terrorist attacks that his terror cell has been responsible for the past two years."

"That should take some time." Tasker sighs.

"I got the time."

"You got the time and never had any patients." Tasker laughs and shakes his head. "How Jenny ever had the patients to deal with you as a partner and your boss is beyond me."

"Because we were so much alike in so many ways, best damn partner I ever had."

"So strange that she died in a house fire." Tasker asks out loud.

"Those things happen." Gibbs shrugs and quickly changes the subject at hand. "Get back to me when you have something."

"I will!" "Nice seeing you."

"Same here!" Gibbs answers, the screen fades out. "If Tasker gets in touch with MTAC while I'm out of the building patch him through to my cell phone." Gibbs nods over at MTAC Technician Danielle and walks off for the ramp. Gibbs opens the door and just as he steps outside his cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Abby's Lab

"The results came in from the blood samples that I rerun from the crime scene in the parking garage." "I didn't get a match, sorry Gibbs." Abby frowns into her speakerphone with Kaylah and Jamiel standing nearby.

"You did the best you could Abs." Gibbs shrugs and begins to descend down the stairs. "I guess we have mystery assassins that shot at Ziva and her phantom contact." Gibbs playfully growls, knowing full well that Abby has her phone on speakerphone.

"I tried!" Abby pouts.

"I know you did." "We'll get the answers when I question Ziva this afternoon at the hospital."

"I can't wait to see her today." Abby smiles.

"She's on a restricted diet still, no Berry Mango Madness smoothies." Gibbs snorts.

"I won't!" Abby giggles and remembers that Gibbs wouldn't listen to a diet restriction. "How long could you go without coffee?"

"There's a difference between me and other patients." Gibbs smirks and walks over the catwalk and down the stairs.

"Yes it's called a double standard." Abby sighs.

"No it's called I have my own set of rules to everybody else's."

"So I've noted the past eleven years." Abby laughs and shakes her head. "Ok Gibbs I need to finish up on some things before I see Ziva at the hospital."

"I'll let you get to them." Gibbs answers and hangs up. He walks over to the partition wall near Tony's desk. "Lusztig and Rozenkwit should be on their way up soon, so wrap up whatever you're doing on Gahiji Ulman." Gibbs orders them.

"What were you doing up in MTAC?" Tony curiously asks.

"I have Special Agent Tasker from NCIS London looking into Gahiji Ulman." "The more information we can get on him-"

"It will take the attention off of Harriet Jones." Tony finishes.

"Soon as Lusztig and Rozenkwit leave for the night, I want you down in Abby's Lab breaking into Harriet's briefcase." Gibbs instructs McGee.

"How I don't know the combination?" McGee grumbles in protest.

"Leave that to me Probie." Tony smirks.


	10. Shalom Harriett

Georgetown University Hospital

McGee and Abby walk into Ziva's private room. "Ziva!" Abby smiles and walks over to the bed and takes a hold of Ziva's hand.

"Abby!" Ziva smiles and then glances over at McGee. "McGee!" She nods over at him.

"Ziva!" McGee smiles and approaches the bed.

"So you're stuck in the hospital for another week." Abby frowns and sits down in a chair next to the bed.

"Unfortunately yes, then I'm off to Bethesda for some rehab." Ziva sighs in annoyance.

Abby noting that Eli isn't around. "Where's your father?"

"Talking to the doctor, he wants to send me back to Israel." "I've already told my doctor I'm staying right here in Washington." "I'm an American citizen now and I work for NCIS, not for Mossad."

"I guess Eli didn't like hearing that from you." McGee laughs.

"I've patched some things up with my father, but in my eyes and heart, Gibbs is my father." Ziva warmly answers with a smile on her face.

Abby leans over the bed. "After lunch I'm heading over to Ducky's to look after mommy." Abby whispers and begins to giggle.

"I'm going to warn you, she's a horrible patient." Ziva whispers and begins to giggle.

"Can't be any worse than Gibbs." McGee laughs.

"What can't be any worse than Agent Gibbs?" Eli asks as he stands in the doorway.

"We were comparing Ziva's addiction to Berry Mango Madness smoothies to Gibbs with his caffeine addiction." McGee lies.

"The difference is I can go without my smoothies for a few days." "Gibbs can't last two hours without his coffee." Ziva laughs.

Forty minutes later out in the parking garage, McGee approaches Gibbs' car. "Eli is up in Ziva's room."

Gibbs glances down at his watch in annoyance. "Soon as he leaves, I want you to stay down in the parking garage to keep an eye out for Lusztig and Rozenkwit just in case they show up while I'm questioning Ziva."

"And you'll need me down here to keep an eye out for Eli when he returns to the hospital after lunch." McGee answers.

"Did Abby leave for Ducky's?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Ten minutes ago."

"Think she'll attack mommy." Tony laughs in the passenger seat.

"She better not, Jen's off of the morphine IV." Gibbs barks.

"Ducky has her off of pain medicine." Tony asks with surprise.

"He has her on Percocet's." Gibbs answers.

"Morphine can become quite addictive if you're on it for too long." McGee adds.

"I bet you Palmer is boring her to death." Tony laughs.

"You never know DiNozzo." Gibbs chuckles.

Up in the spare bedroom at Ducky's house, Jenny and Palmer are playing a game of chess. "Surprised that you play." Palmer asks.

"I use to play with my dad all the time." Jenny smiles and notices that Palmer's king has nowhere to go on the chess board. "Check mate!"

"Again!" Palmer whines in protest. Suddenly the doorbell rings. "Abby!" Palmer smiles and gets up from his chair.

"Tell her my body isn't up for hugging." Jenny warns him.

"I'll tell her." Palmer laughs and starts off for the doorway.

Outside, Abby anxiously waits at the front door. "Come on Jimmy!"

Palmer opens up the front door, Abby quickly rushes inside. "First door on your right." He shouts at her as Abby runs for the stairs. "And no hugging, Doctor Mallard has her on Percocet's now."

"Can't make any promises." Abby giggles and bolts up for the stairs, as Abby gets to the top of the stairs she runs over to Jenny's bedroom and stands motionless in the doorway. "After your all healed up you have a lot of explaining to do mommy." Abby chastises her and approaches the bed with her hands on her hips.

"This wasn't the entrance I was expecting from you." Jenny laughs trying to break the mood.

"What did you expect?" Abby angrily snaps. "What you put Gibbs through the past four years?" "He's grieved for you." "Not to mention what McGee and I went through." "Poor Cynthia was a mess." Abby sobs.

"I had my reasons Abs."

"As Gibbs has stated many times in my lab since he's found out that you are alive." "Bull shit!"

Palmer walks in. "Hate to interrupt, just letting you know I'm heading out." Palmer nods over at them.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Jenny smiles over at Palmer.

"Rematch on the chess game." Palmer winks.

"I'll just beat you again." Jenny laughs.

"There's always a first time." Palmer answers and walks out the door.

"Abby, it was either Jethro or I going to prison on what Kort had on the two of us."

"Gibbs could have gotten you out of it, he always does." Abby pouts.

"Not from a Mexican prison." Jenny frowns.

Abby begins to pack up the chess board that's on the serving tray. "Alejandro Rivera!" Abby hesitantly asks.

"Yes, Kort had threatened to have him reopen his father's murder investigation, claiming that there was a piece of evidence out there linking Gibbs to the crime scene." "He showed me a photo of the shell casing from a high powered rifle that was fired a thousand feet away from Hernandez's truck." "Hernandez's daughter was wearing it around her neck like a souvenir."

"I know!" Abby frowns and flashes back when she and McGee had encountered Paloma Reynosa at Hernandez's crime scene. "The Mexican Justice Department under Alejandro Rivera had asked NCIS to send me out to Pedro Hernandez's crime scene." "They had me set up a reenactment of the crime scene as it was in 1991." "While McGee and I were at the site, Paloma Reynosa approached us with several armed gunman." "I explained to her the reason why McGee and I were there."

"And her response?" Jenny asks.

"That what the Mexican authorities had told us about the crime scene wasn't true." "That Paloma's father Pedro Hernandez was killed by a sniper one thousand feet away." "The sniper left a shell casing behind as a calling card." "Paloma pulled a chain from under her shirt and showed me the shell casing and then tossed it over to me." "She advised me to look into when I went back to Washington when I processed the evidence."

"What other evidence?"

"Pedro Hernandez's remains, Ducky examined them down in Autopsy." "The glass from Hernandez's windshield from his truck and the bullet that was removed from Hernandez's skull." "The bullet and shell casing matched the rifle that Gibbs used." "I had asked him if he wanted me to falsify a report to cover for him and he refused."

"Abby he didn't want you to jeopardize your career." Jenny softly says to her.

"I would have taken that risk for him and for anybody that I care about."

"But you did send out the report."

"Yes, I don't know what happened to it or what's came of it." Abby sighs.

"I bet you I know where it is." Jenny sarcastically answers.

"Where?"

"Vance!"

Abby puts the box of chess on top of the dresser and sits down on the edge of Jenny's bed. "Wonder if it's up in his office."

"I bet you ten to one it's in the safe behind the desk."

"I'll tip Gibbs off about this when I get back to the office." "In the meantime, what was it that Kort had against you?"

"My missing Glock 19 9mm."

"So you did kill René Benoit?" Abby says with surprise.

"Looking back on it, it was for the wrong reasons." Jenny icily answers.

"He had something to do with your father's death, where was it wrong?" Abby asks and takes a hold of Jenny's hands.

"Something that I can't go into detail with, because it's classified Abby, I'm sorry."

"And I can't be read into it, gotcha." Abby nods and gets up from the bed. "You hungry?"

"Haven't eaten since Ducky left for work this morning." Jenny shrugs.

"Grilled cheese and tomato soup is just the thing for you." Abby winks and walks out of the room.

"René Benoit didn't kill my father, Operation Lodestone did." Jenny viciously chokes.

Georgetown University Hospital

On cue around one o'clock Gibbs walks into the room, he closes the door behind him. "And the questioning begins." Ziva sighs and sits up in bed.

"First of all we'll start with August 20th then work our way backwards." Gibbs answers and sits in a chair next to the bed. "You can leave out the diner in the Mojave Desert and Antelope Valley Hospital; DiNozzo already filled me in on that."

"I got a phone call from Jenny on the burn phone that I've been using since Director Vance me sent back to Israel after Jenny's funeral."

"What did she want?" Gibbs asks.

"She had some information that she wanted me to check our regarding classified information that was leaking from NCIS to Julien Benoit."

"Frog's son, that much we've figured out Ziva the e-mail from your Interpol contact." Tony nods.

"How did she get this information?" Gibbs asks.

"At the time I didn't ask." Ziva answers and flashes back to the morning of August 20th 2011.

After her morning jog, Ziva enters her apartment, just as she's about to walk into the kitchen, one of her burn phones begins to ring. "I feel like a drug dealer with all of the cell phones that I'm using." Ziva laughs and walks over to her coffee table and picks up the phone. On the caller ID a familiar name is displayed on. "Shalom Harriet!" Ziva answers.

"Of all the burn names that the CIA decided to use for me." Jenny hisses in protest from the other end of the phone. "Shalom Ziva!"

"I haven't heard from you in over a year and a half." Ziva asks and walks over to her sofa and flops down.

"Been busy!"

"So have I, I'm officially a Junior Agent." Ziva smiles.

"Don't worry; Tony will still call you Probie." Jenny teases her.

"He affectionately dubs me Probalina, while McGee gets Probie." Ziva giggles.

Jenny getting down to business. "Ziva I'm in Washington and I need a huge favor from you."

"What Jenny?" Ziva asks.

"I just came from an op in Riohacha, Colombia." "Without going into the details of my op since it's classified." "I came across some information that NCIS was selling classified information to Julien Benoit."

"Is he-"

Jenny quickly interrupts Ziva. "Yes he's related to René Benoit." "He's his son." "Looks like he's taken over where his father left off."

"How do you want me to help you?" Ziva inquires.

"I need to know if to know if Special Agent Erica Jane Barrett has bank accounts in either the Cayman Islands or Turks and Caicos Islands." "And I also need some information on Julien Benoit's known associates."

"EJ Barrett?" Ziva asks with surprise.

"You know her." Jenny asks.

"Yes we just had a long dragged out investigation with EJ and her team involving a serial killer." "To make a long story short." "CIA and the Navy had a joint op." "The CIA was training Navy Seals into assassins." "One of the assassins didn't handle the training and went on a killing spree." "EJ and her team were transferred to our office in Washington due to cutbacks." "Director Vance under SecNav Davenport's orders had promoted EJ as agent in charge of the investigation."

"Jethro must of have been thrilled about that." Jenny laughs.

"He wasn't too pleased." Ziva sighs in annoyance. "Complicating matters Tony was sleeping with EJ."

"Breaking Jethro's rule number twelve." Jenny grins.

"Exactly!" "The CIA came into the investigation." "Trent Kort was involved with the Seals training and wanted to take out Cobb himself."

"That explains Kort's disappearance." Jenny inwardly says to herself.

"Mike Franks had also arrived in Washington to visit Gibbs." "He was helping Gibbs out with the investigation." "Cobb killed Mike outside of Gibbs' house." Ziva chokes up.

"I heard about Mike's death a few weeks ago." Jenny sadly answers.

"I keep forgetting that Mike knew you were alive."

"Besides Tony, you, Ducky, Vance, and SecNav Davenport, Mike was the only other person that knew I was alive."

"Jenny we hate lying to Gibbs, you don't know what this has done to Tony, Ducky, and myself." Ziva begs her.

"Ziva it's for my own good and for Jethro's that I stay dead." "The both of us won't do any good being in prison and Jethro at his age won't survive a Mexican Prison."

"Your right!" Ziva relents and gets back to the subject at hand. "Gibbs and Vance took out Cobb." "It was found it that Davenport had assigned EJ as head of the 'Port to Port Serial Killer' investigation, because she was his niece." "With the backlash that the Navy was getting from this joint op with the CIA and with Davenport being prejudice and putting EJ as the lead investigator, both SecNav Davenport and EJ Barrett resigned their positions."

"And now EJ is selling classified information to Arms Dealers." Jenny fumes.

"I'll head on over to the office this afternoon." "I have an Interpol contact whose father runs several banks in the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands."

"I hate to send you over there on your Saturday off." Jenny sighs.

"It will only be for a few hours." Ziva shrugs.

"I'll call you around 1500 hours."

"Hopefully I should have something for you by then."

Present Time

"With Tony being in the office I couldn't e-mail my contact." "I spoke with Jenny out in the parking lot around 1500 hours."

"What did you say to her?"

"That Tony was in the building and I couldn't get in touch with my contact from Interpol."

NCIS Headquarters

1530 Hours

Ziva is waiting out in the parking lot near the guard gate with her car out of view. She is talking on her burn phone with Jenny. "Tony was at the office." "I have to wait for him to leave, then I'll have my contact from Interpol look into EJ Barrett's off shore accounts and also check out Julien Benoit's known associates."

"I'm wondering if Davenport is in on this, it explains the reason why he wanted Vance in as Director and me out of the way."

Before Ziva can answer her, she notices Tony's car pulling up to the front gate. "Tony is at the front gate now." "I'll meet you in the first level at the parking garage at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown at midnight."

"I'll be dressed in all black with my face concealed."

"I'll see you then." Ziva answers and hangs up. She starts up her car and drives up to the parking garage entrance.

Present Time

"I sent an e-mail out to a trusted Interpol contact, Liz Stewart." "Unfortunately she didn't get back to me in time before my meet up with Jenny."

"So the meet up was at the Ritz parking garage at meet up."

"Yes, I pulled into my parking space just before midnight and waited inside of my car." Ziva answers and flashes back to the parking garage.

Around midnight, Ziva waits inside of her car; Jenny approaches the passenger side window and taps on the glass. Ziva gets out. "You always did look good in black." Ziva smiles at her.

Jenny walks around the front of the car and approaches Ziva. "It makes me blend in."

Ziva getting on to the subject at hand. "My Interpol contact didn't get in touch with me."

"Ziva I can't stick around in Washington for very long." "I've been gone for a week and a half." "More than likely Kort and Cruz are looking for me."

"Jenny contact Gibbs." Ziva begs her.

"No, absolutely not."

"If Davenport and Barrett are selling classified information to Arms Dealers, Gibbs has to know about this."

"And then the dirty bastard Vance will have to be notified." "I'm not taking my chances."

"Vance is at an Anti-Terrorism Conference in Munich and won't be back until next Friday."

"The answer is no Ziva." Jenny shouts and walks off towards the direction of the emergency exit.

"Jenny!" Ziva shouts at her and chases after her and grabs Jenny by the elbow. "You can't do this alone."

"For my safety and for Jethro's safety, I must remain dead."

Just as Ziva is about to answer her a Black GMC Yukon drives past Jenny and Ziva with the passenger side window down. A gun appears from the open window and open fires at them. Ziva clutching on to her thigh, goes down on ground and quickly loses consciousness.

Present Time

"Before I went out I remember Jenny returning fire."

"You should have called me, prior to the meet up." Gibbs growls and gets up from his chair.

"I know, my gut kept telling me to, but we were under orders not to mention that Jenny was alive."

"Davenport resigned, what difference does it make?" Gibbs barks.

"But Vance is still the Director of NCIS, Gibbs." Ziva reminds him.

"Not for long." "My gut is telling me that he's involved with Davenport."

"It explains the reason why EJ was appointed as lead agent of the 'Port to Port Serial Killer' investigation, other than being ordered by Davenport." Tony answers.

"Now I want you to pick up where you and Jenny first met after you and Tony saw her in the hospital."

"In Morocco, it was my first night singing at the night club." Ziva answers and flashes back to her first encounter with Jenny seeing her in the hospital."

August 14th 2008

Morocco, Africa

0200 Hours

Ziva walks out of the nightclub that she's working undercover at. As she walks out on to the street a voice calls out to her in Hebrew. "You missed your calling; you should have been a singer."

Ziva looks off into the shadows and notices Jenny wearing a blonde wig. "What are you doing here?" Ziva responds back with surprise in Hebrew.

"Doing what I do best, blending in." Jenny answers back in Hebrew.

Ziva walks over to her. "So this is the price for keeping you dead." "Davenport has sold you to another agency." "The question is which one."

"CIA!"

"So this is the price you pay for La Grenouille." Ziva snaps.

"My whole life." "But does it really matter." Jenny viciously answers.

"Yes it does." "I talked with Abby the other day." "They're all a mess." "After the funeral Vance broke up all of us." "McGee got to stay on in Washington, because he wasn't at the diner." "I'm miserable working for my father again." "Tony's now an Agent Afloat and is completely miserable."

"Vance told me about it when he briefed me a few days after my funeral."

Ziva noting that it's about to rain. "Where are you staying?"

"I just got in an hour ago."

"You won't find a hotel at this hour, come back to my place." "My partner Michael is back in Tel Aviv and won't be joining me for a few days."

"I've been up for thirty-six hours and need a place to crash for a few hours."

Present Time

"So you took her back to your apartment." Gibbs asks.

"Jenny passed out on my couch just as soon as she walked into my apartment." "The next afternoon is when we got into a discussion on what she was doing." Ziva answers and flashes back to her apartment in Morocco.

Jenny after getting a shower walks out of the bathroom. She finds Ziva sitting out in the kitchen reading a book. "I passed out last night."

"I made a fresh pot of coffee while you were in the shower."

"You're a life saver." Jenny yawns and walks over to the coffee pot and pours herself a cup of coffee.

"So you're working undercover for the CIA."

"I bid for weapons with every Arms Dealer in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and Central America." "The CIA then resells the weapons for US allies that want to over throw their governments." "Afghan rebels need the weapons to fight off the Taliban resistance."

"So your whoring yourself for the CIA." Ziva sighs in disgust. Jenny glares over at Ziva. "It's not the first time you've done it or I've done it, so don't give me that wounded look."

"This time I don't have a choice in the matter." Jenny answers in disgust and flops in her chair.

"There is a way out Jenny." Ziva smiles and begins to rub Jenny's forearm.

"No there isn't Ziva."

Present Time

"It seems that somebody has a hold over Jenny and it's not Trent Kort."

"You mean somebody is holding the gun she used to kill Benoit over her head." Gibbs snaps.

"As I said earlier I bought a burn phone shortly before I left for Tel Aviv, that's how I kept in touch with Abby and McGee at first." "I also gave Jenny my phone number." "It gave her a familiar voice to talk to from time to time." "We would speak to each other at least once a month for the first few years, then after I got reinstated on your team when you rescued me from Saleem, I hadn't heard from Jenny until last Saturday."

"Did you see her after that?"

"Yes, a few days after you, Tony, and Director Vance left Israel, I once again bumped into Jenny, this time it was in Tel Aviv and that's how I met Ray Cruz."

June 3rd 2009

Tel Aviv, Israel

Ziva is wandering the streets of Tel Aviv trying to get her mind off of the events of the past forty-eight hours. Michael's death at the hands of Tony. Hurt and angry that Gibbs would choose Tony over her. "It's not the first time that Gibbs has hurt somebody he's close with. "I don't blame Jenny for leaving him in Paris." Ziva inwardly says to herself. In desperate need for an espresso, Ziva finds a coffee shop and goes inside. Sitting at a corner table, she finds a familiar face. "Shalom Harriet!" She calls out to Jenny in Hebrew and approaches the table.

"Shalom Ziva!" Jenny smiles.

Ten minutes later sitting outside at a table. "Gibbs chose Tony over me, so I stayed behind in Israel." Ziva answers trying to keep her emotions in check. "Tony killed Michael." "It might have been in self-defense as Tony has said, but I loved him."

"Ziva, in Jethro's defense, he's known Tony a lot longer than you and he's like a son to him." Jenny softly answers trying to defend Gibbs' actions.

"I knew you would stick up for Gibbs." Ziva fumes.

"I'm not sticking up for him, just trying to show you through Jethro's point of view, you were making him chose between Tony and you."

"Director Vance had accompanied us to Tel Aviv."

Jenny rolls her eyes over at Ziva. "And as usual Jethro willingly let Leon walk over him." "Don't worry I've heard about the neutered Leroy Jethro Gibbs that's Agent In Charge of the Major Case Response Team." Jenny sarcastically answers.

"From who?" Ziva curiously asks.

"Mike Franks, I got in touch with Mike the next day while I was at the hospital." "My Protection Detail was more interested in the nurses at the nurses' station across from my room, so I slipped out of my room and found a sweet old lady in a waiting room and gave her some sob story that my phone wasn't working in my room and I needed to get a hold of my husband and kids."

"Why did you need to get in touch with Mike?"

"I figured out where Mike could find Decker's Insurance Policy, I sent him out to Washington to look into an old case file in the archives room." "And my gut was telling me to have Mike check up on Jethro." Jenny answers knowing that Gibbs would try something stupid in his grief over her.

Ray Cruz approaches the table. "If it wasn't for the threat of getting bombed by Hezbollah, I would move here permanently, the weather is perfect here." Ray smiles and then notices Ziva sitting across from Jenny.

"Ray Cruz, I want you to meet Ziva David." "She's a Mossad Officer and is the daughter of Director David." "We use to work on anti-terror ops when I was an NCIS Agent."

Ray walks over to Ziva and reaches for her hand. "Shalom!" He smiles down at her.

"Shalom!" Ziva smiles back.

"Ray is a CIA agent." "We frequently work together."

Ray taken in by Ziva's beauty. "It's a shame that Harriet and I have a flight out to Cairo or I would ask you out to dinner tonight."

"My boyfriend just died a few days ago." Ziva chokes.

"I'm sorry I didn't know." Ray frowns.

Jenny glances down at her watch. "Our flight is in another two hours." "Ray could you give us a minute." Jenny nods over at him.

"Sure!" Ray answers and walks over towards the street corner to give Jenny and Ziva some privacy.

"I don't know if we'll see each other again, I just put myself at risk with Ray seeing us together." Jenny sadly answers.

"You still have the number for my burn phone." Ziva smiles and grabs a hold of Jenny's hands on top of the table. "You need just to talk to somebody, call me."

"I will!" Jenny smiles and gets up from the table and approaches Ray at the corner.

"Nice meeting you Ray." Ziva calls out to him.

"It was a pleasure meeting you." "And when the time's right I will ask you out to dinner again." Ray smiles at her.

Present Time

"Jenny and Ray got into a cab" "And that was the last time I saw Jenny until the other night."

Tony remembering that Ray had called Ziva's desk phone earlier. "I just remembered Ray called Ziva's desk phone this morning."

"Maybe it's about Jenny." "Did you give him any information out?" Gibbs asks.

"No I told him that you and Ziva were in Interrogation."

"You want me to call him?" Ziva nods over at Gibbs.

"Yes, but after our second questioning session with your father." "Ziva we need to give your father false information on whom you were meeting with in the garage and what it was about."

"Go ahead I'm all ears." Ziva winks over at Tony.

"We got the idea when conveniently I overheard Officer Lusztig on the phone mentioning that a possible assassin that might be targeting you is Gahiji Ulman."

"Saleem Ulman's younger brother?" Ziva asks.

"He took over for Saleem's terror cell after his brother was killed." "He also funds Somalia Pirates and is responsible for the kidnapping and murder of British banker Malcolm Whitfield and his wife Marjorie." Tony informs her and hands Ziva a folder on Gahiji.

"Study that file inside and out before your father gets here." Gibbs instructs her.

"Shouldn't be a problem since I'm a quick reader." Ziva grins.

Back at Ducky's house, Jenny has fallen asleep up in her spare bedroom. Abby sits in a nearby chair and watches over her dysfunctional mother. "I don't care what Trent Kort has on you and Gibbs, one way or another if it kills me, I'm getting mommy and daddy back together." Abby defiantly whispers with a wicked grin on her face.

NCIS Headquarters

Palmer is sitting at his desk writing out a report. Ducky walks in. "How's Harriet?" Ducky chuckles and approaches Palmer.

"We played chess, she beat me three times." Palmer groans.

"We use to play a lot when Jenny and Jethro were stationed over in Paris." Ducky fondly answers.

"I have a suspicion that she's going to leave once she's healed up." Palmer frowns.

"I'll tip Jethro off about that." "The bullet wound should take a few weeks to heal, but Jenny is going to be weak for at least a month from the blood loss."

"So we'll have to keep this up for at least a month." Palmer asks.

"It's going to impossible to keep this up for a month once Director Vance returns from Munich."

"What's Agent Gibbs going to do?"

"Gibbs will figure it out don't worry Mr. Palmer." Ducky smiles.

Georgetown University Hospital

1430 Hours

McGee in the backseat of his car spots Eli's limo and Officer Lusztig's car following him from behind. "I better warn Gibbs."

Up in Ziva's room, Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva are going over a plan. "I have a lot of phony contacts that I can use." Ziva giggles.

Gibbs' burn phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!"

"Boss both Director David and Officer's Lusztig and Rozenkwit are on their way up." McGee informs him.

"Thanks McGee, meet Tony and I down in the coffee shop in five minutes." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Ziva hand me that file."

Ziva hands Gibbs the file on Gahiji Ulman. "My contact's name will be Serena Morris."

"That should keep Mossad and Director Vance busy for a while." Gibbs smirks and walks out of the room with Tony following him from behind.

Down in the coffee shop ten minutes later, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee are sitting at a corner booth. "Soon as I get back to headquarters, I'll call Director Vance." Gibbs answers keeping his voice down, so that only Tony and McGee can hear him.

"Hopefully this should satisfy him." McGee sighs.

"It will keep the focus away from Jenny." Gibbs nods over at McGee.

"I wonder how she's making about with Abby." Tony snickers.

"Doubt she's doing much of anything DiNozzo, most likely Jenny is sleeping." "She's weak from the blood loss."

"Think we should head up now." Tony asks.

"We've stalled enough time." Gibbs smirks and gets up from the table.

Up in Ziva's room, Eli, Kaylah, and Jamiel are impatiently waiting for Gibbs and his team to walk into the room. "Their late!" Eli angrily mutters.

"Gibbs did not give a set time father." Ziva sweetly reminds him.

"Don't bait me into another argument." "You've already got your way by staying here in Washington to recuperate from your injuries." Eli chastises his daughter.

"You keep forgetting that I'm now an American citizen and I'm now a NCIS Special Agent, not a Mossad Officer." Ziva smirks over at her father.

"Ziva how can you disrespect your father." Kaylah scolds her.

"Easy Kaylah, I'm his daughter and was raised to be an assassin, where you're not." Ziva grins at her.

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee walk into the room. "That elevator dragged on and on." Tony whines in protest.

"Shall we begin the interview?" Eli impatiently snaps.

"Ziva who did you meet in the parking garage at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Georgetown." Gibbs asks.

"Serena Morris, she's a trusted contact of mine from when I use to run anti-terrorism ops in the Middle East." "She had information on Gahiji Ulman, the brother of Saleem Ulman on a possible terrorist attack at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport."

"Boss Camp Lemonnier is on the southern side of the airport." McGee notes.

"Camp Lemonnier?" Jamiel sheepishly asks.

"US Naval Expeditionary Base stationed in Africa." Gibbs informs them.

"Serena was about to give me the details of Ulman's attack, when a Black SUV drove past us and fired upon us." "Soon as I was hit I dropped to the ground and lost consciousness."

"How did Serena contact you since she didn't call or e-mail you?" Kaylah asks.

"I found a note from her in my mailbox; it was a note with Serena's familiar hand writing to meet her at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Georgetown, in the parking garage at midnight." "She had vital information on the for mentioned terrorist attack."

"Why didn't you get a hold of me?" Gibbs growls.

"In the note, Serena requested that I was to meet her alone."

"It could have been a set up." Eli seethes.

"I doubt it father, since I saved Serena's life once before, she would never do that to me." Ziva smiles.

"Kaylah and Jamiel I want you to get on a flight to Tel Aviv at once and look into this at once."

"Yes sir!" Kaylah nods over at Eli and walks out of the room with Jamiel following her from behind.

"McGee get in touch with MTAC and have them call over to Camp Lemonnier to beef up security and have them notify the airport immediately." Gibbs instructs him.

"On it!" McGee answers and walks out of the room.

"You went into the parking garage without back up." Gibbs barks at Ziva. "Director Vance when he gets back from Munich is going to have your ass." Gibbs warns her.

"I know!" Ziva sighs.

"I need a description of Selena, so I can have a bolo put out on her."

"White female, five-foot-six, a hundred and fifteen pounds, black hair, brown eyes."

"Tony get on that." Gibbs orders him.

"Seems hot!" Tony drools and as he's about to walk off for the door, Gibbs head slaps him on the back of head. "Ow!" He grimaces and rubs his head and walks out of the room.

"You haven't done that in a while." Ziva giggles.

"I'm going to head back to headquarters and notify Director Vance and update him on what's going on." "In the meantime rest up." Gibbs smiles and walks out the door.

Five minutes later down in the parking garage. "He bought it." Tony smiles.

"Now I have to get Vance to buy it." Gibbs grumbles.

"Now what?" McGee asks.

"I want to make sure that Lusztig and Rozenkwit are on a flight back to Tel Aviv, I want you and Tony to follow them from their hotel room to the airport, their staying at the Ritz Pentagon."

"Boss do you want me to use the morph program to make up Serena Morris." McGee asks.

"Good idea, I don't care what famous person you use." "Soon as Mossad is on a flight to Tel Aviv I want the both you back at headquarters." "Work on Serena's photo first then I want you down in Abby's lab."

"Right Tony has to break into Jenny's brief case." McGee answers.

"Hopefully there's a laptop and a satellite phone in there." "Then we can see what Jenny is into, before I question her."

Nice, France

2300 CEST Hours

In a large mansion in the Valrose section of the city of Nice, Regine Smidt is sitting in a study frantically trying to get her associate Martin Quinn on her cell phone. "Still can't find him."

Regine hangs up her phone and turns and faces her boss, Julien Benoit. "No, I haven't heard from him since Saturday night." Regine frowns with worry.

"Quinn was suppose to get in contact with you after the hit." Benoit viciously fumes and walks over to a sideboard table and pours himself a cognac.

"Ms. Barrett got sloppy in Riohacha." Regine hisses in protest.

"Her sloppiness brought Shepard's daughter to my attention." "According to my sources, she took a flight out to Miami on August 10th using her burn alias Harriet Jones." "I sent Martin Quinn and Marcus Colville to Miami." "Their flight from the Bahamas' had arrived in Miami before Shepard's flight arrived from Riohacha."

"I know the story Julien." "Jenny took a cab to Miami and purchased a bus ticket to Savannah, Georgia." "From there she rented a car and drove to Washington and checked into a room at a Motel 6."

"The longer she stayed in Washington, the more suspicious that I got with her getting in touch with NCIS about my transaction with Barrett." "I ordered Martin to take her out."

"Maybe she took them out instead." Regine curiously asks.

"I don't think so or my sources would have mentioned about Martin and Marcus' deaths."

"Do you think Jenny got in touch with Agent Gibbs?" Regine inquires.

"While Martin kept a sharp eye out on Shepard's movements, Marcus followed Gibbs around for a week and a half, he seemed to be going about his normal routine, going to work, coming home from work and looking after an Iraqi woman and her child." "Gibbs is in the dark that Shepard is alive."

"I wonder if Kort has something to do with their disappearance." Regine ponders.

"We won't know if you don't ask." Benoit winks and takes a sip from his cognac glass.


	11. Kosmo Galanos

After returning to headquarters, Gibbs is in MTAC waiting for an MTAC feed from Special Agent Max Tasker out of NCIS Headquarters in London. His cell phone rings. Gibbs picks up his phone and notices that Vance is returning his phone call. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers and takes a seat in one of the seats in the front row.

Munich, Germany

Marriot Hotel

Vance's Suite

2345 CEST Hours

Leon Vance lying on top of his king sized bed. "This better be good for a phone call at this late hour." Vance warns him.

"We questioned Ziva in her hospital room with her father and several Mossad Officers in her room." Gibbs informs him.

"Come up with anything?" Vance asks.

"She was meeting a contact with information on a potential terrorist plot to bomb Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport."

"Camp Lemonnier is located near that airport."

"I know that sir." "We sent word to airport and to the base Commander at Lemonnier, to beef up security." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Did Ziva mention which terrorist group was going to responsible for this attack?" Vance asks.

"Yes, apparently Gahiji Ulman has taken over his brother Saleem's terrorist cell." "Not only is he the head of his brother's group, he's also responsible for the funding of the local Somalia Pirates." "MI-5 is after him for the kidnapping and murder of British Banker Malcolm Whitfield and his wife Marjorie."

"We better get to him before MI-5 does for going after one of our own." "Didn't he learn from the last time, when his brother tangled with both NCIS and Mossad?" Vance grins.

"Mossad got Ziva into that mess." Gibbs bitterly reminds him.

"Are you and your team flying out to Djibouti?" Vance curiously asks.

"No I'm waiting for an MTAC feed from Special Agent Max Tasker in London." "It's a long flight to Africa."

"Right, Tasker and his team will be fresh, where your team has been working on this investigation since Sunday morning."

"I'll brief you tomorrow morning on the perimeters of Tasker's mission."

"Call me at 1500 hours Munich time tomorrow." "I have several meetings that I have to attend tomorrow."

"Alright I'll talk to you then sir." "Good night!" Gibbs answers and hangs up.

Vance pushes end and the dials Davenport's cell phone. "I better let him know we're in the clear."

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1850 BRT Hours

Phillip Davenport is lounging out on the beach of his niece EJ Barrett's beach house with a Piña Colada in his hand. "This is the life." Davenport grins and takes a sip from his drink. Suddenly his Blackberry begins to ring. He grabs his phone from the edge of his lounge chair and notices Vance's name on the caller ID. "This better be good Leon."

"Looks like we're in the clear for David's shooting." "Apparently she was meeting a contact on a possible terrorist attack at the Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport."

"And her contact was followed by one of the terrorist and tried to take both of them out." Davenport shrugs.

"From what Gibbs had told me yes." Vance smiles.

"It's a load off of my mind." "Now I can relax in peace." "I'm at my niece's beach front home in Rio de Janeiro." "I'm thinking about buying the house at the end of the beach."

"I had a tropical island in mind for me and my wife, once my kids are done with college."

"Going to be Director of NCIS for that long." Davenport snorts.

"I had Homeland Security Secretary in mind." Vance smirks.

"Keep in mind who got you into your current position Tyler." Davenport baits him.

"Don't worry Phillip you remind me every chance I get." Vance seethes.

Back in Washington, Gibbs is finishing up his MTAC feed with Max Tasker. "My team should be in place in Somalia by tomorrow afternoon along with a team of MI-5 Agents." Tasker nods.

"Vance isn't going to be happy about that." Gibbs chuckles.

"The only way they would give me information on Ulman's where a bout's is if MI-5 could join op with us."

"I don't have a problem with it." Gibbs shrugs.

"It's nearly midnight in London, I want to head back to my flat and get some sleep before my flight tomorrow."

"Be careful!" Gibbs nods up at Tasker.

"I will, nice talking with you Jethro." Tasker smiles and the screen goes blank.

Down in the Squad Room, Tony and McGee return from the airport. "Bye, bye Mossad." Tony grins and walks over to his desk with McGee following him from behind.

Gibbs on the catwalk. "Hopefully Director David will follow them tomorrow."

"I think he's going to be here until Vance gets back on Friday." Tony grumbles.

Gibbs walks down the stairs and approaches McGee. "Another thing to do between now and Friday, I want you to go over the hard drive on EJ Barrett's desktop."

"Right nobody's used her computer since her team left last month." McGee answers.

"Tonight you have the two projects that I want you to work on down in Abby's Lab." "Tony get cracking on that combination."

"On it!" Tony answers and walks off for the elevator.

"I need coffee." Gibbs growls and walks off towards the elevator for the parking garage.

Meanwhile down in Autopsy, Ducky and Palmer are talking at their desks. "So weird to see Abby yelling at Jenny." Palmer laughs.

"Not surprised, I was in the Squad Room, when I learned of Jenny's death and had the heartbreaking news of telling both Abby and McGee." "Abby didn't take the news very well." Ducky frowns, remembering the scream of grief as Abby soaked in the words of Jenny's passing.

"It must have been hard on you, Ziva, and Tony keeping it from all of us that she was still alive." Palmer frowns.

"It was the hardest on keeping it from Jethro." "What those two went through together as partners." Ducky chokes.

"I guess the old saying it's true that partners do share a bond with one another." Palmer muses.

"Extraordinary indeed, to the point where they could read one another's thoughts and knew exactly what they were thinking." Ducky fondly answers.

"If this gets somehow resolved, do you think that they'll, you know." Palmer answers stumbling over the words.

"Abigail will lock the two of them in a room if this doesn't bring them back together." Ducky laughs.

Half an hour later, Ducky is out in the parking garage and he bumps into Gibbs. "I'm relieving Abby." Ducky smiles.

"I should be over by eleven." "I'll go home and see Amira for a little bit, get a change of clothes for the night and for work tomorrow and I'll drive my truck over." "With Mossad flying back to Tel Aviv, it should be safe for me to drive over to your place."

"Park your truck in the back of the house near the garage to be on the safe side." Ducky nods.

"I wonder how Palmer and Abby made out with her today." Gibbs laughs and takes in Ducky's facial expression. "What's the matter?"

"Mr. Palmer gave me the distinct impression that Harriet was going to sneak out once she gets healed up."

"Like hell she is." "We've just bought her more time." "If I have to put an ankle monitor on her while we're at work, so be it."

"Tomorrow morning I'll go over with a new idea that I've come up with regarding her housekeeping arrangements for next week." "Maggie my housekeeper comes back from her vacation."

"Right!" Gibbs sighs.

"Don't worry I've come up with a solution." Ducky smiles and walks off for his Morgan.

Gibbs watches Ducky get inside of his car. "If you think I'm letting you go this time around Jen, you're mistaken." Gibbs growls.

In Abby's Lab, McGee has come up with a realistic morph photo of Serena Morris. "Wow she even has Angie's lips." Tony drools.

"Soon as I show it to Gibbs and get his approval on it, I'll send it out." McGee smiles.

"I better get cracking on Jenny's briefcase." Tony grumbles and walks off for the backroom.

A short time later Gibbs walks into the lab. "Well boss?" McGee asks.

Gibbs walks over to the workstation and glances up at the photo. "Nice work McGee." "Send it out."

"You owe me five bucks Probie." Tony shouts from the backroom. "I cracked Jenny's code in under a minute."

"Send out the bolo first." Gibbs nods and walks off for the backroom, where he finds Tony smirking with pride.

"100999!" Tony grins.

"The months that Jenny and I were born, and the last two numbers is for the year of our last op together."

Tony opens up the briefcase and inside is a satellite laptop and phone and several files. "I'll start with the files."

"McGee get in here." Gibbs calls out to him.

McGee rushes into the room. "I know disable the GPS devices on the both the phone and laptop." McGee answers and walks over to the desk and sits down behind the desk.

"According to Ziva, she thinks there's somebody other than Trent Kort that is controlling Jenny." Tony says to Gibbs as he removes the files from the briefcase.

"We'll soon find out what she's involved with." Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

0145 Hours

Jasper Shepard is sitting out on his balcony smoking a cigar. Iris in a red silk negligee slinks her way out on to the balcony and puts her hands on her lover's shoulders. "Coming to bed lover?"

"I just lost a twenty-million dollar deal and you want me to go to bed." Shepard snarls and throws his cigar off of the balcony in disgust.

"And your daughter's disappearance means nothing to you."

"Jenny's alive, I can feel it."

"Why hasn't she gotten in touch with us yet?" Iris asks.

"Because her burn alias has been compromised." "If I know my daughter, she'll lie low for a few weeks and then get in contact with me."

"And if she doesn't?"

"She will, I have something that Jenny lost four years ago, that will turn up again and she knows full well that I will use it against her." Shepard smirks.

"When you're finished brooding over your lost deal, come to bed sugar." Iris purrs and walks off towards the balcony door.

"My daughter will never double cross her father." Shepard says with an evil grin on his face.

Inside the dining room, Iris over hears him. "I'm not your daughter and if I get the right offer from somebody, you have to sleep sometime Jasper." Iris wickedly answers.

Back in Washington, Ducky arrives home with a take-out bag for dinner. He walks up the stairs and enters the spare bedroom. "I brought Chinese."

"I have to back to work." Abby pouts.

"Go in later then."

"True, since McGee has to do most of the work." Abby giggles and gets up from the chair next to Jenny's bed. "I'll go get some plates." Abby says and walks out of the room.

Ducky places the bag on top of the dresser and walks over to Jenny and feels her face and forehead. "When's the last time you had your temperature taken?"

"Half an hour ago, it's down to ninety-nine."

"I'll treat your wound when Jethro comes over." "Since you're not on the morphine anymore, you are going feel everything."

"What time is he coming over?"

"After eleven, he wants to spend some time at home with Amira." Ducky smiles.

"When I saw Mike a year ago, he told me that his granddaughter took a peace of Jethro's heart." Jenny softly says.

"Mike brought his daughter in law Leyla and his granddaughter Amira to Washington about a year and a half ago." "Leyla's mother had hired a mercenary to bring back her daughter and granddaughter back to Iraq." "They stayed with Jethro for a few days."

"I know Mike told me."

"When did Mike find out that you were alive?"

Before Jenny can answer, Abby walks in with several plates, bowls, and some spoons. "I eat my Chinese food with chopsticks."

"So do I!" Jenny laughs.

Back at headquarters, Gibbs walks into Abby's Lab with a bag of Chinese take-out. "I love you boss." Tony says to him from the entranceway of Abby's backroom.

"Find out anything?" Gibbs asks and hands Tony the bag of take-out.

"Yes, she's into weapons proliferation with the CIA big time." McGee answers and opens up an e-mail and begins to read it. "Boss you're not going to believe this." McGee shouts in disbelief. "It seems that Jenny isn't the only one faking their death.

Gibbs walks over to the desk and looks over McGee's shoulder and reads the e-mail. "Son of a bitch." Gibbs snarls.

"What?" Tony asks and walks over to the desk and reads the e-mail. "Daddy's alive!"

"She was adamant that he was dead." Gibbs growls.

"I think if Jenny had believed that her father wasn't alive boss or she wouldn't have gone through all the trouble chasing after La Grenouille for all those years." Tony answers trying to defend Jenny's actions.

"Kort doesn't have Jenny's gun, her father does." Gibbs snaps.

"But where?"

"According to this, Jasper Shepard goes by the CIA Code Name Lucifer, his alias is Kosmo Galanos." "He owns a villa on Greek Island of Kalymnos." McGee informs them.

"It's his base of operation." Gibbs answers.

"We can't go up against the CIA boss." McGee warns him.

"We did it once before." Gibbs smirks and takes the bag from Tony. "Take a half an hour break."

"Can't wait for Abby to get here." McGee grumbles and gets up from his chair.

Back at Ducky's, Jenny, Abby, and Ducky are talking amongst themselves as they eat their Chinese food. "I bet you McGee is whining, because I'm late." Abby giggles.

"To bad!" Ducky snorts.

"Am I allowed to have coffee tomorrow, since my fever is almost normal?" Jenny asks in a pouting voice.

"You are so much like Gibbs." Abby laughs.

"Yes!" Ducky smiles at her. "Yes Abigail they are a like in so many ways."

"So who's babysitting me tomorrow?" Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"Jethro, until mid-morning, then Tony will relieve him." Ducky answers and then takes a sip from cup of Green Tea.

"Great, I wonder what movie or TV show he'll go on and on about." Jenny laughs.

"Nothing about Tony has changed." Ducky muses.

"They only change, besides you not being here with us, is McGee lost weight."

"To much weight, I've lectured that boy over and over again." Ducky sighs with worry.

"Men are in the thin look these days, I don't get it." Abby shrugs and takes a bite from her shrimp roll. "At least Gibbs is the same weight and build."

"Only difference with Jethro is his hair has turned to all silver now." Jenny answers with a frown.

"I miss the salt and pepper look myself." Abby smiles and then glances over at Ducky. "By the way what is his natural hair color before it changed to gray?"

"Brown and it turned to all gray by the end of his divorce to his first wife." Ducky chuckles.

"His hair was preparing for Diane." Jenny smirks.

"I've never met her, is she really that bad?" Abby curiously asks.

"She hit Jethro over the head with a golf club, which I had to stitch up."

"Why?"

Ducky glances over at Jenny who's avoiding his intense gaze. "He was spending too much time at the office training a certain Probationary Status Agent and not at home with his wife."

"You were making Diane jealous." Abby snickers.

"Yes because I was the other woman, but it was professional." Jenny sighs.

Forty minutes later Abby is back at her lab getting a glare of warning from Gibbs for being an hour late. "Ducky offered me Chinese."

"I needed you here." Gibbs growls.

"How was mommy?" Tony grins.

"I chewed her out for what we went through the past three years Gibbs."

"That's a first." Gibbs laughs.

"She deserved it." Abby defiantly answers and walks over to her computer workstation. "So you want me to work on Harriet's satellite phone?"

"McGee disabled the GPS tracking device." Tony nods.

"So what has she been up to the past three years, other than protecting you?"

"Purchasing arms for daddy." Tony smirks.

Abby raises a questioning eyebrow over at Gibbs. "Apparently you were right, a ten point finger print match, cannot be faked." "Jasper Shepard is alive and well and is purchasing and selling weapons for the CIA." Gibbs answers, filling Abby in on what they found on Jenny's laptop.

"And Jenny's involvement with the CIA." Abby asks.

"CIA Code Name Phoenix." "She kisses ass for the CIA and her father now."

"I know she had mentioned that Kort has her gun that was used to kill La Grenouille and that Kort had ties to the Mexican Justice Department to-"

"I know Abs." Gibbs answers.

"Now I have reason to hate Trent Kort even more." Tony angrily snaps.

"Kort, Davenport, Vance, and Jasper Shepard, they wanted Jenny silenced, so that Vance could step into the Director's office." "With Vance as Director of NCIS, him and Davenport could continue on with their dirty dealings and Davenport wanted me out of the way as agent in charge of the Major Case Response Team."

"And EJ Barrett would have slipped right on in as Team Leader." Abby answers and sticks her finger down her throat. "And to think that you slept with her Tony." Abby sighs in disgust.

"I'm a sucker for a hot blonde." Tony innocently answers.

"No it's your Johnson is fully erect around a hot blonde." Gibbs snorts.

McGee walking into their conversation narrows his eyes over at Tony for an explanation. "Never mind Probie." Tony answers in embarrassment and walks into the back room.

"Ok!" McGee answers and then looks over at Gibbs. "Boss, I forgot to mention this to you the other day." "On Jenny's burn phone call log, she had received a phone call from the Cantina down in Baja, Mexico about a month ago."

"Most likely Camilla was calling her about Mike." Gibbs frowns.

"I looked further back into her burn phone's call log and matched it up with a GPS trace from a cell phone tower." "She was in Baja right around the time Mike was in Washington, when you had your dad on protection detail from Paloma Reynosa."

Gibbs remembering that Amira had recognized an old photo of Jenny down in his basement a few days ago. "Amira had found a photo of Jenny down in my basement on Saturday and brought it over to me." "Now that I think about it, I had asked Mike who was keeping an eye out on Leyla and Amira, while he was helping me catch Paloma and Alejandro."

"Who?" Abby asks.

"Someone other than me that Mike would trust Leyla and Amira's lives with." Gibbs answers above a whisper.

"And I guess Jenny had owed Mike a favor." McGee answers.

Abby remembering the evidence report from Pedro Hernandez's murder investigation. "Gibbs, remember I ran some tests for the Mexican Justice Department on Pedro Hernandez?"

"Yeah, luckily for me Allison Hart intercepted one of the reports." Gibbs answers.

"Director Vance has a copy also." Abby frowns.

"What's the report say?" McGee asks.

"I was the sniper that killed Pedro Hernandez." Gibbs growls.

"Where would Vance keep his copy?" McGee curiously asks.

"Jenny said that there is a safe behind Director Vance's desk."

"Tony with me." Gibbs shouts towards over his shoulder. "Abby see what you can get on Jenny's satellite phone." Gibbs instructs her and walks out of the lab with Tony rushing out of the backroom chasing after Gibbs towards the elevator.

"Paloma knew that Gibbs was the killer of her father all along and played you." McGee sadly answers.

"I know!" Abby frowns.

Half an hour later, Tony is standing up on the balcony in front of MTAC keeping watch for Gibbs while he's inside Vance's office. Gibbs walks out with the file hidden behind his jacket. "I still have it." Gibbs smirks and walks off for the elevator.

"Took me under a minute for the briefcase combination." Tony taunts him.

"Rub it in my face." Gibbs snarls.

"Just paying you back for the Johnson comment down at Abby's." Tony smirks.

"Since the Squad Room is empty, bring Barrett's computer down to Abby's lab, so that Abby and McGee can start looking into what her part is on this." Gibbs instructs him.

"Boss I just ate." Tony whines and starts for the stairs.

The elevator door opens. "To bad!" Gibbs laughs and steps inside the elevator.

"Maybe there's a cart around." Tony says to himself as he walks along the catwalk.

"I don't care how you get it down there." Gibbs barks out to him through the elevator just as the doors close.

An hour and a half later, Abby has Jenny's satellite phone call log up on the plasma screen. "Last time phone conversation that she had, was with Ray Cruz on August 10th around 0900 Hours."

"Where did the phone call take place?" Gibbs asks.

"Riohacha, Colombia."

"She must have been on a weapons purchase for her father." Gibbs answers.

"And something went wrong." Tony surmises.

"But what?" McGee asks.

"That's what I want you and Abby to figure out between now and Friday." Gibbs orders them and starts off for the door.

"Where are you going?" Tony shouts out to him.

"Home to spend some time with Amira for a few hours, then off to Ducky's for the night." "Remember you are to relieve me at 1000 hours, I have to be up in MTAC for a briefing with Tasker around noon time."

"I'll be there." Tony smiles and watches Gibbs step into the elevator.

"Are you going to bombard her with movie and TV show phrases?" Abby giggles.

"No I'm going to chew her ass out for the stunt she pulled out in LA, then for what I had to put Gibbs through the past three years." "She isn't the Director of NCIS anymore and can't tell me what to do anymore." Tony bitterly snaps.

Forty minutes later at Gibbs' house, Gibbs is tucking Amira into bed after reading her a bedtime story, 'Little Red Riding Hood' was always one of Kelly's favorites." Gibbs smiles.

Leyla is standing in the doorway observing them. "She misses you." Leyla frowns.

"I'll be here Friday night and all day Saturday to finish up her swing set." "It's a case that I'm working on, that's been keeping me away from the house." Gibbs apologizes and gets up from the bed.

"You have a job to do, there's no reason for you to apologize." Leyla smiles at him.

"After this weekend, it may keep me away from the house more, not sure."

"Jethro I understand." Leyla reassures him.

"I know you do, but I made a promise to Mike." Gibbs answers and walks over to the doorway and turns and looks over at Amira one last time before walking out of the room.

After getting a shower and into a change of clothes, Gibbs dressed in a green Marine t-shirt and gray sweat pants, and carrying a duffle bag for a change of clothes for work the next day walks out the front door. His burn phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers and walks over to his truck and opens up the driver's side door.

Abby's Lab

"Boss, according to an e-mail from Jenny to Trent Kort on August 10th, she had informed Kort that Julien Benoit had also put a bid on an Arms Shipment from a Columbian Drug and Arms Dealer by the name of Bernardo Suárez." McGee informs him from his burn phone with Tony standing behind him.

"Did you look into Suárez' background?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes, Suárez was being investigated by NCIS." "Lance Corporal Luis Martinez was caught by MP's taking weapons from a ship at Blount Island Command." "That's a Marine Base located on an island near-"

"Jacksonville, Florida McGee I know." Gibbs interrupts.

"Martinez is the brother in law of Bernardo Suárez."

"You said that NCIS was investigating Bernardo Suárez." Gibbs asks and tosses his duffle bag on to the passenger seat.

"Yeah, for some unknown reason by the orders of Director Vance, he ordered the Case Agent Linda Hampton to drop the case." "I tried looking further into the case file, but it's been sealed by the orders per Director Vance."

"It's called Vance and Davenport was getting kickbacks from both Suárez and Benoit and Davenport's niece Barrett is the middle person." Gibbs snarls and flops down on the bench seat inside of his truck.

"Are you going to call the SecNav and tell him what's going on?" McGee curiously asks.

"No the last SecNav is what got Jenny into her current situation." "For the time being this stays between us." Gibbs answers and glances down at his watch. "It's late pick up where you left off at 0700 hours." "I'll be at headquarters by 1030 hours."

"I have a few more things to finish up." McGee answers.

"Good night McGee."

"Night boss!" McGee answers and hangs up.

"I'm wondering if we'll find a connection from EJ Barrett to Bernardo Suárez." Abby asks.

"We'll find out tomorrow." Tony yawns.

McGee writes down several notes on where he's left off on Jenny's computer and turns it off. "Boss wants us to go home."

"Good, because I'm wiped out." Tony grumbles and begins to walk off for the doorway.

"Give Ziva my best tomorrow." Abby smiles.

"I won't see Ziva until tomorrow night." Tony answers and walks off for the elevator. "I was hoping Gibbs would involve the SecNav in this before my meeting with him tomorrow morning." Tony inwardly sighs.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs enters the back door to Ducky's house carrying his duffle bag, he locks the door and walks through the kitchen and finds Ducky sitting inside of his library reviewing his mail. "Patient sleeping!" Gibbs nods over at him.

"No watching TV."

"Catching up on three years of Washington politics." Gibbs laughs.

"No bored out of her mind." Ducky mutters and gets up from his chair.

"That was the main reason why I work down in my basement, same crap on TV every day." Gibbs grumbles.

"Well it's the reason why McGee, Jenny, Ziva, and I read books Jethro." "It keeps the mind sharp."

"I take it that's where Jenny gets those big words she throws up in my face." Gibbs growls and walks off for the stairs.

"Jethro!" Ducky answers and shakes his head and begins to laugh.

Up in the spare bedroom, Jenny flips through one boring TV series after another. "Can't the TV writers come up with something else, besides reality shows and procedural dramas?" Jenny groans.

Gibbs walks in and drops and drops his duffle bag down on the floor. "You're alert!"

"Morphine wore off small wonder." Jenny sarcastically answers.

Ducky walks in and approaches the bed. "Now that you are off the morphine, you are going to be in an enormous amount of pain when I treat you're wound." Ducky softly says to her and then looks over at Gibbs. "Jethro this is where you come in."

"It was one of the reasons why I changed my clothes." Gibbs smiles and approaches the bed.

"I took Jenny off of the IV antibiotics and started her on Percocet's and on Penicillin."

Gibbs grabs one of the pillows on the left side of the bed and props it up against the head board. "Jethro giving me another blood transfusion?" Jenny curiously asks.

Ducky works open Jenny's robe. "No, he's going to hold you while I treat your wound." Ducky answers and pulls Jenny's robe off.

A minute later, Jenny is screaming in agony as Ducky cleans up her wound. Gibbs gently holds his partner in his arms, stroking her hair. "He's almost done." He gently whispers in her ear.

"Tomorrow morning I want her to start moving around a little."

Jenny from the pain passes out in Gibbs' arms. "Duck!" Gibbs calls out to him.

Ducky checks Jenny's pulse. "Jenny's fine, she lost consciousness from the pain." Ducky reassures him. Gibbs is about to gently disengage himself from Jenny when Ducky stops him. "Don't you might wake her up?"

"Then what in the hell am I suppose to do" Gibbs growls.

"It's not like you haven't held Jenny in your arms as you slept Jethro." Ducky smiles and walks down to the edge of the bed and removes Gibbs' sneakers.

"Beats the chaise lounge." Gibbs yawns and closes his eyes.

Ducky pulls the covers over them. "Sweet dreams Jethro." Ducky chuckles and walks over to the door and turns out the light.

"Night Duck!" Gibbs calls out to him, just as Ducky closes the door behind him. Gibbs pulls the covers over Jenny's shoulders. "This is frustrating as hell Jen with you lying naked on top of me and I can't do a damn thing about it." Gibbs mumbles in sexual frustration against the top of her head.


	12. Double Cross

Nice, France

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport

0900 Hours CEST

Trent Kort walks outside of the main terminal of the airport. As he approaches the curb a limo pulls up in front of him. "Kort!" a familiar female voice calls out to him.

Kort leans inside the window and finds Regine Smidt sitting in the back seat drinking an espresso. "I was surprised to hear from you yesterday." Kort smirks at her.

"As they say in the Arms Dealing world in which we live in Kort, business is business." Regine sweetly says to him.

Kort opens up the car door and gets inside. "If it were up to you Regine, you wouldn't be doing business with me." Kort sarcastically says to her and closes the door behind him.

"After you double crossed René, no." Regine icily answers.

"Unlike his father, Julien doesn't share his bed with you." Kort grins.

Regine biting her tongue. "I'm not going to get into this with you at this time." "My boss sent me to pick you up at the airport."

"I gather you're not in favor of working with me again." Kort smiles.

"No, if it were up to me, I would put a bullet into your heart." "I loved René."

"You loved René's money and the power he brought to you." Kort reminds her.

Fifteen minutes later, the limo arrives out front of Julien Benoit's mansion. Linus the Chauffeur gets out of the driver's side door and walks over to the passenger side of the limo and opens up the back door. Regine steps out with Kort following her from behind. Kort takes in the large mansion. "Julien does have style like his father."

"Julien is having breakfast out on the balcony." Regine informs him.

Out on the balcony, Julien Benoit is finishing up his breakfast when Regine and Kort approach the table. "Mr. Kort!" Benoit greets him and gets up from the table and reaches for his hand.

Kort avoids Benoit's hand shake. "Let's skip the pleasantries." Kort warns him and pulls a chair out and sits down at the table.

"I see you're wearing an eye patch now." Benoit grins at him and takes a seat at the table. "Regine, I want to speak to Kort alone."

"As you wish." Regine sighs with relief and walks back inside the house.

"Just say it's a war wound and I'll survive, Julien."

"That's what I like about you Kort, you're a survivor."

"Shall we get down to business?"

"Typical Kort!" Benoit chuckles and shakes his head. "I have an offer that you cannot refuse."

"I'm listening!"

"I have inside knowledge of the various Arms Dealers throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Central America, and South America." Benoit informs him.

"I know sharing EJ Barrett's bed has paid off." Kort smirks.

"You know about that." Benoit says with surprise.

"Of course I do." "She bed hopped between you and your sister's ex-lover Tony DiNozzo." Kort laughs.

"She was using DiNozzo, so that DiNozzo would choose her over Agent Gibbs."

"It's easy to use DiNozzo; his brain is below his waste." Kort snorts.

"He did love my sister Jeanne." Benoit sadly answers.

"And in the end that is what blew his cover when Shepard had sent him undercover so that DiNozzo could bump into your father."

Benoit gets on to the subject at hand. "She has been a thorn on my family's side for sixteen years now." "This is the reason why I called you to this meeting." "Join up with me."

"And the reason why you want me to join up with you?" Kort inquires with a smirk on his face.

"I want the both of them taken out." "With Jasper Shepard out of the way, I'll be in complete control of the Arms Dealing Trade." "And I will have revenge on my father's killer." Benoit angrily seethes.

"It won't be easy to take out Shepard." "You are not allowed to carry a weapon inside of his house." "He has X-ray machines as you walk through the front door."

"Shepard has to leave his villa at some time." Benoit winks.

"He never does and when Shepard does venture off of his property, he's surrounded by his protection detail."

"Is there somebody on the inside that he trusts?" Benoit asks.

Kort remembering a recent conversation that he had with Iris inside of his Athens hotel room.

May 31st 2011

Athens, Greece

Marriot Hotel

Room 203

0230 Hours

After coming down from her orgasm, Iris Stathos nips along Kort's ribcage. "That old man can't satisfy me in bed." Iris seductively purrs.

"If that old man finds out that your sharing my bed, he's going to put a bullet into your skull." Kort warns her.

"Not if I put a bullet into his first." Iris wickedly answers and begins to kiss Kort's chest and slowly finds his mouth.

"How on earth did you smuggle a gun past his security system." Kort curiously asks.

"Easy, he's too trusting of me." Iris seductively answers.

"You mean what's left of his shriveled up lower anatomy is too trusting of you." Kort snorts.

"One of these days I'll get a better offer from another Arms Dealer and bye bye Kosmo Galanos." Iris grins.

"Keep in mind his daughter is still alive."

"Kort, to be honest with you, I don't think that Jenny could care less that her father was alive or dead."

"That's because Shepard has his daughter's Glock hidden away in his safe as an insurance policy."

"I still don't understand what that's about." Iris asks and raises a curious eyebrow at Kort.

"It's to keep his daughter in line."

"She doesn't look happy." Iris sighs.

"Do you think that her father cares or I care for that matter?" "The CIA is saving US tax payers on the weapons that Jasper Shepard is buying and selling to US Allies." "Afghan Rebels, Libyan Freedom Fighters." "Jenny should have thought of that when she stuck her nose in Operation Lodestone and nearly ruined her father's operation."

"True!" Iris purrs and nips along Kort's jawline.

"I have to fly out to Washington on another CIA matter involving a joint venture between the CIA and the Navy."

"Jasper won't be happy that you're free lancing on the side." Iris warns him.

"The only time that Jasper Shepard is happy is when he has a Cuban cigar hanging out of his mouth."

Iris slowly gets out of bed. "When will you be back?"

"Month or more depending on the operation."

"With both you and Ray in Washington." Iris asks.

"I had nothing to do with Ray getting sent to Washington." "The Director ordered Ray to Washington so that he can liaison with NCIS."

"While the both of you are away, I'll try and distract the old man." Iris pouts.

"That should be easy." Kort snorts.

"I have a yellow thong bikini that I bought in Rome last month, time to display it around the pool while he's taking a dip." Iris winks.

"Any word to Jenny's where a bouts?" Kort inquires.

"Jasper usually gives her a few weeks off in between business dealings; she just spent two months in Singapore." "Where she goes, Jasper doesn't know?"

"So much for a tight leash on his daughter." Kort mutters and gets out of bed.

"Jenny has a certain date that she has to report back to the villa and if she doesn't return-"

"The FBI will get a report that Jenny Shepard is alive and well and that her Glock 19 9mm revolver was responsible for the death of René Benoit." Kort finishes and grabs his robe from the end of the bed.

"Take me with you?" Iris begs him.

"Absolutely not, I don't need a skirt tagging along with me while I'm in Washington." Kort sighs in annoyance and puts on his robe.

"Is that how you see me, a tag along?" Iris frowns.

"No Iris!" Kort smiles and walks over to her. "After the op involving the CIA and the Navy is resolved, I'm going to find a way for us to be together." "For the time being, be the seductive assistant and keep Shepard distracted."

"And when the moment comes when we can be together finally." Iris wickedly asks.

"Bring your gun to the bedroom."

Present Time

"Iris Stathos, Jasper Shepard's assistant."

"She has no problem taking out Shepard?" Benoit asks.

"No, she's been wanting the old man out of the way for months." "Iris will be valuable; she knows the Arms Dealing trade inside and out."

"Good!" Benoit nods up at Kort. "We'll deal with him last." "First thing first, I want his daughter eliminated first." Benoit answers and hands Kort a file on Jenny's last known location.

"What's this?"

"Harriet Jones' last known where a bouts." "Motel 6 in Washington DC off of Route 29." "She checked in on August 12th." "I had Martin Quinn and Marcus Colville follow her every move, along with Agent Gibbs'." "We have not heard from Quinn or Colville since August 20th and Shepard hasn't been seen alive since that day either." "Quinn and Colville were suppose to put a hit on Shepard that night."

"I have an unwilling man that's out in Miami at this time." "I'll have him look into Shepard's where a bouts." "As far as Quinn and Colville since they do not work for the CIA I can't help you there."

"I want Jenny Shepard dead." "There's a huge bonus for you."

"And her father's death?" Kort asks with an evil grin on his face.

"A side bonus for you, since you will be picking up his arms distribution network and I have a feeling that Iris is another incentive for you."

"Business incentive!" Kort corrects him. "I've had better lovers in Fiji."

Washington, DC

At first light Gibbs cracks an eye open and finds Jenny sleeping in his arms. The rise and fall of her chest against Gibbs' body as Jenny safely sleeps in her partners arms. "I haven't had a good night sleep like this in about twelve years." Gibbs smiles and tenderly begins to stroke Jenny's hair. Jenny restlessly begins to stir in her sleep. "Sorry I can't say the same thing about you." He inwardly frowns and continues to stroke her hair. She opens up her eyes and feels Gibbs' protective arms around her waist.

"What time did you say Morrow was suppose to call?" Jenny mumbles against his chest. Gibbs bursts out laughing. Jenny pulls her head from his chest. "What is so funny?"

"Jen?" Gibbs chuckles.

"Hum!" She yawns.

"It's 2011; we're sleeping in Ducky's spare bedroom." Gibbs laughs.

Suddenly the feel of the gunshot wound over whelms Jenny. "What are you doing in bed with me?" Jenny grimaces and tries to pull away from Gibbs.

Gibbs grabs a hold of Jenny's face. "You passed out in my arms last night when Ducky was treating your gunshot wound."

Jenny flashes back to the night before, the burning sensation from the antiseptic cream as Ducky applied it on to her wound. "I blacked out from the pain." Jenny answers with her voice trembling with emotion.

"I've seen Marines that were wounded in combat scream out for their mother's when they were getting their injuries treated."

Ducky walks into the room. "Am I interrupting anything he asks?"

"No!" Jenny answers and pulls away from Gibbs. "You said I can get out of bed today?"

"Yes, supervised, I don't want you to open up your wound."

"Good, because I would like to try and use the bathroom on my own today."

"While you're using the bathroom, I'll change the sheets on your bed."

Gibbs gets out of bed and goes to Jenny's side of the bed and gently helps Jenny on to her feet. With Ducky's help he helps Jenny into her robe and slowly they walk her out into the hallway and into the bathroom. "I think I can handle it from here gentlemen." Jenny sighs at them, wanting her privacy.

Gibbs and Ducky laugh at her and walk out of the bathroom closing the door behind them. "Stubborn!" Ducky chuckles.

"I know!" Gibbs laughs and shakes his head. "While you're making breakfast, I'll go down to Starbucks and get Jenny her coffee."

"Smaller once cup than yours." Ducky advises him and walks off towards the direction of the linen closet.

"I know!" Gibbs smiles.

Forty minutes later, Jenny is lying on top of the bed wearing an old white NIS t-shirt and an old pair of Gibbs' sweatpants. Ducky walks in carrying a tray table. "I smell French toast." Jenny smiles up at him.

"It is I made this several times for you, while you were stationed in London with Jethro." Ducky fondly answers and approaches the bed. Jenny sits up in bed just as Ducky positions the tray over her. "Jethro is out getting your coffee."

"Four days!" Jenny whines in protest and begins to cut up her breakfast.

"When is the last time you drank bourbon?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Four years ago."

"The same as Jethro." Ducky sadly answers.

Gibbs walks in carrying his usual Venti sized Starbucks coffee in his right hand a Tall sized coffee in his left hand. "Twelve ounces!" He nods over at Ducky and walks over to the bed and hands Jenny her coffee.

"I would have preferred the Short sized cup Jethro." Ducky mutters and walks out of the room.

"Eight ounces you have to be kidding me." Jenny sighs and takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

"I know your use to the real thing over in Europe." Gibbs answers and sits down in a chair alongside of the bed.

"Coffee shops in Europe can't duplicate the Jamaican blend that Starbucks makes."

"And it doesn't taste the same, when you were constantly stealing mine in work." Gibbs answers and notices that Jenny is avoiding his gaze. "Besides walking into your office and slamming your office door shut, that's the other thing that I've missed about you since you've been gone." "You reaching over and swiping my cup of coffee while I would be briefing you on a case inside of MTAC."

Before Jenny can answer him, his burn phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Abby's Apartment

"Is she up?" Abby asks in between bites of her bowl of Cheerios as she sits at her kitchen table.

"Yes she's eating breakfast." Gibbs laughs and gets up from his chair.

"Did you make her coffee, because Ducky said that Jenny could have her morning coffee?" Abby asks.

"Yes, I went to Starbucks and bought Jenny her favorite blend." Gibbs smiles.

Ducky pops his head into the door. "Jethro, I'm heading for work now." "I made you breakfast downstairs."

"Thanks Duck, I should be at the office later this morning."

Ducky gives his patient a glare of warning. "Do not over do it today once Tony arrives." Ducky chastises her.

"Please, as far as I'm going to go is the bathroom doctor." Jenny answers between bites of her French toast.

"Have fun Jethro." Ducky laughs and walks away.

"Abs my breakfast is getting cold."

"I can't wait for you to give Jenny her burn phone back so I can talk to her." Abby pouts.

"That's not until Sunday, in the meantime blab away like a bunch of hens." Gibbs growls and puts his phone down on the tray and pushes in the speakerphone button. "I'm going down into the kitchen." Gibbs nods over at Jenny and walks off for the doorway.

"Is he gone?"

"Thankfully yes." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"I heard that Jen." Gibbs shouts loud enough for Abby to hear him on the phone.

"I see the playful banter is still going on between the two of you." Abby giggles.

"Only until Ducky allows him to question me, then the gloves will be off."

Lafayette Park

0700 Hours

Tony approaches a park bench and finds the SecNav sitting alone. "You have information for me Agent DiNozzo." SecNav asks.

Tony sits down on the bench. "I have found out that former NCIS Special Agent EJ Barrett has sold some critical intelligence reports involving arms dealers that NCIS is investigating around the globe." "It seems that Barrett has a bank account in the Cayman Islands." "On August 15th she deposited ten million dollars into her account."

"Who did she sell the intelligence reports to?" SecNav asks.

"Julien Benoit, he's the son of René Benoit."

"Isn't he the arms dealer that Director Shepard was investigating?" SecNav asks.

"Yes, the one and the same, it seems that he's taking off where his father left off." Tony answers.

"If Barrett has sold Benoit classified intelligence that could jeopardize NCIS operations overseas."

"I know!" Tony sighs.

"I want you to find out where Barrett is staying at and to find out who else is involved."

"It's kind of hard at the moment with my partner getting shot a few days ago sir, I've been working up until midnight trying to find out who shot her."

"From what I understand from Director Vance, Agent Gibbs found out who shot her."

"We found out who was responsible, but there is still what's left of her shooter down in autopsy and the driver of the SUV that shot Ziva is still out there."

"We'll meet again, same place same time next week."

"I should have something by then sir." Tony reassures him.

An hour later at Ducky's, Gibbs is up on the third floor talking on his burn phone. "Closet door at the end of the hall."

Autopsy

"Yes Jethro!' Ducky sighs in exasperation and flops down on a stool beside one of the examining tables.

Gibbs walks down the hallway and opens up the closet door. "Ok it's a closet, I don't get it." Gibbs shrugs.

"Jethro it's a walk in linen closet, there should be a light switch on your left hand side."

Gibbs finds the light and turns it on, up against the back of the wall, he notices another door. "There's another door." "Where does that lead to?"

"The houses on my street were large brownstones Jethro at the turn of the century, my house and several others were converted into twin homes about thirty years ago."

"So somebody forgot to take the door down and put drywall up." Gibbs asks and opens up the door and finds that the other side of the wall is plastered over. "Correction a plastered wall."

"It would have been so much easier if the bloody wall was dry walled." Ducky mutters.

"Why what do you have in mind?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"My neighbors Ronald and Dana Swartz are away in Vienna for next six months on business." "I'm house sitting for them until they get back." "Maggie my house keeper will be back from vacation on Monday."

"And Jenny can't be in the house with Maggie around, I get it."

"We can set Jenny up in a back bedroom during the daytime with the curtains drawn." "At night a timer turns on the lights inside of the house."

"And with the lights on inside of the house, nobody will be the wiser that someone's living inside the house." Gibbs answers.

"I have the tools that you need down inside my basement."

"Luckily for you Duck, I'm still in my sweats." Gibbs chuckles.

"Jenny awake?"

"No sleeping, pain medication put her out."

"That and getting up and moving around a bit has her worn out." "I do not want Jenny over doing it today." Ducky advises him.

"I'll pass it on to DiNozzo."

"I can't get over the difference." Ducky smiles.

"You were about to say the hell with your medical license."

"My career at the cost of watching Jenny die." Ducky chokes up with emotion.

"I would have carried her ass into the hospital and kept you out of it Duck."

"That's what I enjoyed about when Jenny was Director of NCIS; we had each other's backs Jethro."

"We still do, minus we don't have Leon's back."

"I'll see you in the office in a few hours."

"Good bye Duck!" Gibbs answers and hangs up.

Half an hour later, Gibbs has the wall knocked down and steps inside of the house next door. "Ducky you are brilliant." Gibbs smirks.

As Gibbs investigates the house next door, McGee and Abby are down in Abby's Lab going over Jenny's laptop and satellite phone in the backroom, Tony walks in chewing on a donut. "Find out anything new?" Tony asks between bites.

"Yeah, you're late." McGee groans in protest.

"I had to do something." Tony answers and approaches McGee from behind. On Abby's computer screen Tony finds a photo of EJ Barrett eating with a man at an outdoor café that he doesn't recognize. "Who's EJ eating with?" Tony asks.

"Julien Benoit!" Abby answers.

McGee brings up several photos and shows a close up of EJ handing Benoit a file with an NCIS logo on the front of it. "Where did you get these photos?" Tony asks.

"Jenny had a hidden compartment inside of her briefcase." "Inside the compartment I found a digital camera along with several memory cards." McGee answers and brings up multiple photos of a meeting between Julien Benoit and Bernardo Suárez.

"Bernardo Suárez!" Tony answers and flips open his burn phone. "Barrett sold Benoit classified information about Bernardo Suárez, so that Benoit could buy weapons off of him." "Where were these photos taken?"

"Jenny took them on August 10th and from some of her notes that I found inside the hidden compartment the photos of Barrett, Benoit, and Bernardo Suárez, were taken Riohacha, Columbia." McGee answers.

"Somehow Benoit discovered that Jenny was in Columbia and he sent his people after her." "We need a time line of Jenny's where a bouts from August 10th to the 20th." Tony instructs him and then pushes in the speed dial button in for Gibbs' burn phone. "Good work McGee!" Tony smiles.

"Hey he had a little bit of help from me you know?" Abby whines in protest.

"Good job Abby." Tony grins.

"While McGee is looking into Jenny's time line, I'm going to see if I can make out the characters that are standing in the background behind Benoit in some of the photos." Abby answers.

"Boss!" Tony sharply says.

Swartz's House

Gibbs sitting on a bed in one of the back bedrooms on the third floor. "This better be important."

"It is, McGee and Abby found a hidden compartment inside of Jenny's briefcase." "Inside the compartment they found a digital camera along with some memory cards along with some notes about the photos she took." "Jenny got photos of EJ Barrett eating at a fancy outdoor café with Julien Benoit on August 10th in Riohacha, Columbia." "In the photos, EJ is handing Benoit a file with an NCIS logo on the outside of the file."

"That explains the payoff from Benoit to Barrett that Ziva's contact found out about in Barrett's Cayman Island Bank account." Gibbs answers.

"EJ was selling Benoit classified information on Bernardo Suárez." "Afterwards, Benoit had arranged a meeting with Suárez." "Jenny got photos of Benoit and Suárez during their meeting; it looks like Benoit was buying weapons from Suárez."

"And one of Benoit's or Suárez' people caught on to Jenny and they went after her." Gibbs answers and gets up from the bed. "Have McGee-"

"Do a time line on Jenny's where a bouts from August 10th to the 20th." "He's already working on it." Tony grins.

"Good job!" Gibbs smoothly answers and glances down at his watch. "I'll see you at 1000 hours."

"I'll see you then boss." Tony answers and hangs up.

"You got sloppy Jen." Gibbs growls and shakes his head. "I would expect that from DiNozzo or McGee, not from you."

Around 1000 hours, Gibbs and Tony are in the kitchen, Gibbs is going over his instructs with Tony. "Talk about the weather, politics, one of your movies or the one thing that you and Jenny both have in common, shopping." "Until I question Jenny, I do not want her knowing the details into our current investigation." Gibbs orders him.

"Should be easy." Tony grins.

"I'm going to have a meeting with Abby, McGee, Ducky, and Palmer once I get to headquarters." "Soon as Vance arrives back tomorrow, I want everyone's burn phones to be shut off while they are at work." "If you need to use it once one of us is outside of the office, use my conference room or the backroom in Abby's lab." "Our current investigation has to be done in secret, so while one of us is working on it down in Abby's backroom, somebody will have to keep an eye out for Vance just encase he steps out of his office and walks over to the elevator."

"Easy, I'll just have my chair facing towards one of my video monitors behind my desk." "He'll think I'm watching ZNN on TV." Tony answers.

"Ducky's housekeeper is returning from her vacation on Monday."

"Where are you going to keep Jenny hidden at?" Tony asks.

"Ducky has that figured out already." Gibbs grins and starts to walk off towards the kitchen doorway. "Follow me!"

Next door five minutes later, Gibbs and Tony are next door standing in the upstairs hallway. "How did the contractor forget to take the door out?" Tony laughs.

"Don't ask me." Gibbs chuckles and walks into one of the bedrooms facing towards the back of the house. "This is the room that Jenny will stay in starting Sunday night."

Tony pops his head into the doorway. "How long are you going to keep her here?"

"As long as it takes."

"Vance will get suspicious if we're out of the office." Tony reminds him.

"I know!" Gibbs sighs in frustration and sits down on the bed. "I teased Ducky's about an ankle monitor, because Jenny had mentioned to Palmer that she might be taking off."

"She can't go anywhere boss." "We have Harriet Jones' passport, credit cards, money, everything she needs to travel with and get in and out of the country."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Gibbs answers and shakes his head.

"Because your tired boss."

"Actually last night was the best night's sleep I've had in years." Gibbs smiles at the memory of waking up and finding Jenny sleeping in his arms.

Tony getting back to the subject at hand. "Jenny still sleeping?"

"No she's awake, bored out of her mind." Gibbs laughs.

"There's plenty on TV at this time of the day." Tony grins.

"For you DiNozzo, not for Jenny." "When we were together twelve years ago, I would be lying on our living room couch in our Paris apartment watching an outdoorsman show on ESPN, Jenny would be curled up against the crook of my arm lost in one of her books."

"McGeek is suppose to watch her on Saturday." "I'll get him to ask her what she's into reading."

"Good idea, but that will have to wait until Sunday." "Jenny can't read without her glasses and she left them back in her motel room."

"Forgot about that." Tony shrugs.

Inside the spare bedroom, Jenny bored out of her mind tosses the TV remote off to the side. "Like I really want to watch the same bull shit that I had to deal with up on the hill once a week for three years." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

Gibbs and Tony walk into the room. "I thought you enjoyed your ass kissing sessions up on the hill." Gibbs smirks over at her over hearing Jenny's animated conversation with the TV.

"You mean the male senators and congressman making eye contact with my chest instead of my eyes when I was trying to have a conversation with them on funding for NCIS." Jenny hisses in protest.

"What were they suppose to look at?" Gibbs answers with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Focused at eye level." Jenny sighs in exasperation.

"With you not a chance." Gibbs laughs and then looks over at Tony. "I'll relieve you at 1630 hours." Gibbs nods over at him and walks out of the room.

Tony silently walks over to the window and glances outside. Jenny sits up in bed and decides to break the ice between them. "I broke away from you and Ziva in Los Angeles for a damn good reason."

"You do not know what was going through my mind when I thought you were dead inside the diner."

"How you were going to explain it to Gibbs?" Jenny frowns.

"I explained it to him alright." "I missed your pulse on the carotid artery." Tony answers and flashes back to the diner.

May 13th 2008

Mojave Desert, California

Decker's Diner

1450 Hours

Tony squats down next to Jenny's body on the floor. He leans over and checks for a pulse on Jenny's neck. Suddenly Jenny's Blackberry next to her body on the floor begins to ring. He picks it up from the floor and spots Gibbs Mobile Phone on the caller ID, he pushes in the accept button.

"Jen!" Gibbs voice from the other end of the phone.

"Boss I'm sorry!" Tony chokes with emotion.

"DiNozzo what's going on?"

"Jenny broke her Protection Detail at the hotel." Tony answers with his voice cracking with emotion.

"She what?" Gibbs angrily snarls at him. "You better find her, have McGee do a GPS-"

Tony quickly interrupts him. "We did and found her at an abandoned diner in the Mojave Desert." "Boss, I'm so sorry, we failed you, Jenny's dead."

Present Time

"There was a half a second of silence on his end of the phone." "Damn it Jenny how could you put yourself at risk like that, knowing what Gibbs went through after the loss of his wife and daughter." Tony screams at her.

"I screwed up in Paris and did not want to involve you and Ziva into it." Jenny screams back at him.

"But you involved Mike Franks." Tony sarcastically laughs at her.

"And jeopardize your career and Ziva's."

"You didn't mind jeopardizing our career's when you had us." "Let me rephrase that." "When you had me go undercover to screw La Grenouille's daughter as a payback for your father's suicide." Tony bitterly reminds her.

"I should never have used my position as Director of NCIS; to go after La Grenouille or involved you or Gibbs' team with the op." Jenny sadly answers.

"You're regretting going after La Grenouille." Tony asks with surprise.

"It wasn't worth almost getting you killed and what it cost me." Jenny frowns.

"Gibbs!" Tony smiles and approaches the bed.

"I gave up the love of my life and the chance to have a family with him."

"Does Gibbs know about this?"

"Why would it matter now?" Jenny grimaces and sits on the edge of the bed. "What's done is done." "I can't change the past."

"But you can move forward now." Tony nods and sits down on the edge of the bed.

"Unfortunately I can't, soon as I'm healed up I have to leave Washington." "I shouldn't have come here and involved Ziva." Jenny sighs.

"But you did." Tony answers.

"I'm not going to prompt you for answers Tony, because I know Gibbs has strict instructions on not to talk about your ongoing investigation with me."

"I wasn't going to Jenny." Tony answers and gets back to the diner and his phone conversation with Gibbs. "There was a long half a second of silence before Gibbs answered me." Tony frowns and flashes back to his phone conversation with Gibbs.

"How?" Gibbs stoically answers.

"Gunshot wound, where I don't know, because her body is facing down." Tony informs him.

"Don't touch anything at the crime scene until I get there." "I'm going to change my clothes and catch the earliest flight out to Los Angeles." Gibbs orders him.

"You may not be out here until first light." Tony notes.

"I know that." "In the meantime secure the crime scene." "Do not tell anybody about our conversation, this stays between the three of us."

"Yes sir!"

"I'll see you when I get there." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

Present Time

"My biggest mistake was calling SecNav Davenport." Tony sighs.

"That's when operation kill Jenny began." "With me out of the way, Leon and Phil were off doing their dirty dealings." Jenny fumes and gets out of bed.

"Gibbs and Ducky want you in bed."

"I've been lying in that bed for too long." Jenny snaps.

Tony gets up from the bed and walks over to Jenny. "The only good thing about getting sent away after your funeral, is that Ziva and I were spared at watching Gibbs grieve for you."

"Vance thought he could shut you and Ziva up by sending you away." Jenny laughs.

"He claimed that NCIS was investigating a mole and he was right, Michelle Lee."

"He just used it as an excuse." "Notice only you and Ziva got sent away." "McGee stayed behind in Washington, working for another department." Jenny reminds him.

"When Ziva and I got reinstated on to Gibbs' team four months later, we got reminded of the consequences if we told anybody that you were alive."

September 18th 2008

Tony and Ziva walk into Vance's Office. "Close the door." Vance instructs them from a seat at the conference table.

Tony closes the door and approaches the table with Ziva and they sit down at the table. "You wanted to see us sir." Tony grins at him.

"Just making SecNav Davenport's orders clear about the events in the Mojave Desert." Vance warns them.

"Was this the reason why you sent us away?" Tony asks.

"Yes, I still don't want you back Agent DiNozzo." "I don't like agents like you." "Give me an agent like McGee any day of the week."

"And me?" Ziva inquires.

"You're father and I go back a long ways Officer David." Vance smiles at her.

"But you're not doing this for my father." Ziva asks and raises a curious eyebrow at Vance.

"I find Mossad liaisons' to be very valuable." Vance answers and gets up from the table.

"And me?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"A personal request from Miss Scuito that I gave into." Vance shrugs and walks over to his desk. "Former Director Jenny Shepard died in a house fire on May 15th 2008." "If I find out that one of you or Doctor Mallard has revealed this to Agent Gibbs that she's alive, you will be facing criminal charges." "Am I making myself fully understood?"

"Yes sir!" Tony answers.

"Yes Director!" Ziva answers.

"You're dismissed!" Vance answers and flops down in his chair behind his desk.

Tony and Ziva get up from their chairs and walk out of the office, past Vance's assistant's desk and out on to the balcony where they sadly watch Gibbs sitting lost in thought behind his desk. "McGee says he catches Gibbs glancing up towards the balcony in front of MTAC from time to time." "They thought that nobody was watching their silent glances at one another." Tony fondly answers.

"You mean Jenny checking out Gibbs' butt when he would be over at McGee's desk leaning over his shoulder." Ziva snickers.

"And the boss said that Jenny was a tease." Tony smirks.

Present Time

"It hasn't been the same since you left Jenny." "Gibbs hasn't been Gibbs." "He rarely head slaps me anymore, gone is the stare." Tony frowns.

"I know I've been told." Jenny sighs and then glances towards the direction of the window. "Beautiful summer day and I'm cooped up in this room."

"Doctor's orders!" Tony answers and walks over to her. "And Ducky will have my ass if you don't get back into bed." Tony orders her.

Jenny reluctantly brushes past Tony and slowly climbs into bed. "I'm bored out of my mind." Jenny mutters.

"You play poker?" Tony curiously asks.

"Yes, the only person that could beat me is my father."

"I'm the master at poker." Tony grins.

"Try me DiNozzo." Jenny smirks.

Nice, France

1630 Hours CEST

Trent Kort is sitting on a park bench talking on his cell phone with Iris. "You sound like a cat in heat." He snarls.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Jasper Shepard's Villa

"It's been almost two months, my body aches for you." Iris whines in sexual frustration from her bedroom.

"Where's the old man at?" Kort snorts.

"Out on the balcony playing poker with Cyrus."

"I have to fly out to Washington."

"Kort!" Iris protests.

"I may have a lead into Jenny's where a bouts."

"Dead or alive?" Iris asks.

"Hopefully dead!" Kort smirks.

"If Jasper finds out." Iris warns him.

"He won't if he's dead."

"Just tell me when sugar." Iris purrs.

"When I get a confirmation that his daughter is dead." "I should be back within a week."

"Meet up in Athens." Iris seductively asks.

"Same hotel same room."


	13. Little White Lies

In the backroom of Abby's lab, McGee is going over the hard drive of EJ Barrett's desktop. "Stupid!" McGee laughs.

Abby walking into the room carrying several photos in her hand over hears McGee. "What is?" She curiously asks.

"Barrett, she used her NCIS computer to e-mail Julien Benoit and by the looks of things, Phillip Davenport is in this deep."

Abby walks over to McGee and leans behind the back of his shoulder. "Anything on Director Vance?"

"Not that I've found." McGee answers and notices the photos in Abby's hand. "Did you find out who was with Benoit in Columbia?"

"Unfortunately no, just a bunch of unknown faces." Abby answers.

Gibbs walks into the room. "Got anything on Barrett's desktop?"

"Reviewing her e-mails." "Apparently Uncle Phil is in this deep with her." McGee informs him.

Abby remembering the playful banter between her dysfunctional parents. "Seems like old times between you and mommy this morning." Abby giggles.

"What were they yelling and screaming at each other?" McGee chuckles.

"No the teasing and playful bickering that they use to do." "I've missed that Gibbs." Abby frowns.

"It's keeping my mind off of screaming at her." Gibbs growls and walks over to McGee. "I want to see Jenny's notes and the photos that you found in the hidden compartment inside of her briefcase."

"It's EJ Barrett handing Julien Benoit a file, Benoit in another photo hands Barrett a check." "Several hours later at another location, Benoit is seen with his Protection Detail, meeting with Bernardo Suárez."

"Benoit purchases weapons from Suárez and somehow Jenny blew her cover and they were on to her." Gibbs snaps at Jenny's sloppiness.

"You seem irritated with her." Abby asks.

"That is unlike Jenny and I trained her better than that." Gibbs sighs in disappointment.

"I keep forgetting that she was Agent Shepard at one point." Abby laughs.

"She was always Agent Shepard." "The field agent itch never left her when she was up in her office." Gibbs smiles.

"I noticed that when you left for Mexico, she would sit at Tony's campfires and would exchange ideas and theories with us." McGee fondly recalls.

"Notice that once I came back from Mexico, the campfires were history and Jen's ass was back up in her office." Gibbs barks.

"That I noticed, but my question along with both Tony and Ziva's is." "Why is Director Vance allowed to stick his nose into one of our investigations, show up at a crime scene, hell boss he even went to Tel Aviv with you, Tony, and Ziva after Ziva's apartment was bombed."

Abby quickly interjects. "Not to mention he also went with you to San Diego-"

"Enough!" Gibbs snarls at them. "You think I enjoyed kissing ass to that bastard." "I had to kiss his ass, because it got my team back." "It also got Ziva her Special Agent Status."

McGee remembering that Ray Cruz had called Ziva's desk phone again this morning. "Boss, Ray Cruz called and asked for Ziva again."

"Abby we don't need Ziva's cell phone anymore, when you visit her during lunch time bring her phone to her and have Ziva call Ray." Gibbs instructs her.

"What excuse to you want Ziva to give Ray?" Abby asks.

"I don't have to tell Ziva an excuse, she's good at figuring out one on her own." Gibbs smiles.

Ducky and Palmer walk into the room. "It's almost eleven o'clock you wanted to see us." Ducky inquires.

"Soon as Vance enters the building tomorrow, I want your burn photos shut off." "The only places in the building that you can use your phones in is in between floors in my conference room or in this room." "When one of us is down inside of Abby's lab, I want somebody at their desk monitoring Vance's Office or MTAC to make sure that we know when he's walking over to the elevator." "I also want all information regarding our current investigation to be kept in this back room at all times and Abby and McGee I wanted it locked up once you go home for the night." Gibbs orders them.

"My desk faces away from Vance's Office." McGee reminds him.

"You have monitors behind your desk; pretend you're watching ZNN or a video feed." "That was DiNozzo's suggestion."

"Right!" McGee nods.

"Do they know about our other idea?" Ducky asks.

"Haven't gotten around to that yet." Gibbs answers and then looks over at Abby, McGee, and Palmer. "Ducky's housekeeper will be back on Monday morning."

"Where are you going to keep Jenny hidden at?" McGee asks.

"The houses on my street were originally large brownstones." "They were converted into twin homes at some point." "Conveniently for us, the walk in closet up on the third floor still has a doorway leading into the house next door."

"Ducky is house sitting for his next door neighbor the Swartz's for six months." "Starting Sunday night, we'll move Jenny into one of the bedrooms facing towards the back of the house."

"Who's going to watch her during the daytime boss, we can't keep this up for much longer once Vance returns from Germany?" McGee curiously asks.

"Jethro suggested an ankle monitor." Ducky snorts.

"I'll just get a lot of questions that I don't want to answer, so that option is out." Gibbs grumbles.

"So what are you going to do?" Palmer asks.

"Jenny can't go anywhere without her passport, money or credit cards." "Soon as Harriet Jones turns up in customs, she'll be a sitting duck for the CIA."

"So she's safer where she's at." McGee answers.

"Yes!" Gibbs answers and then comes up with an idea. "McGee while you watching Jenny on Saturday find out what books she's into."

"She's going stir crazy at the house as it is." Ducky mutters.

"That shouldn't be a problem." McGee answers.

"I also want you to bring her personal effects from her motel room, with the acceptation of her briefcase, money and identification."

"Jenny will feel more comfortable out of your robe Ducky." Abby giggles.

"She's out of my robe, Jethro brought over a pair of his old sweats and a t-shirt." "She's a bit more comfortable." Ducky muses.

"I wonder if Tony is driving her crazy." McGee laughs and begins to contemplate the various movie and TV trivia that he'll be throwing at Jenny to keep her mind occupied.

At Ducky's up in the spare bedroom, Tony has lost another hand of poker. "Full house!" Jenny smirks at him.

"How do you keep doing it?" Tony whines in protest.

"Easy, you're not my father." Jenny grins.

"The only reason why I'm losing is I'm working on an empty stomach." "There's a take-out pizza place a few blocks away." "Do you think you can possibly behave yourself for a half an hour?"

"Tony I can barely make it back and forth from the bathroom." Jenny sighs in exasperation.

Tony gets up from the side of the bed. "You want anything else besides the pizza."

"What I want with my pizza, Ducky won't allow." Jenny laughs.

"Beer and Percocet's don't mix." Tony chuckles and walks out of the room.

Jenny lies in bed and waits for the front door to close downstairs. Slowly she gets out of bed. "I need to get out of this house by the middle of next week." Jenny says with a hint of determination in her voice. Taking it slow, one step at a time, Jenny makes her way over to the widow and glances out on to the street below. "Ducky lives a few blocks away from Francis Scott Key Memorial Park." Jenny notes taking in the location of where Ducky's house is located at in Georgetown.

An hour later at Georgetown University Hospital, Abby is sitting next to Ziva's hospital bed. "Seemed like old times this morning." Abby giggles.

"The humor is keeping Gibbs from screaming at her Abby." "All is not well with them, it's a defense mechanism that both of them use against one another when Gibbs or Jenny is angry with one another." "Face it Abby, Gibbs is angry and hurt for what she put him through the past four years."

"She put us through it also." Abby pouts.

"The difference between you and McGee is that Gibbs is her partner and mentor, not to mention that the man loved her." "I begged her in the parking garage to go to him and Jenny refused." Ziva snaps.

"So you're angry at her also." Abby frowns.

"Upset, there's a difference, she should have trusted Gibbs."

"Oh speaking of Gibbs, he asked me to give you your cell phone, Ray Cruz keeps calling up your desk phone." Abby informs her and hands Ziva her cell phone. "Once you get out of rehab he'll give you your burn phone back." "We all have them now."

"Good, that way we can all be in touch with one another." "I guess soon as Gibbs questions Jenny, he'll give Jenny back her burn phone." Ziva surmises and opens up her cell phone. "Now to see what Ray wants."

Ray Cruz's Apartment

Ray is about to walk out his apartment door when his cell phone begins to ring. Taking his phone out of his pocket, Ray spots Ziva's name on the caller ID. "Ziva!" He answers with a smile on his face.

"Ray, I'm returning your phone call." Ziva smiles.

"I'm in Washington."

"When did you get in?" Ziva curiously asks.

"Yesterday, I was curious if you wanted to have dinner with me?"

"I'm sorry Ray; I just started to see somebody." Ziva lies.

"So soon!" Ray frowns.

"I met him at the gym that I work out in."

"How about I drop by NCIS just to visit?"

"I'm down in Charlottesville on an investigation; we might be there for a day or two?"

Ray sighs in disappointment. "I wanted to see you again; you do not know how much I've missed you."

"I've missed you as well Ray, but I wasn't ready for a commitment." Ziva sadly answers.

"Perhaps when you are?" Ray smiles.

Before Ziva can answer him, Eli walks into the room. "Ray some things came up and I have to go."

"I'll be in Washington for another week if you change your mind."

"I'll keep that in mind, nice talking to you again Ray." Ziva softly says with a smile on her face.

"Goodbye Ziva."

"Goodbye Ray!" Ziva softly answers and hangs up. "Father!"

"Still dating that CIA agent?" Eli seethes in disgust.

"No I'm not and if I was it's none of your business." Ziva snaps at him.

"It is when Ray Cruz and his associate Trent Kort are selling weapons to US allies, some of which Israel does not approve of."

"Guys I'm just a forensic scientist, should I be hearing this?" Abby chastises them.

"Father just came in here to pick a fight with me Abby." "He's wasting his time." Ziva smirks.

"I'm flying back to Tel Aviv on Saturday morning." "I was hoping that you would do your rehab an Israeli hospital." Eli once again asks his daughter.

"Father as I've said over and over and over again to you." "I'm now an American citizen and a NCIS Special Agent, I do not work for Mossad." "My place is here now, not in Israel." Ziva defiantly answers.

"Your words sting at my heart." Eli viciously scolds his daughter.

"Just like Ari's last words stung at my heart father, he became what he was because of you."

Eli over whelmed with emotion glances over at his daughter one last time, before walking out of the room. Abby gets up from her chair and walks over to the doorway and watches as Eli walks down the hallway. "You know what; I didn't feel sorry for him." Abby answers with a frown on her face.

"As far as I'm concerned Abby, Leroy Jethro Gibbs is my father, he cares more for me than my own father."

Abby glances down at her watch. "Speaking of Gibbs, he's up in MTAC working on our distraction op."

"Really isn't a distraction Abby, Gahiji Ulman is a terrorist, he's responsible for the deaths of Malcolm and Marjorie Whitfield." "My white lie is putting an end to his terror cell."

Back at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs is up in MTAC on a live feed with Special Agent Max Tasker. "How was your flight to Djibouti?" Gibbs asks.

Djibouti City, Africa

Camp Lemonnier

"Bumpy!" Tasker groans from a conference room. "I'm about to have a briefing with MI-5 on our mission."

"Once Ulman is taken out get in touch with me." Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Remember MI-5 is the lead agency on this mission." Tasker reminds him.

"At this point I don't care; one of my agents is lying in a hospital bed, the quicker he gets taken out the happier I'll be." Gibbs growls.

Several MI-5 Agents walk into the room. "I have to, MI-5 just walked into the room."

"Keep safe and good luck." Gibbs nods up at him.

"Thanks!" Tasker smiles and shuts off the video feed from his laptop.

Gibbs takes off his headset and starts up for the ramp. "Director Vance isn't going to like it that MI-5 will be getting the credit for taking down Gahiji Ulman." Danielle warns him.

"At this juncture I don't give a rat's ass Danielle." Gibbs barks at her and tosses his headset towards the direction of the other MTAC Technicians and continues to walk up for the exit door.


	14. Dysfunctional Family

At NCIS Headquarters, McGee returns from lunch, he steps out of the elevator and finds Gibbs sitting at his desk reviewing Jenny's CIA Op file along with the notes that she took while she was staking out EJ Barrett and Julien Benoit. "I'm on my way back down to Abby's." McGee nods over at Gibbs.

"Keep me posted if you find out anything more." Gibbs answers as he continues to read Jenny's notes.

McGee approaches Gibbs desk, keeping his voice below a whisper. "Boss I can't see you getting her out of this."

"I'll get her out of this."

"And then what?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"Jasper Shepard robbed Jenny of her life, she thought her father was dead and she pursued his killer for twelve years." "She killed René Benoit with her Glock." "Kort knew this information, stole her gun from her house and gave it to her father, who has it locked away somewhere to use it against her."

"For the purpose of buying weapons from arms dealers and then selling them to US Allies." "It doesn't make sense to me boss."

"It's the CIA McGee; they never make sense on what they do." Gibbs growls in protest.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

Trent Kort steps out of Acting Director, Deputy Director David Petraeus' Office. "Stupid Americans believe every word I say." Kort chuckles and walks off for the elevator. The elevator doors open and Ray Cruz steps out. "Ray!" Kort says with surprise.

"Kort what are you doing here?" Cruz asks, surprised that Kort is in Washington.

"I was briefing Deputy Director Petraeus on Operation Lodestone."

"Did you tell him about our recent snag?" Cruz shrugs and steps back inside the elevator.

Kort follows him inside and pushes in the button for the first floor. "Some of it, since Petraeus has been just appointed Acting Director and has not been read into Code Name Phoenix and parameters of her mission."

"And that Code Name Phoenix is the deceased Jenny Shepard, former Director of NCIS and the daughter of Jasper Shepard who over see's Operation Lodestone for the CIA." Ray sharply says to him.

"Speaking of Shepard's bitch of a daughter." "My sources have tracked her down to Washington." "She rented a car from a Budget Car Rental in Savannah, Georgia on August 11th, a green 2011 Ford Focus." "From there she drove her car to Washington and checked into a room at a Motel 6 on Route 29."

"That's near Georgetown." Cruz notes.

"I know!" Kort nods at him and hands Cruz a flash drive on the information that he has on Jenny from Julien Benoit. "Study it and destroy it." "Find her, I'm the one has to deal with her old man not you." Kort groans in annoyance.

"He only wants Jenny back for money, it's not about love."

"The bastard is incapable of love." Kort icily answers.

Munich, Germany

Marriot Hotel

Vance's Suite

2100 Hours CEST

"Agent Gibbs is the raid on Ulman's compound underway?" Vance asks as he steps out on to the balcony and takes in the view of the city.

NCIS Headquarters

1500 Hours EDT

"Midnight Somalia time." "Tasker and his team along with a team from MI-5 are crossing the border from Djibouti into Somalia." Gibbs smoothly answers from his desk.

"Remember I want NCIS to be the lead agency in the raid." Vance reminds him.

"It's being taken care of." Gibbs lies with a smug expression on his face.

"I should be back behind my desk no later than 1600 hours tomorrow; I'll have a briefing with you and Director David just as soon as I catch up on everything with my assistant and the SecNav."

"Looking forward to it sir." Gibbs sarcastically answers.

"I'm sure you are Jethro." "I'll see you then." Vance answers and hangs up.

"I'm looking forward to seeing your face behind bars Leon." Gibbs growls and flips his phone closed.

An hour later at Ducky's house Gibbs walks in carrying a plastic store bag. Tony walks down the stairs. "Remind me not to play poker with her again." Tony whines in protest.

Gibbs shakes his head and begins to laugh. "I could never beat her either."

"What's in the bag?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Dinner, I want her to have a home cooked meal for a change." Gibbs answers and walks off for the kitchen. Inside the kitchen leaning up against the trash can, Gibbs finds an empty pizza box. "DiNozzo!" Gibbs barks at him.

Tony walks in. "Yeah boss!"

"Did you order take-out?" Gibbs growls.

"Yeah, there's a take-out pizza parlor a few blocks away." "I was only gone for a half an-" The back of Gibbs' hand slaps Tony on the back of the head. "Ow!" Tony grimaces in pain and rubs the back of his head.

"You and your stomach." Gibbs snarls and puts the grocery bag on top of the counter. "Jenny is on strict bed rest for the next forty-eight hours."

"Boss, Jenny was in bed when I got back."

"And I bet your ass that she got out of bed while you were ordering your pizza." Gibbs snaps.

"Boss she can just about move on her own to the bathroom."

"Tony, you don't know Jenny like I do." "When she puts her mind on to something-"

"I know she's just as stubborn as you are." Tony smiles.

"Ducky says she's worse than me." Gibbs chuckles and takes out a pack of steaks, along with a plastic container of salad.

"Steak!" Tony drools.

"Not for you!" Gibbs growls and then gives Tony a glare of warning. "Keep your visit with Ziva short at the hospital and then report back to headquarters, there's a lot that needs to be done between now and when Vance returns from Germany."

An hour later, Gibbs is carrying Jenny through the kitchen doorway. "Jethro I'm perfectly able to walk on my own from here on out." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"I bet you did enough walking on your own, while DiNozzo was out the house getting pizza for lunch." Gibbs snorts and gently puts Jenny down in her chair at the kitchen table. Jenny avoids his gaze and puts her napkin on to her lap. "You keep forgetting that I know you Jen." Gibbs smirks and walks over to the stove.

"Works the other way around Jethro, I know how your mind works also." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs grabs a hold of the frying pan. "Cute Jen!" Gibbs chuckles and walks over to the table. "I figured that you could use a home cooked meal."

Jenny with her fork chooses her steak and picks up from the frying pan. "Did you cook it in beer?"

"Alcohol should be burned off." Gibbs shrugs and picks out his steak and drops it on his plate.

"Nobody cooks steaks like you." Jenny smiles and puts her steak down and begins to cut it up.

"Beats having you cook it; you would set the house on fire." Gibbs grins and opens up the oven and puts the frying pan inside. "I cooked a steak for Ducky."

"Why would I need to cook when I had a housekeeper when I lived at home and there was always take-out when I lived in Europe?"

Gibbs grabs two bowls containing salad from the counter; he puts a bowl next to Jenny's plate. "Still use thousand island dressing?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes and so do you."

"Face it other than lying to one another, we never change." Gibbs snorts and hands Jenny a bottle of a thousand island salad dressing.

"You're just chomping at the bit to scream at me."

"It's taking all of my restraint not to Jen." Gibbs warns her and sits down at the table.

"I had to do what I did Jethro."

"No you didn't." Gibbs answers and begins to cut into his steak. "We are partners and we would have figured out how to get out of the situation like we always did." "The subject matter is closed for discussion until Sunday afternoon." "Then I'm going to let you have it."

"Seventy-two hours!"

"I'll stop by tomorrow for coffee and for lunch." "You won't see me again until Sunday afternoon." "I promised Amira that I would finish her swing set on Saturday." "I was suppose to work on it last Sunday."

"I'm sorry about Mike."

"He was dying from cancer anyway and went out like an agent." Gibbs answers.

"Ducky told me that you built his coffin."

"It was a request from Mike; I had gotten a letter in the mail from him last February." "In the letter Mike told me that he only had six months left to live and wanted me to build his coffin." "His other instruction was to be buried at Arlington Cemetery with a full Marine Corp honors."

Jenny flashes back to her father's funeral service. "I've been to one of those, my fathers."

Gibbs knowing that Jenny's father is alive, plays along with her. "Been to enough funerals between the Corp and NCIS." "Kate's still hits me hardest, because she was so young." "Your funeral I went through the motions for weeks on end, what made it harder, is Vance broke up my team and sent Tony and Ziva away." "At least McGee stayed in the building working for another department." "My whole world was turned upside down." "I had too many questions that I didn't have the answers for Jen." "And starting Sunday afternoon you will answer each and every one of my questions."

"And I will have one question that I need you to answer?"

"What's that?" Gibbs shrugs and takes a bite into his steak.

"Did Mike give you Decker's insurance policy?" Jenny asks.

"Yes, it's back home in my basement." "Decker and his damn handwriting, plus he had a flash drive that's password protected."

"Bring it over Sunday afternoon and I'll see if I can sort it out." Jenny answers and then takes a sip from her glass of water.

"Good luck at reading Decker's chicken scratch." Gibbs laughs.

"I never had problems reading it in the past."

1900 Hours

Up in the spare bedroom, Jenny is sleeping with her face buried into Gibbs lap. Ducky gently pulls Jenny's t-shirt down. "Unlike last night her pain medication has taken effect." Ducky muses.

"No it's called Jenny over did it today when DiNozzo left for his pizza." Gibbs grumbles and gently disengages himself from Jenny.

"Did I walk into something this morning?" Ducky asks with a smile on his face.

"No, Jenny thought it was 1997." Gibbs laughs and throws the covers over Jenny. "I'll be by in the morning with Jenny's coffee and I'll bring her lunch around noon."

"I have the morning shift, Mr. Palmer has the afternoon shift, and Abby will be by after work to keep an eye on her."

"I told McGee to bring her personal effects over on Saturday."

"Getting into her own clothing and getting back into a familiar routine should help keep her spirits up." Ducky answers.

"She won't be able to get back into her own routine." "Once her stitches come out in another week I'm getting her out of this mess."

"How?"

"I haven't figured that out yet Duck, playing it by ear."

"Jethro I saw the way you were looking at her this morning and I also caught Jenny watching over you as you slept in the chaise lounge the other morning, it's still there between the two of you."

Gibbs walks out into the hallway with Ducky following him behind him. "I left Mexico for her." "If I don't get back together with her after this, Mike Franks is going to haunt me for the rest of my life." Gibbs growls.

"So you do want her back?"

"Madame Director kept me from her bed when she came back to Washington six years ago."

"And now?"

"Madame Director doesn't exist anymore, CIA Operative Harriet Jones does." Gibbs smirks and starts off for the stairs.

"You have another month for that Jethro." Ducky calls out to him.

"I enjoy playing a bit of cat and mouse." Gibbs grins and walks off for the front door.

Djibouti City, Djibouti, Africa

Camp Lemonnier

0330 Hours EAT

From a conference room, Special Agent Max Tasker sits in front of his laptop exhausted from his joint NCIS-MI-5 raid on Gahiji Ulman's compound across from the Djibouti-Somalia border. "Mission accomplished Jethro." Tasker smirks into his camera.

MTAC

2030 Hours

"I take it MI-5 is taking his body back to London." Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Yes they are." "Unfortunately, MI-5 destroyed Ulman's compound in the process, so we can't retrieve any information on his terror plot at the Djibouti airport." Tasker sighs in exasperation.

"Director Vance can duel it out with them tomorrow when he returns to Washington; you've done all that you could on your end." Gibbs nods up at him.

"You look exhausted Jethro."

"I've been burning the midnight oil since my agent got shot on Sunday morning." "Hopefully with Ulman taken out now, I can go home and get a decent night's sleep."

"Soon as I'm finished with my report I'm heading to bed." "I should be on a flight back to London tomorrow afternoon."

"Have a safe flight back Tasker." Gibbs smiles.

"I will, it was nice working with you again Jethro."

"Same here!" Gibbs smiles at him.

"Night!" Tasker says to him one last time always have to get the final word in and turns off his laptop.

Gibbs takes off his headset, with Gahiji Ulman out of the way, Jenny can now safely recover from her gunshot wound. "I wonder what DiNozzo is up to." Gibbs inwardly says to himself and begins to walk up the ramp.

Down in the Squad Room, Tony is going over customs records from other countries to see where EJ Barrett is hiding at. Gibbs walks in and approaches the front of his desk. "What are you working on?"

"Trying to figure out where EJ Barrett went to." Tony answers.

"While you're at it, see where Uncle Phil went to."

"That one I figured out, he was just in Munich and took a flight out to Rio de Janeiro on the 22nd."

"Vance is in Munich." Gibbs growls and walks off for the elevator.

"You think that they met up in Munich." Tony asks and chases after Gibbs.

"There's one way to find out." Gibbs grumbles.

Down in Abby's lab, McGee is working on Jenny's time line from time she left Columbia on August 10th to the shooting in the Ritz Carlton on August 20th. Abby exhausted sits nearby. "Come up with anything?"

"Just that Harriet stayed inside her motel room." "It explained the constant take-out orders on her burn phone."

Gibbs walks in with Tony following him from behind. "I want you to do a GPS trace on Vance's cell phone while he was in Munich."

"Why?" McGee asks.

"Davenport was in Munich." Gibbs barks.

"This will take me off of Jenny's time line."

""Work on that later, for now I want to know Vance's where a bouts and who he was talking to on his cell phone."

"He might be using a burn phone." McGee suggests.

"He's too smug to use a burn phone McGee, why would he use one, when he doesn't think that anybody is on to him."

"Forgot to ask how Tasker and MI-5 made out on their mission in taking out Gahiji Ulman." McGee curiously asks.

"Their mission was a success and thankfully MI-5 completely destroyed his compound." Gibbs grins.

"No evidence left behind so that NCIS can check on Ziva's story." Tony nods.

"It will be a load off of my mind." "Now Jenny can concentrate on healing up, without Benoit or her father going after her." Gibbs sighs.

"How is she?" Abby smiles.

"Sleeping, she over did it today." Gibbs grumbles and gives Tony a glare of warning.

"What did Tony do?" Abby pouts.

"He left mommy on her own for a half an hour, while he was ordering a pizza." Gibbs snarls.

"Tony!" Abby playfully head slaps him on the back of the head.

"Hey!" Tony whines and rubs the back of his head.

"I barely touched you." Abby sighs in disbelief.

"I got Gibbs slapped earlier and the back of my head is killing me."

"Felt good because I haven't done it in a while." Gibbs smirks and walks away.

Tony watches as his mentor and dysfunctional father walks off towards the elevator. "Notice the change in him."

"Yep, the hitch in his walk, smirk on his face." "He hasn't acted like that around us since Jenny left for her leave of absence, just before Decker's funeral." McGee smiles.

"Things are looking up my fellow Gibblets." Abby smiles at the prospects of her parents getting together finally.

"He still has to question her." Tony frowns.

"Once everything is out in the open, I think everything is going to be fine between them." "Too many secrets over the years that have kept them from being together." McGee says and then gets back to the business at hand. "GPS trace on Director Vance's cell phone." McGee nods and begins to type in Vance's cell phone number into the keyboard.


	15. Missing The Good Ole Days

NCIS Headquarters

0800 Hours

It's Friday, Director Vance will be returning late this afternoon from his Anti-Terrorism Conference in Munich, Germany. Tony is at his desk reviewing Jenny's call log from her burn phone and reviewing the e-mails that she sent out to her father, Trent Kort, and to Ray Cruz. Gibbs walks in coffee in hand. "Morning DiNozzo." Gibbs nods at him and walks over to his desk.

"Morning boss." Tony answers.

Gibbs takes a seat behind his desk. "McGee get anywhere on the GPS trace on El jefe's cell phone?"

"He's working on it." Tony answers.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. He flips open his phone and spots Vance's name on the caller ID. "Speaking of El jefe." Gibbs snorts and presses in the accept button. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Airplane back to Washington

"I want some answers into the reason why MI-5 got the credit for the raid on Ulman's compound in Somalia." Vance demands from inside of the bathroom.

"It was the only way that MI-5 would give the information that we needed on Ulman." Gibbs answers.

"Not only did they receive the credit, Ulman's compound was completely destroyed." "There's no way that we're going to recover any evidence linking Ulman's proposed terrorist attack on the Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport." Vance angrily snaps at him.

"I know, I'm just as disappointed as you are sir." Gibbs lies and winks over at Tony.

"Disappointed!" Vance vents in disgust. "I don't know what's happening to you Jethro; your head hasn't been on straight since the 'Port to Port Serial Killer' investigation."

"I just lost my mentor who was a father to me." "Besides dealing with my grief, I'm also looking after Mike's daughter in law and his granddaughter which happens to be my goddaughter." Gibbs bitterly reminds him.

"You got over your partner's death real fast as I remember." Vance snarls.

"I went through the motions after Jenny's death need I remind you." "You broke up my team." Gibbs growls.

"I had my reasons."

"Bad timing and it really had nothing to do with my team." "Michelle Lee was the mole and two agents lost their lives, one of which I trained Brett Langer."

Vance rubs his temple; he's not in the mood to get into an argument with Gibbs at this time. "We'll continue this argument once I get back into my office." "I'll see you and Director David inside of my office at 1630 hours."

"A meeting with my two favorite people, I'm looking forward to it." Gibbs baits his boss.

"Don't push me Gibbs." Vance warns him.

"Sorry sir, I get like that whenever Eli David's name is mentioned." Gibbs smirks.

"I want all reports on the attempt on Special Agent David's life on my desk." Vance orders him.

"There already there sir."

"Good, I'll see you when I get back to the office." Vance answers.

"Goodbye sir!" Gibbs sarcastically answers and hangs up. "I hate that bastard." Gibbs growls and gets up from his chair. "I'm heading down to Abby's." Gibbs shouts over at Tony and walks off for the elevator.

Tony smiles over at him, he hasn't seen Gibbs this animated and worked up in the office in years. "The good thing about the return of the Phoenix is; she's brought back my boss."

Down in Abby's Lab, McGee is in the backroom working on a weeks' worth of cell phone activity from Director Vance's blackberry. Gibbs walks into the room and approaches McGee from behind. "Got anything?"

"Yes, Director Vance wasn't at an Anti-Terrorism Conference, not only did he have several phone calls with Director David and Phillip Davenport, he also had a phone call with Regine Smidt." McGee informs him.

"Regine Smidt, didn't she work for the Frog?" Gibbs asks.

"The one and the same, now she works for his son." McGee smoothly answers and gets up from the desk. "Follow me to the plasma screen out into the other room." McGee nods over at Gibbs and walks out of the room with Gibbs following him from behind. "I made up a map of Vance's where a bouts in Munich for the past week."

Gibbs and McGee walk over to the plasma screen. "On August 22nd Vance had a phone conversation with Phillip Davenport." "The red arrow indicates Vance's location; the blue arrow indicates Davenport's location." "I did a GPS trace of Davenport's where a bouts as well." "It looks like Vance and Davenport had a meeting in Olympiapark."

"It also looks like Vance and Davenport stayed at the same hotel." Gibbs observes.

"The green arrows indicate Regine Smidt's location." "It looks like Vance met with her on the 23rd at this location." McGee answers and walks back over to Abby's workstation and types into the keyboard so that he can zoom in on the location. "I checked out this location on line, there's a restaurant, 'Paulaner Am Nockherberg'."

"Most likely they were going over a business deal of some kind." Gibbs answers.

"What are Davenport, Vance, and Barrett into?" McGee sighs in disgust.

"It's called trying to get a head." Gibbs growls.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

1630 Hours

Jasper Shepard from the balcony of his Greek Villa angrily shouts into his satellite phone. "Why is she in Washington?" Shepard snarls.

Washington, DC

0930 Hours EDT

"Beats me sir." Kort answers from his seat at a bus bench.

"Did she meet up with her Israeli friend?"

"According to Ray Cruz, Ziva David is away in Charlottesville on an NCIS investigation." Kort answers.

"So that also leaves Gibbs out as well."

"Yes according to Ray, Ziva had mentioned that they were in Charlottesville for a few days." Kort answers.

"Was there anything found at the hotel she was staying at?" Shepard asks and then takes a puff from his cigar.

"Jenny was staying at a Motel 6 on Route 29." "That's near-"

"Georgetown, I'm familiar with the area Kort." Shepard mutters in annoyance. "Go on!"

"She paid for her room cash in advance." "According to the motel manager, Jenny was suppose to check out on this past Wednesday and never did." "The manager went into her room and found that it had been vacated with the room key card sitting on the nightstand next to the bed." "He didn't call the authorities since Jenny had paid for her room in advance."

"So she's disappeared once again." Shepard snaps.

"Apparently so." "Making matters worse, the car rental company that she's renting her car is going through a computer change over so we cannot do a GPS trace on her car."

Shepard tosses his cigar off of the balcony in disgust. "Find her, I don't care how do it." Shepard screams into his phone.

"Sir it occurs to me that maybe Julien Benoit has eliminated your daughter."

"My daughter is alive Kort and I don't care who I have to kill, I want her found alive."

"On it!" Kort answers and hangs up.

Iris struts in wearing her turquoise thong bikini. "Sugar, could you put some suntan lotion on the back of my shoulders." Iris sensuously purrs and walks over to her lover.

Shepard angrily tosses his satellite phone down on top of the table. "No not now Iris!" Shepard snarls and storms down the stairs leading down to the beach.

Iris wickedly glances down at her lover as he walks over to the water's edge. "I'm going to savor the moment when I put a bullet in between your eyes."

Ducky's House

1245 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are in the kitchen eating lunch at the kitchen table. "Face it Jen the take out over in Europe sucks." Gibbs says in between bites of his corn beef sandwich.

"Deli sandwiches yes, pizza and Chinese food are basically the same." Jenny answers as she shoves a forkful of coleslaw into her mouth.

"Did you beat Ducky at poker?"

"No, we talked." Jenny answers.

"About what?"

"Europe, the ops that we did together."

"Sometimes it seems like it was yesterday and other times it seems like it was an eternity to me." Gibbs frowns.

"Thirteen years ago we were sent over there."

"Each day we lived by the moment." "The year and a half that I spent with you in Europe, other than being married to Shannon and witnessing my daughter's birth was the best time of my life." Gibbs answers and then angrily glares over at Jenny across from the table. "Tell me the truth Jenny, was the job offer worth giving us up?"

"No it wasn't." Jenny answers with her voice trembling.

"I get so damn angry with you at times." "I pass ten year olds out in the street." "Especially when I pass a little girl with red hair." Gibbs chokes with emotion. "I didn't want to have children with my wives after Shannon, but the idea of having children with you."

"Don't you think that tears me up inside Jethro." Jenny angrily snaps at him. "I use to go to the park and I would watch the father's teaching their son's on how to hit a baseball." "Or I would walk in the mall shopping by myself and stop inside a clothing shop." "There would be mothers and daughters shopping together helping each other pick out an outfit to wear."

"You had a choice in the matter remember I didn't." "I was left with the Dear John letter."

Jenny angry with Gibbs gets up from the table. "I've had just about enough of this." Jenny hisses and slowly gets up from the chair.

"I don't know how you think you're going to get very far." Gibbs laughs and gets up from the table.

"Watch me Jethro." Jenny defiantly answers and gingerly walks off for the living room, just as she gets near the front door Jenny clutches on to her right side.

Gibbs approaches Jenny from behind and picks her up in his arms. "Even if you would have made it out the front door, you wouldn't have made it very far." Gibbs smirks and walks up the stairs.

"You're enjoying this." Jenny sighs.

"Jenny Shepard helpless, yes." Gibbs smiles and carries Jenny into the bedroom. Gently he puts her down on the bed. "Roll on to your left side, so I can check over your wound." Gibbs instructs her.

Jenny rolls over on to her left side and pulls up her t-shirt. "You're just paying me back for Positano."

Gibbs pulls the bandage back and looks over Jenny's wound. "Damn right I am, you poked and prodded at my bullet wound for two weeks." Gibbs growls.

"Ow!" Jenny screams in pain.

"You have another week before Ducky removes your stitches."

"Just what I need more Mother Henning from the two of you." Jenny mutters.

"If you would behave yourself, we wouldn't be on your ass."

"I know I got enough it from Ducky this morning." Jenny grumbles.

"That will teach you for sneaking out of bed." Gibbs smirks, he cleans up Jenny's wound and puts on a new bandage. "Palmer is coming over around 1400 hours, we'll have to find something to keep ourselves entertained with between now and then and poker is out."

Jenny pulls her t-shirt down and rolls on to her back, raising a curious eyebrow up at him. "I always beat you anyway."

"I enjoyed losing to you." Gibbs grins and walks off for the doorway.

"That's because you always ended up on your back." Jenny wickedly purrs to him.

Gibbs turns and faces Jenny. "I preferred you on top." Gibbs answers with a cat shire grin and then walks out of the room.

"That's because you were whipped." Jenny laughs and reaches over and grabs the TV remote. "Maybe there's a movie on one of the cable channels."

Director Vance's Office

1630 Hours

Gibbs, Vance, and Director David are sitting around the conference table. "I want to thank Special Agent Gibbs for quickly resolving this matter into my daughter's shooting." Eli smiles with appreciation to Vance.

"Our main suspect is dead, the shooter from the parking garage is dead, but keep in mind the driver of the SUV is still on the loose and Ziva's contact is now where to be found."

"We checked the area hospitals for gunshot wound victims from August 21st to now and nobody fitting Ziva's contact's description has come in for a gunshot wound." Gibbs answers.

"What was Ziva's contact's name again?" Vance asks.

"Serena Morris, she's a contact that Ziva had frequently used while she ran anti-terrorism ops in Europe and the Middle East." Gibbs answers.

"What agency does she work for?" Vance asks.

"She works for Greece, NIS." "McGee contacted an agent in Athens and they said that they've lost contact with Morris." "They haven't heard from her since August 20th."

"What was she doing in Washington?" "It's rare that an agent from the National Intelligence Agency from Greece comes to Washington on official business and if they did, wouldn't the FBI have been involved." Eli angrily asks.

"She didn't want to speak to the FBI; Morris wanted to speak to NCIS." Gibbs smirks.

"Is there a bolo on Morris?" Vance asks.

"McGee put one out on her." "We haven't heard from Metro PD or Customs as of yet." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Perhaps Agent Morris is dead somewhere." Eli nods over at Gibbs.

"Possible, since NIS would have to seek permission to run a convert mission on US soil." Gibbs shrugs.

"My flight for Tel Aviv is at 0700 hours." Eli informs Gibbs and Vance. "If Serena Morris turns up alive or if you find out any information on the driver on the SUV, get in touch with me right away."

"We will as I stated Director David, you will have NCIS' full cooperation into the investigation into your daughters shooting." Vance smiles at him and gets up from the table.

Eli gets up from the table and walks over to Vance and shakes his hand. "Shalom Leon!"

Vance shakes Eli's hand in return. "Shalom Eli!" He smiles at him.

Eli glares over at Gibbs one last time. "Special Agent Gibbs!" He icily calls out to him.

"Director David!" Gibbs smirks up at him from his chair.

Vance escorts Eli over to his office door. "I'll be in touch." Vance reassures him as Eli walks out of the office. Vance waits for Eli to get out of his assistant's outer office before closing his office door behind him. "I want some answers on that raid in Somalia." "I specifically told you I wanted NCIS to be the lead agency." Vance screams at Gibbs.

"MI-5 wouldn't have given out the information that we needed."

"Bull shit Gibbs!" Vance snaps and walks over to his desk. "You should have gone with DiNozzo and McGee and handled it yourself."

"I had an investigation to run here." Gibbs barks and gets up from his chair.

"MI-5 completely destroyed Ulman's compound." Vance fumes and flops down in his office chair.

"Ulman had a bomb hidden inside of his compound it went off, just as Tasker and his team and MI-5 had left carrying Ulman's body so that it could be positively identified."

"The press that NCIS could have gotten for this raid." "We would have taken out a known Somalian terror cell and at the same time thwarted a terrorist attack at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport." Vance sighs in disappointment. Vance's intercom goes off on his desk. He leans over and pushes in the button. "Yes!"

"Sir you're needed in MTAC."

"I'll be right there." Vance answers and gets up from his desk. "Find Serena Morris and the driver of the SUV am I making myself clear Agent Gibbs."

"Crystal sir!" Gibbs defiantly answers and walks off for the door.

"That raid cost me a Deputy Director position at Homeland Security." Vance groans in disgust and walks off for the doorway.

Down in Abby's lab, Abby and McGee are working in the backroom. "Sucks that Vance is back." Abby whines.

"It's been nice without him here the past week." McGee smiles.

"So what are your plans with Harriet tomorrow?" Abby snickers.

"Ducky gave me some idea for some books to bring over; I'll read them to her."

"Then starting Sunday she can read on her own, I totally forgot that she can't read without her glasses." Abby frowns.

"You figure with the money Jenny had from her parent's estate that she would have gotten laser surgery for her eye sight." McGee muses.

"I thought the glasses were kind of cool, it made you know when Madame Director was around." Abby giggles.

"Lucky for you, you only got a glimpse of her once Abby." McGee grumbles.

"What a temper?" Abby cringes.

"You know what I miss listening in on her and Gibbs fighting up in the office." McGee frowns.

"Remember Cynthia use to put her desk phone on speakerphone so that you guys could listen in on them." Abby snickers.

"Those were the good ole days." McGee sighs.

"Even if Jenny somehow gets her life back I doubt that the new SecNav will allow her to be Director." Abby sadly answers.

"Even if he did, who says that Jenny wants to be Director of NCIS, she gave a lot up to move up from field agent to Director."

"Gibbs!" Abby sighs.


	16. Making A Difference

Saturday morning, Gibbs is in his backyard putting Amira's swing set together. Amira patiently sits on a nearby picnic bench and watches. "By lunch time you will be swinging on your new swing set." Gibbs smiles over at her.

"I missed you this week." Amira frowns.

"I missed you too." "Something has come up at work that kept me away from the house." Gibbs sadly says to her. "But today I'm all yours." Gibbs smiles.

At Ducky's house, Ducky opens the front door. "Timothy!" He smiles at him and backs away from the front door. McGee walks in carrying a large brown shopping bag to disguise Jenny's carry-on bag and personal effects. Ducky closes the door behind him. "You can put Harriet's personal effects up in her room in the house next door."

"I also have a bag full of books for her out in the car." McGee smoothly says.

"That should keep her occupied while we're at work during the day." "Like Jethro, if Jenny has nothing to do, she gets restless." Ducky muses.

"It's scary on how much a like the two of them are." McGee laughs and starts up for the stairs.

"I know imagine if they would have had children together." Ducky chuckles and follows McGee up the stairs. "The walk in closet is up on the third floor."

"So glad that you came up with this." McGee smiles.

Next door several minutes later in the back bedroom. "Gibbs didn't tell her about this yet I assume." McGee sheepishly asks.

"Not until he questions her tomorrow."

"Are you going to be home when he questions her?"

"I'm going to be as far away from my home as humanly possible." Ducky mutters.

"She hasn't gotten it from me yet." "Remember you were the one who told Abby and I of Jenny's death in the Squad Room." "I still have Abby's screams of grief ringing in my ears." McGee angrily snaps. "Vance sent Tony and Ziva away; even though I wasn't on his team anymore I still would visit Gibbs in the Squad Room." "He wasn't the same anymore." McGee frowns at the memory of walking into the bullpen and finding Gibbs staring up on to the balcony. "Gibbs would still look for Jenny up on the balcony."

"I know they would secretly give one another suggestive looks, thinking that no one would be observing them." Ducky chuckles.

"It was mostly on the days that Jenny would be wearing a tight turtle neck sweater or a real short skirt." McGee laughs.

"She knew how to push Jethro's buttons." Ducky fondly recalls. "When Jenny was Jethro's Probie, he would frequently refer to her as a tease."

"I'm going down to my car and get the books." "To pass the time I'm going to read one of them to her."

"Jenny will like that." "While you're doing that, I'm going to make a traditional English breakfast." "Since you're younger than I am when breakfast is ready could you carry Jenny downstairs for me?"

"No problem, and unlike DiNozzo I won't be going out for a pizza today for lunch."

"Lunch is taken care of." "Jethro bought some lunch meat while he was at the deli yesterday."

After retrieving several books from his car, McGee works his way up the stairs, knowing that Jenny's bedroom is the first door on his right McGee hesitantly stands at the top of the stairs. "You've lost a lot of weight." A familiar voice calls out to him from the direction of the bathroom.

McGee turns and faces her. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

"I'm tired of being dependent on people, particularly men." Jenny sighs and slowly walks down the hallway.

McGee approaches Jenny and puts his arm around her waist to give her some support. "Until you're healed up this is the way it's going to be, whether you like it or not." McGee scolds her and slowly walks Jenny over to the bedroom and helps her into bed.

Jenny noting that McGee is angry with her. "Your turn!" Jenny sighs and gingerly sits up in bed.

McGee drops the bag of books on the chair next to the bed. "I had to comfort Abby when Ducky broke the news that you were dead." "Her screams of grief ring in my ears three years later." "Unlike Tony and Ziva who got sent away after your funeral, I was still in Washington and saw Gibbs every day." "He would look for you up on the balcony." "What you put Gibbs, Abby, Cynthia, and myself through the past three years is unforgivable Jenny." McGee screams at her.

Jenny taken back by McGee's emotion, the young insecure agent from six years ago when she first became Director has now grown into a confident sure of himself man. "Jethro must be proud of you Tim." Jenny smiles at him.

"You're not going to defend yourself." McGee says with surprise.

"You're not going to listen to what I have to say."

"There is no excuse for it."

"The CIA has my gun that was used to kill René Benoit." "Trent Kort had some information about Pedro Hernandez' murder investigation that would link back to Gibbs." "What good would it have done with Gibbs and myself in prison?" "Besides Gibbs at his age would never survive a Mexican prison."

"He could have gotten the both of you out of it." McGee frowns.

"Gibbs isn't Superman Tim." "I did what I had to do, just like Tony, Ziva, and Ducky had to do when they were ordered by Davenport and Vance that I had died from gunshot wounds that I suffered in a shootout at in a diner in the Mojave Desert."

"Technically you died from smoke inhalation from a house fire." McGee corrects her.

"The two sons of bitches burnt my house down." Jenny hisses.

"I'm not allowed to talk about-"

"Your investigation into the attempt on my life and Ziva's, until Gibbs questions me, I know Tim."

"I think Tony might be visiting Ziva at the hospital." McGee smiles and takes out his burn phone from his pocket.

Georgetown University Hospital

From her hospital bed, Ziva is inhaling a cup of espresso. "I owe you one." Ziva smiles at up at Tony.

"Figured you were tired of the hospital crap." Tony shrugs.

"To weak for my taste, the stronger the better."

"Daddy on his way back to Tel Aviv?" Tony asks.

"Yes, he wasted his time coming over here." Ziva sighs.

"I guess he thought that he would get his own way, you going back to Israel rehabbing your injuries."

"As I've stated to him." "I'm now an American citizen and a NCIS Special Agent." "I no longer work for Mossad."

"Oh did you call your friend at NIS." Tony curiously asks.

"Yes, he owes me a huge favor, so if Vance should call, Nicolas will inform Vance that Serena Morris works for NIS-"

"Greece's version of their own National Intelligence Agency." Tony interjects.

"Nicolas is an assistant to their Deputy Director; he runs NIS's black op division."

"So to the unknown person Serena Morris can be an alias." Tony shrugs.

"Exactly!"

Tony's burn phone begins to ring. "Wonder if that's Abby." Tony laughs and takes his phone from his pocket, spotting McGee's name on the caller ID. "No it's McGregor!" Tony smirks and flips open up his phone. "Yes!"

"Are you visiting Ziva at the hospital?" McGee curiously asks from the edge of Jenny's bed.

"Yes, I just got here, why?" Tony shrugs.

"I'm at Ducky's."

"Harriet behaving herself." Tony grins.

"Yeah, unlike you I won't be going out for pizza and leaving mommy on her own." McGee baits him.

Jenny rolls her eyes in annoyance. "Really Tim I'm only five years older than Tony."

"I heard that." Tony shouts.

"What did she say?" Ziva giggles.

"She had to bring up the fact that I'm now in my forties."

Ziva grabs the phone from Tony. "Hi McGee, could you put Harriet on the phone?"

"Sure!" McGee smiles and hands Jenny the phone. "Ziva wants to talk to you." "I'll see how Ducky is making out with breakfast." McGee nods and gets up from the bed and leaves the room.

"Ziva!"

"Harriet!"

"The only good thing about my cover getting blown is I don't have to use my alias anymore." Jenny mutters in protest.

"Jenny!" Ziva laughs.

"I heard that you're going to Bethesda for your rehab." Jenny softly asks.

"Monday morning!" "Luckily I can write with both hands."

"And shoot with both." Jenny chuckles.

"In order to pass Mossad's training you had to be able to shoot and write with both hands."

"It was one of the things that I could never pick up from you." Jenny groans.

"You picked up other things."

"Yes, the ability not to let my conscious bother me when I put a hit on somebody." "It was the one thing I couldn't observe from Gibbs." Jenny snaps.

"I heard he's going to question you tomorrow."

"I'm counting the hours until Jethro starts screaming at me."

"You should have gone to him, like I told you in the parking garage."

"It wouldn't have made much of a difference since we both got shot at."

"Gibbs had said you took a bullet for me."

"I owed you from Cairo." Jenny softly reminds her.

"You paid me back Jenny when you assigned me to Gibbs' team." Ziva smiles.

"That wasn't payment Ziva; it got you away from your father." "I still owed you one."

"It got me away from my father and now I have the family I've longed for." "Not to mention I'm now an American citizen and a NCIS Special Agent." "And it's all because of you."

"You're an NCIS Special Agent, because Gibbs had to kiss Leon's ass." Jenny snaps.

"It's sickening to watch Gibbs in the office anymore." "Gone is the Gibbs stare, him head slapping Tony and the Gibbs growl that was frequently heard in the bullpen."

"Leon Vance neutered him." "Never in a million years would I see Gibbs caving into an authority figure and Leon of all people." "He despised the man over in Europe."

"He never caves into you." Ziva giggles.

"No I got my ass chewed out time and time again for sticking my nose into his cases." Jenny sighs.

"That's because you were his Probie Jenny, that's the difference between you and Vance."

"That and Vance has a penis and I don't." Jenny smirks.

Ziva bursts out laughing on her hospital bed. "What's so funny?" Tony asks.

"Something that you wouldn't know anything about Tony." Ziva giggles.

"What's that?" Tony shrugs.

"Girl talk!" Ziva winks.

Ducky's kitchen a half an hour later, Jenny is digging into her breakfast. "It's good to see that your appetite is back." Ducky smiles.

"Too much take-out of late." Jenny says between bites of her eggs.

"I don't think I've had a traditional English breakfast before." "And by the way aren't you Scottish." McGee asks and raises an eyebrow over at Ducky.

"I do both McGee, and note that Shepard is an English last name." Ducky muses.

"Never thought of that." McGee shrugs and takes a mouthful of beans.

"Only difference is between my breakfast and Ducky's breakfast, is that I'm drinking coffee and he's drinking tea."

"Gibbs habit!" McGee laughs.

"Too many bad habits that she picked up from him." Ducky sighs.

"I know he was looking forward on finishing up Amira's swing set today." McGee smiles.

"With the week that Jethro has had Timothy, he needs a diversion." Ducky nods.

"Spending the day with a child always was perfect medicine for Jethro." Jenny softly answers, remembering how Gibbs would frequently stop by the Children's Hospital on his weekend's off from work, spending time with the children.

Noon time, Gibbs as promised has completed Amira's swing set. "I told you by lunch time." Gibbs smiles at her and puts Amira on to her swing.

Gibbs' next door neighbor Irv Issinghoffer comes over with his two grandchildren. "Martha said you wanted me to bring over Randy and Mira."

"Yeah, I just built my goddaughter a swing set." "No sense in breaking it in with one child." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Irv pats his two grandchildren on the back of the butt. "Go on!" He smiles at them and watches Randy and Mira run over to the swing set. "Beautiful job Jethro."

"Thanks!" Gibbs nods and then watches Amira, Randy, and Mira play on the swing set. "I never had the time to build Kelly one." Gibbs frowns.

"You're making it up with Amira." Irv answers and walks over to Gibbs and pats him on the back.

"I'm going to give her the things that I couldn't give my daughter." Gibbs says with determination in his voice.

"Leyla had mentioned to Martha that she's only going to be staying with you until she gets settled with a job." Irv shrugs.

"Whether they live with me or not, I vowed to Mike that I would look after them."

"Semper Fi!" Irv smiles over at Gibbs at the commitment that Marines have for one of their own.

"Mike got me through the deaths of Shannon and Kelly." "I owe him."

"He got you to move on."

"He got me to return to the land of the living." "Without Mike, I would have put a gun inside of my mouth and pulled the trigger." Gibbs frowns.

"What kept you from pulling it?" Irv asks.

"NCIS, that and what I did as an agent make a difference."

"Not to mention the young agents that you trained and took under your wing." Irv fondly answers. "One of which became a future NCIS Director."

"Don't remind me." Gibbs growls in protest. "She threw enough of the rules that I thought her back in my face."

"What's it been three years since Director Shepard's death?"

"Three years, three months to be exact." Gibbs answers Irv with a hint of sarcasm in the tone of his voice. Tomorrow afternoon Gibbs will question Jenny on the events of May 13th 2008 in the Mojave Desert, her failure in Paris, and on her role in Operation Lodestone.


	17. Senora Roja

Sunday afternoon, Jenny restlessly lies on her bed. "I bet the bastard is going to keep me waiting." Jenny mutters annoyed with Gibbs. "Maybe something came up at home." Jenny ponders, suddenly the doorbell rings downstairs. "No such luck." Jenny sighs and rolls on her left side and pretends to be asleep.

Downstairs, Gibbs carrying a Starbucks Coffee traveler container in one hand and laptop carry-on bag in another. "Take this to Jenny's room next door." Gibbs nods over at Ducky.

"After that I'm going out for the rest of the day, I don't want to hear the two of you yelling in screaming at one another." Ducky groans in protest and starts off for the stairs.

"The only yelling and screaming that will be coming from the spare bedroom upstairs is from me." Gibbs growls and walks up the stairs. He walks into the bedroom. "I know your awake, get your ass up." Gibbs snarls.

Jenny rolls over on to her back. "I was sound to sleep." Jenny yawns.

"The hell you were." Gibbs snorts and puts the coffee traveler down on top of the dresser.

"I'll be back around seven." Ducky's voice calls out from the hallway.

"So the interrogation begins." Jenny sarcastically baits him and gingerly sits up in bed.

Gibbs retrieves an eight ounce cup of coffee and pours Jenny a cup of coffee and approaches the bed. "Not many of my subjects are treated to Jamaican Blend coffee when I interrogate them." Gibbs smirks and hands Jenny her cup of coffee.

"I feel honored Agent Gibbs." Jenny sweetly answers and takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

Gibbs pulls a chair out and positions it next to the bed and sits down. "I'll start out with." "Do you know the hell I've been through the past three years?" "It's rare that any one finds true love." "I found that with my first wife Shannon." "After Shannon died I didn't think I could feel that away about another person, until one day while the two of us were investigating a crime scene, you had me so angry with your mouth." "Then later on back at headquarters it dawn on me why I was so angry with you." "I had fallen in love with my partner." "I broke one of my rules Jen." Gibbs chokes up with emotion. "Then on a hot steamy night in Marseilles, the pent up heat between the two of us cumulated in a night of passion." "We made love all night long." "From that night forward we were partners in another way." "Sexually you took me places that not even Shannon took me."

"Jethro!" Jenny breathes out his name in shock.

"During the Paris Op I came to a conclusion that I wanted more for us." "I wanted a life with you, kids, a dog, I had planned on us getting old together and sailing around the world together Jen." "Then on our flight back from Paris, I left you on our airplane bound for the states to retrieve your coat that you had left in a chair near the terminal gate." "After retrieving your coat I went back inside the plane and found not only were you missing, but your carry-on bag and pocketbook were gone as well." "Then I found your letter." "Those three paragraphs haunt my heart until this very day Jen." "You threw us away for your bastard father."

"You don't-"

Gibbs angrily interrupts her. "I know all about Kosmo Galanos aka CIA Code Name Lucifer, or known by you as Daddy." Gibbs snarls.

"Jethro I was ordered by SecNav Davenport."

"I know part of the company line that Tony, Ziva, and Ducky had told me." Gibbs snaps and gets on to the subject at hand. "In order I want to know what happened in Paris, then Los Angeles, and finally the cover up once you regained consciousness in the hospital."

"Paris!" Jenny sighs and sits along the edge of the bed and dangles her feet. "My failure in Paris." Jenny frowns and flashes back to day she was suppose to take out Svetlana.

October 16th 1999

Paris, France

0800 Hours

Outside an apartment building Jenny wearing a black pixie wig, nervously waits on a corner for Svetlana to walk out the front door. "Probie you alright?" Decker's voice comes over her earwig.

"Fine!" Jenny answers.

"Gibbs should have taken out Nikolai Tarasov by now." Decker smoothly says.

"Taking somebody out is easy for Gibbs; remember he was a Marine Sniper." Jenny sarcastically reminds Decker. Svetlana walks out the front door. She walks down the side walk and passes Jenny on the corner, looking both ways as she crosses the street.

"Every morning at this time, Svetlana purchases a newspaper at a newsstand next to a coffee shop." "I've been staking out Svetlana for Gibbs on her morning routine for the past two days."

"Then why have me do the hit instead of Decker." Jenny inwardly curses Gibbs and begins to follow Svetlana down the sidewalk. Svetlana approaches the newsstand and buys a newspaper off of a pregnant woman.

Speaking in French to the woman. "Where's your husband?" Svetlana asks her.

"In bed with the flu." The woman sadly answers back in French; she picks up her two year old son behind the newsstand. "My son Henri."

Unknown to Svetlana, Jenny is standing next to one of the outside tables in front of the coffee shop, her Sig with a silencer attached to it concealed at her waist. Svetlana picks Henri up from the counter. "Shepard take her out." Decker orders her.

Svetlana's cell phone begins to ring, she hands the woman her son back and takes her cell phone out from her pocketbook. "Hello!" She answers in Russian. Svetlana doubles over on to the ground and screams. "No!"

Jenny runs off for a nearby alley and goes down on to her knees and begins to vomit. Decker who was observing in a nearby car gets out and chases after her. Going down on his knee Decker rubs the back of Jenny's shoulders. "I told Gibbs you weren't ready." Decker angrily snaps. "How in the hell did he expect you to perform your first sanctioned hit when you just had your first kill a month ago?"

An hour later at headquarters in a conference room, Decker is comforting Jenny. "I failed him." Jenny cries.

"He failed you, you weren't ready." "I told Gibbs." Decker softly answers and rubs the back of Jenny's shoulders.

"How do I tell him?" Jenny asks through tears streaming down her face.

"He won't know." "Svetlana more than likely is high tailing it back to Moscow now." "This will be our little secret and if our secret is ever compromised the code word is Mr. Oshimida." Decker whispers in her ear.

Present Time

"I wasn't ready for my first kill Jethro." Jenny angrily snaps at him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gibbs angrily asks. Jenny rolls her eyes at him and looks the other way. "Because I wouldn't have listened to you." Gibbs frowns.

"How could you put me through that knowing I had just had my first kill the month before?"

"I wanted you to get it out of your system, get past it and move on." Gibbs growls.

"Back then I wasn't like you, you can't observe somebody killing a person in cold blood Jethro."

"But you could do it now." Gibbs snarls at her. "You did a damn good job at putting a bullet through the Frog's head."

"Ziva's Mossad training." Jenny answers and gets up from the bed.

"Even so, you should have told me that you didn't take out Svetlana." "You disobeyed a direct order from me."

"And what would you have done if I told you I failed on taking out Svetlana." Jenny sarcastically asks.

"I would have flown your ass out to Moscow to finish the job."

"I knew you were going to say that." Jenny laughs and puts her empty cup of coffee down on top of the nightstand.

"You find this funny, your failure cost Decker his life and his fiancée's life."

"No I don't find it funny Jethro, I've been living with the guilt inside of me the past three years." "A good friend of mine was murdered because of my failure." "And what Viggio Dratryev did to poor Sasha Gordon." Jenny chokes up.

"Now on to Los Angeles."

"I saw Viggio Dratryev at Decker's funeral and took several photos of him on my cell phone. "Sasha Gordon had approached me and gave me Will's code word Mr. Oshimida." "She said that he had left an insurance policy behind for me back at Decker's house."

"So the next morning you ditched Ziva and Tony at the hotel." "When did you call Mike?"

"When I returned to my hotel room that afternoon." Jenny answers and flashes back to her phone conversation with Mike.

May 12th 2008

Los Angeles California

Ritz Carlton Los Angeles

Jenny's Suite

1800 Hours PDT

Jenny after changing into a pair of jeans in a cream colored Cami top, she walks out over to the couch out in her living room and picks up her Blackberry, under contacts a familiar phone number that she's had since hearing Mike Franks voice two years ago when she had asked him to come to Washington to help Gibbs who was battling memory loss after regaining consciousness from his coma. "The only person I can trust with this is Mike." Jenny sighs and presses in the button for the Cantina in Baja, Mexico.

Baja, Mexico

The Cantina

Mike lights up a cigarette and approaches the bar. "Corona please!" He nods over at the Bartender.

"Si Senor!"

Camilla walks over to the bar and pinches Mike on the butt. "Hey gringo you still owe me money for the groceries."

"How about I work it off when you get off from work tonight?" Mike grins.

"Please, you will be in and out within five minutes." Camilla teases him.

Before Mike can answer her the phone rings behind the bar. "Cantina!" The Bartender answers. "Si one moment." He answers and then glances over at Mike. "Senor Franks telephone."

"Dang blasted Probie." Mike snarls and takes the phone. "I ain't coming up north to help you out, get your lady Director friend to help you out." Mike growls.

"Wrong Probie!" Jenny sweetly answers.

"Jethro get himself blown up again." Mike snarls.

"I'm afraid not Mike and Gibbs does not need your help I do." Jenny softly asks.

"I'll be damned, since when does the Director of NCIS need my help." Mike smirks.

"Because not only does it concern my safety by Jethro's as well." Jenny asks.

"Ask Probie to help you out?" Mike barks.

"I can't because I'm in Los Angeles and Gibbs is back in Washington taking my place as Acting Director." "Mike this involves a black op that Jethro and I ran eight years ago involving Russian Arms Dealers." "I screwed up on something that I was ordered to do and Jethro doesn't know about it."

"I can be there first thing tomorrow morning." "Where do you want me to meet you?"

"I just came from retired Special Agent Will Decker's funeral." "He worked with Gibbs and I over in Europe."

"You think that the Russians have something to do with his death?" Mike sheepishly asks.

"Yes, his fiancée Sasha Gordon had walked up to me at his funeral and gave me a code word that only Will and I knew about." "I'll go into details with you tomorrow morning when I see you."

"I assume that you have a Protection Detail with you." Mike asks.

"Yes, Tony will be easy to lose, point an attractive woman in a bikini towards his way and he'll be easily distracted." "Ziva on the other hand." Jenny sighs.

"Israeli is one smart agent." Mike smiles.

"I know I worked with her over in Europe when I was an agent." Jenny smiles.

"Ok give me Sasha Gordon's address and I'll meet you there at 0800 hours sharp."

Present Time

"Mike and I met up at Will Decker's house, I told him what happened in Paris." "Then we went over to Decker's house." "Sasha gave me a key to a diner that Will had bought in the Mojave Desert." "I sensed the danger that Sasha was in so I helped her pack a bag and told her to use my car to get out of the city." "Mike and I had drove off for the desert."

"I know what happened inside of the diner, Mike told me." Gibbs answers and gets up from his chair. "Why didn't you call me?" Gibbs screams at her. "I'm your partner not Mike."

"And get you killed in the process for my failure."

"You almost got Mike killed."

"I told him to leave." Jenny snaps.

"He wasn't going to leave you Jen." Gibbs sarcastically laughs.

"I know that was the reason why I sent him out back to get some water just before Viggio Dratryev arrived."

"Vance lied on what happened inside of the diner, how many of them did you take out?"

"I took three out before I got shot in the shoulder." "Mike came in and took out Dratryev."

"Mike assumed that you were dead at the time." Gibbs asks.

"Yes, like DiNozzo, he missed the pulse on my neck and walked out of the diner." Jenny frowns.

"When did you regain consciousness?"

"Later that evening." "Tony and Ziva came into my room a few hours after I regained consciousness." "They were given their orders by Davenport and Vance." "I said my goodbyes to them."

"When did Vance come into your room?"

"Half an hour after I woke up." Jenny mutters and flashes back to her hospital room.

May 13th 2008

Edwards, California

Antelope Valley Hospital

Jenny lying on her hospital bed coming down from the effects from the anesthesia. Assistant Director Vance walks into the room. "Just what I need." Jenny hisses in protest.

"This isn't a casual visit Jenny." Vance smirks at her.

"Spit it out Leon." Jenny snaps.

"By the orders of SecNav Phillip Davenport and the Director of National Intelligence John McConnell, Director Jennifer Shepard died from multiple gunshot wounds that she suffered in a shootout at a diner in the Mojave Desert."

"Jethro will never buy that." Jenny laughs.

"He already did, DiNozzo and David found you." "Apparently DiNozzo missed your carotid artery when he checked for your pulse on your neck." "Conveniently at that time your cell phone was ringing and guess who was on the other end."

"Jethro!" Jenny sighs.

"The CIA and the Navy have a joint project that they want to work on together." "The problem is the CIA Director doesn't like working with you."

"You can't make me do something that I don't want to do." Jenny angrily warns him.

"You want your Glock to turn up and have Trent Kort recant his statement." Vance smirks.

"Kort has my gun."

"No somebody that you're familiar with does." Vance smiles.

"Who?"

"You will see." Vance grins and pushes in the speed dial button in on his Blackberry. "Trent Kort!" "Hold on a minute." Vance smoothly answers and hands Jenny his phone.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

"Jenny!" Kort addresses her and glances over at Jasper Shepard as he sits on a lounge chair out on his balcony getting suntan lotion applied on the back of shoulders by Iris.

"Trent Kort!" Jenny icily answers.

"Tomorrow I'll be briefing you on your perimeters of your new identity."

"Who says I'm that I'm going to work for the CIA?" Jenny angrily snaps at him.

"You don't have a choice in the matter." "I know the where a bouts of your Glock that was used to kill René Benoit."

"I would rather rot in a federal prison then to work for the CIA." Jenny hisses.

"Would you want Gibbs rotting away in a Mexican Prison?" Kort smirks.

Jenny taken back pushes in the remote on her bed and sits up. "I'm listening!"

"I know someone at the Mexican Justice Department that just might open up the investigation into Pedro Hernandez's murder."

"You wouldn't dare." Jenny angrily warns him.

"Try me!" Kort smirks and glances over at Shepard. "My boss is looking forward to seeing you again."

"I know him?" Jenny asks.

"You might say that, after all he made you who you are today Jenny." Kort answers and winks over at Shepard. "I'll arrive at your hospital tomorrow afternoon and I'll show you the evidence that I have against you and Gibbs."

"I'll be not looking forward to it." Jenny sarcastically answers.

"Until then Cherie, au revoir." Kort grins and hangs up.

Jenny hangs up Vance's phone and hands it over to him. "I hope that you and Davenport rot in hell." Jenny viciously snaps at him.

"In the end I'm getting what I want, you were just a small stepping stone in my way into the Director's Office, it should have been mine three years ago and you know it."

"At least I didn't have to blackmail somebody to get into the office Leon, I worked my ass off."

"You mean you slept your way into your office." "And it started with Gibbs." Leon smirks and starts off for the door. "I'm headed out to the diner to make up a crime scene report for Gibbs when he arrives." "Once I talk to DiNozzo and David I'll send them over to say goodbye to you."

"How nice of you?" Jenny sweetly says to him.

"I'm only doing it so that you will order them to go along with it." "You heard Trent Kort's threat." Vance warns her and walks out of the room.

Present Time

"Tony and Ziva came over a few hours later." "I ordered them to along with Davenport and Vance."

"You should have called me." Gibbs growls and walks over to the window and glances outside.

"I couldn't take that chance." "What good would it had done with you rotting in a Mexican jail Jethro." "Kort had evidence linking you to Pedro Hernandez's death."

"So you were more concerned about me then yourself." Gibbs sighs.

"Jethro at your age you wouldn't have survived in a Mexican prison." Jenny softly says to him and walks over to him. "An American Federales in a Mexican prison, they would have killed you within a month."

"What did Kort have on me?"

"The shell casing from your rifle that was found one thousand feet away from Hernandez's truck." Jenny answers and flashes back to when Kort had entered her hospital room.

May 14th 2008

Antelope Valley Hospital

1500 Hours PDT

Trent Kort walks into Jenny's hospital room carrying a black portfolio under his left arm. "Hello Cherie!" He smirks at her.

"Bastard!" Jenny hisses at him.

"I admire your temper Jenny." Kort chuckles and flops down in a seat next to her bed.

"I inherited it from my mother." Jenny grins at him.

"Typical red heads." Kort laughs and opens up his portfolio. "Let's get down to business shall we."

"I'm only going along with this, because I'm saving Jethro's ass." Jenny angrily warns him.

"Right and you want to see the proof first." Kort nods and hands Jenny several photos of her Glock, one with a close up of the serial number.

"The question is." "How did you know that I killed La Grenouille?" Jenny curiously asks.

"The night you killed La Grenouille, I followed you over to his yacht." "I enjoyed on how you lured him out on to the pier and gave La Grenouille the familiar hand grip on his right hand just as you shot him in between the eyes."

"I wanted him to experience what my father felt just before he was murdered." Jenny viciously answers.

"La Grenouille didn't kill your father, Operation Lodestone did."

"There one in the same as far as I'm concerned." "Now on to my gun."

"While you were away at an anti-terrorism conference, I broke into your house one night; you really should have a harder security code for your alarm system in the future Jenny."

"As far as I'm concerned Kort I have no future."

"You do, you have a bright future ahead of you working for the CIA." "Buying arms from arms dealers and then reselling them to US Allies." "It's a win win scenario for the US Government and it saves the taxpayers money on giving the Afghan's and other allies the weapons they need."

"So I'll be whoring myself from the CIA." Jenny answers in disgust.

"It's not like you haven't done it in the past." Kort winks at her.

"I did it to keep my country safe from terrorist threats, not for arms dealers to profit from."

Kort tosses several photos on to Jenny's lap. "And now you will do it for the tax payers of the United States." "In these photos is a woman wearing the shell casing around her neck on the bullet that was used to kill Pedro Hernandez."

Jenny picks up the photos and studies them. "Who is she?"

"Paloma Reynosa, daughter of Pedro Hernandez and she now runs the Reynosa Drug Cartel in Mexico." "She would love to get her hands on her father's killer." Kort grins.

"Her father murdered Jethro's wife and eight year old daughter." "She cannot justify her father's actions."

"In the end I really don't care." Kort answers and points out to a close up of the shell casing in Reynosa's hand. "I know somebody in the Mexican Justice Department." "In an instant I could have him reopen up the investigation into Hernandez's murder."

"And the bullet casing could link back to Jethro's rifle." Jenny sighs in defeat.

"Don't look so depressed, it's not like you have anybody." "Other than Gibbs and his team and colleagues from other agencies, nobody will mourn the loss of Jennifer Shepard."

"You do not know what this will do to Jethro." "He's already lost his wife to death."

"As I've stated I really don't care, I'm just following orders from my boss." "If it were up to me I would have put a bullet into your head a year ago."

"It's good to know I'll still have to watch my back when it concerns you Kort." Jenny smirks.

Kort gets up from his chair and retrieves the photos from Jenny. "Friday you will be taking a private jet out to Athens, Greece and then my boss' private yacht will be waiting for us to take us to his villa in Greek Island of Kalymnos." "There you will be medically looked after by private doctors and nurses for your gunshot wound and along with the further treatment for thallium poisoning."

"Great my new boss lives the high life on a Greek Island on US taxpayers expense." Jenny sarcastically laughs at Kort.

"Kosmo Galanos is a billionaire working in unison with the CIA." "No US taxpayer's money is used to front his covert missions."

"Friday!" Jenny swallows hard.

"My partner Ray Cruz will be watching your every move until Friday morning." "Director Vance should be in touch with him shortly."

"I hope he's better Protection Detail than those Air Force MP's." "They were more interested in the nurses over at the nurses' station then watching over me."

"Cruz unlike the MP's or Agent DiNozzo concentrates on his assignment and not on his Johnson." "Isn't that how you got away from DiNozzo at your hotel in Los Angeles?" Kort chuckles and walks over to the doorway. "Ray!" Kort calls out to him in the hallway. Cruz walks into the room. "Do not leave her alone for a moment, that includes when the doctors and nurses are examining her." "Jenny Shepard was trained by the best at NCIS, so do not let her out smart you." Kort warns him.

"Trust me she won't." Cruz smirks.

Present Time

"What Kort had on you Jethro, I couldn't risk having you going to prison for killing Shannon and Kelly's murderer." Jenny frowns.

Gibbs remembering confronting Jenny in the elevator at headquarters that time over Jenny's health. "I confronted you in the elevator that time about your health and you lied to me." Gibbs growls.

"At the time I was waiting for the test results on a second opinion when I was over in Europe." "I had just had a physical a few months and I as fine." "Then all of a sudden I was suffering from aches in pains in my muscles and joints and suffering from shortness of breath." "Ducky diagnosed me with advanced stages of MS and gave me three to six months to live." "I called Todd Gelfand at Portsmouth and he recommended a neurologist over in London." "I didn't want a US doctor to examine me at the time, so I could keep my illness a secret."

"When did you find out that it was thallium poisoning?" Gibbs asks.

"When I was home serving my suspension." "When Vance was overseeing NCIS after I was reinstated, I was in a London hospital getting treatment for thallium poisoning."

"CIA behind that."

"I don't know I was never told." Jenny sighs and takes a seat on the chaise lounge.

"Did Vance get in touch with you before he flew back to Washington?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Yes, since Edwards Air Force Base is near the hospital, Leon popped in for a visit."

May 14th 2008

Antelope Valley Hospital

1130 Hours PDT

Vance walks into Jenny's room with a big smirk on his face. "Gibbs bought it."

"You enjoyed every moment of it you bastard."

"It felt good." Vance smiles and then sits down on a chair next to Jenny. "He's overseeing my investigation at the diner." "While I escort the bodies back to Washington." Vance winks.

"Jethro will want to see my body."

"I don't think so Jenny, just the look on his face when Gibbs was staring down at the marker on the ground where your body was located at." "He barely walked around the crime scene."

"Ducky has to do my autopsy."

"Doctor Mallard will be informed that you are alive by me when I get back to Washington." "He will be under orders along with Agent DiNozzo and Officer David not to reveal to anyone that you are alive." "He'll buy the company line that I gave DiNozzo and David that you are being sent to the Witness Protection Program."

"Seems that you have everything figured out." Jenny sweetly answers.

Vance hits the speed dial button for SecNav Davenport's cell phone. "No SecNav has." Vance answers and waits for Davenport to answer the phone.

Washington, DC

Office of the Secretary of the Navy

1430 EDT Hours

"Davenport!" He answers from a chair behind his desk.

"You want to give the outgoing Director of NCIS her final orders." Vance smirks.

"Put her on." Davenport orders.

"My pleasure sir." Vance answers and hands Jenny his Blackberry. "SecNav wants to speak with you."

"Yes Phil!" Jenny answers in a disrespectful tone of voice.

"You're damn lucky that I don't send your ass to a federal prison Jenny, since I know for a fact that Trent Kort covered up for you."

"And it was done for a reason." Jenny answers and glares over at Vance.

"The CIA and the Navy in the end will get what they both want." "And I'll have my guy in place as Director." "If I was SecNav three years ago, you would still be running anti-terrorism ops over in Europe and Leon Vance would have been promoted as Director of NCIS, the job was his all along."

"Leon didn't get the job, because unlike me, he can't kiss ass with the folks up on the hill for funding." "I excel at that." Jenny smirks.

"And you excel at field work Jenny." "You are a value in the field."

"So much that the CIA is willing to do anything to get me out of my office, putting Leon in place as Director and then I'll be whoring myself for the CIA to every arms dealer in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Central America, and South America." Jenny bitterly snaps.

"It's a winning provision for all parties involved." Davenport smiles.

"You mean for you, Vance, and the CIA, not for me." "I have a life back in Washington." Jenny angrily screams.

"What life?" Davenport laughs and shakes his head. "The only friends and family that you have are Agent Gibbs and his team and a few colleagues." "Face it Jenny nobody will care about your demise a week after your funeral." "As of this moment on you are the CIA's problem not the NCIS'." "You are under orders from me, Assistant Director Vance, and by Director McConnell to go along with this." "Jennifer Shepard as of yesterday at 1455 hours was declared legally dead by Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo." "The legal ramifications will be harsh if you, Agent DiNozzo, Officer David, and Doctor Mallard break this direct order." "Am I making myself clear Jenny?" Davenport warns her.

"Crystal you son of a bitch." Jenny viciously answers.

Davenport bursts out laughing. "I always admired your spunk Jenny; it was the reason why so many agencies loathed dealing with you." Davenport chuckles.

"Now Vance will smooth things out with them and have a perfect working relationship with them." Jenny smirks.

"If the joint op between the Navy and the CIA works out it will be worth it." "You can put Vance back on the phone."

Jenny in disgust tosses Vance his Blackberry. "I should be back in DC by this evening and I'll give Doctor Mallard our orders." Vance smoothly says.

"Leon we're both getting what we both want now." Davenport grins.

"It took a three year bump in the road sir, but I'm finally getting where I want to go." "Director of NCIS."

Present Time

"Lying bastard gloated in front of me for another twenty minutes and then left." "I sat in bed trying to think my next move."

"Which was?" Gibbs asks.

"Decker's Insurance Policy at that time I only trusted Mike with it." Jenny answers.

"So that's when you called him up."

"I bided my time for when my Protection Detail would get distracted." "Two Air Force MP's in the early twenties." "Over at the nurses' station, several young attractive nurses batted their eyelashes at them and away they went." "There was a waiting room around the corner from my room." "A sweet woman named Agnes was knitting a sweater for her granddaughter." "I got the tears going and she fell for it."

May 14th 2008

Antelope Valley Hospital

1330 Hours

"My phone isn't working in my room and I haven't spoken to my kids in days." Jenny sobs.

Agnes takes out her cell phone and hands it over to Jenny. "You call home and take your time my dear." "I'll head over to my sisters room and sit with her a bit." Agnes sweetly says to Jenny and gets up from her chair and walks out of the room.

Present Time

"I had the Cantina's phone number memorized." "Camilla was in work early and I explained to her who I was and that I needed Mike's cell phone number." "Five minutes later I was talking to Mike who had just arrived at LAX."

Los Angeles International Airport

"How do I know this is you and not one of the Russians trying to trip me up?" Mike barks.

"We were in an abandoned diner in the Mojave Desert; I caught you looking at my ass." Jenny hisses.

"Ok, ok!" Mike snorts and then lights up a cigarette. "I just spoke with Jethro about an hour ago." "He thinks that you are dead."

"As far as I know the only one that knows I'm dead is Jethro." "Tony and Ziva know I'm alive and Ducky later on back at headquarters will be filled in." "We're under strict orders by SecNav Davenport and Assistant Director Vance that I remain dead."

"Jenny you do not know what this is doing to Jethro." "He's grieving for his second love." Mike frowns.

"You think that I'm enjoying this Mike." "This is tearing me apart." Jenny chokes.

"Then why go through with it." Mike snarls.

"The CIA is holding leverage over me on something from my past and Jethro's." "I have no choice in the matter but to stay dead."

"Is something that involved your failed mission in Paris?" Mike sheepishly asks.

"Unfortunately no!" Jenny sighs and leans her head back against the sofa. "I can't risk Jethro going to prison." "He is more of a value at his job and to his team."

"So you are going to play dead to keep the both of you safe."

"Yes!" Jenny sadly answers then gets on to the subject at hand. "The reason why I'm calling you is I think that the number of Decker's Insurance Policy is an old NCIS case file." "I want you to go to Washington into the NCIS archive room and get it." "I only trust you with this Mike."

"Gibbs knows about it."

"Even so I would rather have you look after it for me." Jenny softly asks.

"I'll change my flight plans to Dulles and take the next available flight out." Mike answers.

"One last favor."

"Shoot since I'm a sucker for an attractive woman with a nice ass." Mike cackles.

"I'm afraid that Jethro might try and do something."

"Gibbs wouldn't do that." Mike reassures her.

"Mike my gut is telling me otherwise." "I have a bad feeling."

"You want me to check in on him." Mike shrugs and takes a puff from his cigarette.

"Yes, please!"

"I'll check on him back at his place after I look for Decker's insurance policy."

"He won't be at his place." "For the most part when we were lovers, Jethro and I would go back to my house." "I have a townhouse in Georgetown; the address is 3422 Prospect Street."

"That's near M Street and Wisconsin Ave." Mike asks and grabs a notepad from the inside of his jacket pocket and writes Jenny's address down.

"Yes!" Jenny softly answers. "Mike when the time comes I will contact you."

"Why that might blow your cover?"

"I owe you, you put your life on the line to help me out, plus I'm trusting you to look after Decker's insurance policy for me."

"I'll look after it until my last breath Jenny." Mike smiles.

"We need to come up with a code name for me when I call for you at the Cantina."

"This will fit ya, Senora Roja." Mike grins.

"I like the sound of that Mike." Jenny laughs.

"If you need me for anything call me day or night." Mike instructs her.

"I will!" "Mike look after Jethro for me." Jenny asks him and bursts into tears.

"I'll check on him after I look into Decker's insurance policy at the archives room." "Keep in mind he'll have his team to look after him."

"The one thing they lack when it comes to me is I have a partner's intuition when Jethro gets into trouble."

"That is the one thing I envy you, you had that with him and I didn't."

Agnes returns to the room. "Did you get a hold of your kids?" She asks.

"Yes I did!" Jenny smiles.

"Who's that?" Mike grunts.

"A kind woman who lent me her cell phone honey."

"You better hang up before your Protection Detail realizes that you're missing."

"Take care Mike." Jenny cries.

"Something tells me that we'll see one another again someday, until then good bye Senora Roja." Mike smiles and hangs up.

Jenny hangs up and hands Agnes her phone back. "I want to thank you."

"No problem my dear, if you need to borrow it again, just let me know." Agnes smiles and sits down on the couch.

"My brother is coming over to see what's happening with my room phone." "But I'll keep your offer in mind." Jenny nods and gets up from the couch. She walks over to the doorway and glances down the hallway in the direction of the nurses' station. The two Air Force MP's are leaning over the nurses' station flirting with the nurses. "Their worse than DiNozzo." Jenny laughs and slowly walks back to her room unnoticed by her guards.

Present Time

"I slipped back into my room as easily as I walked out of it." Jenny laughs.

"You could have walked off for the elevator."

"There were MP's down in the lobby and stationed outside of the hospital I wasn't going anywhere Jethro."

Gibbs sits down at the end of the chaise lounge. "You were right." Gibbs frowns and looks into the depths of Jenny's green eyes. "Svetlana had called and arranged to meet me at your house inside of your study." "The very thought of going on with my life after losing you." "Jenny I couldn't face this a second time in my life." Gibbs chokes and bursts into tears. "I walked into the study and put my Sig down on a table near the doorway."

"You wanted Svetlana to kill you."

"Even so when I sat down at your desk and found the crinkled up sheets of paper with your familiar hand writing on it." "Dear Jethro!" Gibbs chokes and gets up on to his feet. "You do not know how those two words burn through my heart Jenny." "I baited Svetlana to shoot me." "What stopped her from doing it is Mike came into the house and shot her in the back from the hallway." "You sent Mike over to your house to stop me from killing myself."

"Jethro even if I had died, I wouldn't have wanted you to throw your life away like that." "You are too important." "That would have been the coward's way out."

"I'm too important." Gibbs snaps in disbelief. "If I'm so important why did Vance break up my team for and left me to grieve alone." "For four months Ziva was off in Israel, Tony was assigned as an 'Agent Afloat' and McGee was off heading a team over in the cyber division." "I saw him maybe once or twice a week." "I still had Ducky and Abby, but it wasn't the same."

"But your team got reinstated Jethro." Jenny softly reminds him.

"Four months later." "And all I've done since that time is suck up and kiss that bastards ass in the office." "I've turned into you." Gibbs growls.

Jenny lies on her back and bursts out laughing. "Vance neutered you."

"You think that's funny."

"No because it's not you Jethro." Jenny frowns.

"So you saw Vance one final time."

"Yes the following Friday after my funeral, he was going to San Diego to go over things with McAllister and then spend a final weekend with his family there before moving them to Washington."

May 16th 2008

Edwards, California

Antelope Valley Hospital

1900 Hours

Jenny with a casual dress on gingerly puts her right arm into her sling. Vance walks into the room. "You may call me Director Vance."

"You will always be ass hole to me." Jenny sarcastically answers. "I will never ever call you by your official title."

"Gibbs is now calling me that." Vance smiles and walks over to a chair and sits down. "My first business as Director of NCIS is I reassigned Gibbs' team to other assignments."

"You what?" "How could you do that to Jethro at a time like this?" Jenny screams at him.

"It's to keep DiNozzo and David in check." "There is a mole operating inside of the office in Washington that you are fully aware of." Vance nods at her.

"That has nothing to do with Jethro's team and you know that."

"It's too late." "I've assigned DiNozzo as an Agent Afloat on the USS Seahawk." "I terminated Officer David's Mossad liaison and sent her back to Tel Aviv." "I felt that Agent McGee was due for a promotion so I have him in charge of a team over in my cyber division unit in Washington."

"Gee notice that Tony and Ziva get sent away and McGee conveniently stays behind in Washington because he wasn't at the crime scene." "Brilliant Leon!" Jenny laughs.

"I came here to remind you of your orders and the ramifications of you disobey them." Vance warns her.

"You're not my boss, the Director of the CIA is." "Take your orders and shove them up your ass."

Vance gets up from his seat. "If it wasn't for your new boss Jenny, you would be sitting behind bars for the murder of René Benoit." "Consider yourself lucky." Vance smirks and walks off for the doorway.

Present Time

"That was the last time I saw Leon." Jenny sighs.

"While all that was going on I reviewed the file for my new team, two familiar faces, and one bumbling idiot." Gibbs grumbles.

"I heard, Ziva told me at her apartment in Morocco, Abby stayed in touch with her once a week."

"I know that through Ziva's time line when I questioned her." "I know about Morocco and when you and Ray Cruz bumped into her at the coffee shop in Tel Aviv after Tony, Vance, and I flew back to Washington." "For personal reasons Ziva had to resign from my team."

"I already know about it she told me and Jethro you made the right decision I defended your actions about choosing Tony over her." Jenny softly answers.

"Tony is like a son to me."

"I know that." "I would have done the same thing in your situation."

Gibbs again takes a seat at the foot of the chaise lounge. "Now on to your first meeting with your father."

"All I know it was a long fight to Athens, it went on and on and on." Jenny groans and closes her eyes. "When the plane landed at a private airport we took a limo which drove us to a private pier where a yacht was docked along the pier. "Later that evening we arrived on the Greek Island of Kalymnos." "Once again a limo was waiting next to the pier." "A ten minute drive led us to a villa that over looked the Aegean Sea."

"Once inside you were introduced to Daddy." Gibbs smirks.

"I was lead to his study in the back of the house by Trent Kort and Ray Cruz." "The smell of Cuban cigars over whelmed me as soon as I walked through the door." Jenny answers and flashes back to the moment she encountered her father for the first time."

May 17th 2008

Greek Island of Kalymnos

The Villa of Kosmo Galanos

2000 Hours EEST

Jenny along with Trent Kort and Ray Cruz walk through the study of Kosmo Galanos. The smell of Cuban cigars overwhelms Jenny, she flashes back as a child walking in her father's study in his Georgetown home back in Washington, a Cuba cigar in one hand and a glass of scotch in the other. Getting back to the present she glances across the room at a large oak desk and a large leather chair with its back facing her. "Sir I'll leave you alone with her." Kort smirks and walks out of the room with Cruz.

Jasper Shepard slowly turns his chair around with a cigar dangling out of his mouth. "Hello Jenny!"

"Father!" Jenny mouths in disbelief, stunned at seeing that her father is alive, Jenny collapses on to the floor.

"Kort get in here?" Shepard shouts and gets up from his chair.

Kort and Cruz rush into the room. "My, my, the Ice Queen of the beltway is invincible after all." Kort laughs.

"Have Cyrus carry her up to her room." Jasper instructs them.

Present Time

"I woke up the following morning in a strange room." "I could hear the sound of the ocean outside my balcony window."

"When did you see your father again?" Gibbs asks.

"During breakfast, I was escorted out to the balcony that's off of the dining room." Jenny answers and flashes back to her second encounter with her father.

Cyrus, Kosmo Galanos personal valet escorts Jenny out on to the balcony. Jenny finds her father sitting at the end of the table eating breakfast. Shepard taking in his daughter's body language. "You're not seeing a ghost Jenny." Shepard reassures her and takes a bite from his Greek Omelet. "Cyrus have Adrianna cook Jenny a lite breakfast."

"I'm not hungry." Jenny angrily scolds her father and is about to walk out off of the balcony.

"You will do as you are told; you need to get your strength up." Shepard chastises his daughter and then nods over at Cyrus to leave the balcony. "So stubborn, you pick that up from your mother." Shepard smiles.

Jenny turns and faces her father. "I'm still not convinced that you are my father."

"Right the crime scene photos from my study." Shepard answers and gestures towards a chair at the table for Jenny to sit beside him.

"I don't think so." Jenny defiantly says to him and finds a nearby lounge chair and sits down.

"The FX department at the CIA can make a crime scene believable Jenny." Shepard smiles at her. "When you were twelve years old I took you to the gun range for the first time." "After you were born your mother couldn't have any more children." "I had to teach you the things that I couldn't teach my son." Shepard says with regret. "From then on you had a love affair with weapons; I taught you and you exceled at it."

"So you did pay a visit in my study a year ago, while I was in Paris?" Jenny asks.

"No, Kort placing a message on your desk." "I was trying to get you to back off of going after La Grenouille." Shepard sighs.

"I went after La Grenouille, because I thought that he killed you." Jenny screams and gets up on to her feet. "How dare you put me through this?" "You were all that I had." "And what I gave up to pursuit your killer." Jenny shouts at him.

"I was given the same ultimatum as you were back in 1995 by the CIA." "Either play ball with them on Operation Lodestone or face the rest of my days in a prison cell in Leavenworth for taking a bribe from La Grenouille." "I didn't want you suffering the shame that your father was a crook."

"So you put me through grieving for you." "I had locked myself in my bedroom for an over a week after your funeral." "Noemi finally had called in a locksmith and had them open up the door for her."

"What made you go on living?"

"Going after your killer." "I spent the next few months getting my body into shape and then I enrolled FLETC to get my federal agent training." "After my training I applied for several Federal Agencies, I graduated with top honors, NCIS didn't have many female agents at the time and their Director pushed hard for me and I accepted."

"Trent Kort has spoken of your mentor Special Agent Gibbs, he's credited him in your rise to the top of the NCIS promotion chain, which collimated you as the first female to be appointed as Director of a Federal Arms Agency." Shepard smiles with pride.

"And three years later with all of my training, I'm now whoring myself for the CIA." Jenny snaps.

"It's either that or prison." Shepard shrugs at her.

"No it's either that or Jethro goes to a Mexican prison, I don't give a rats ass about myself."

"You wouldn't survive in prison either Jenny; with your looks the female prisoners will have their way with you."

Jenny disgusted with her father gets up from the lounge chair. "I don't know who you are." "You're not my father."

"Biologically I am, just my name has changed." Shepard grins and gets up from his chair and approaches her. "You are a spitting image of your mother other than your eyes." Shepard smiles and begins to touch his daughter's hair.

Jenny coldly pulls away from him. "Don't touch me." Jenny warns him.

"I understand your anger Jenny." Shepard softly says to her. "In time I'm hoping we can pick up where we left off."

"Can't do that when I had a life back in Washington and the people that I care about are suffering because some of them know I'm alive and are ordered to keep their mouths shut and then there are my friends that think I'm dead and they are grieving for me."

"I know of the special bond you shared with Agent Gibbs."

"It was more than a bond father." "I love him." "I gave up a life with him so that I could bring your killer to justice." "Do you know how angry I am at you?" "I gave up the love of my life for you." "I chose to go after La Grenouille and gave up the possibility of sharing a life with Jethro and having his children." Jenny screams at her father.

"Nobody told you to go after my killer." "La Grenouille worked for me."

"You were La Grenouille's boss?"

"Yes, until he got soft on me, then I promoted Trent Kort in his place."

Jenny remembering the conversation that she had with Benoit in her study with Benoit begging her for NCIS' protection. "You had planted that bomb in Tony's car." Jenny angrily confronts her father.

"It would have killed two birds with one stone." "La Grenouille's daughter would have been killed and you would have backed off your investigation on La Grenouille and Operation Lodestone."

"That ate at my conscious for months on end, knowing that I almost got Tony killed." "Making it worse for me now if, my own father was responsible for it."

"That's the difference between you and I?" "I don't get personally involved with my employees."

Iris Stathos sashay's out on to the balcony, wearing a low cut sun dress. "Morning sugar!" She purrs and walks over to Shepard and passionately kisses him on the mouth.

Jenny raises a curious eyebrow over at her father. Shepard takes a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes off Iris' red lipstick from his mouth. "Jenny this is my personal assistant Iris Stathos."

Iris takes a hold of Jenny's left hand. "I've heard so much about you."

Jenny gives Iris a dead fish handshake and coldly pulls away from her. "I bet you have." Jenny icily answers.

Iris, taken back by Jenny's actions, turns her attention over to her lover. "I'm meeting Alice for breakfast."

"Good because you know I loathe the woman's presence." Shepard growls.

"You don't like her because she talks too much." Iris giggles and then glances over at Jenny. "It was nice meeting you." Iris smiles and walks down the flight of stairs.

"I can't say the same thing about you Iris." Jenny smirks and then glances over at her father with a questioning look. "You don't get personally involved with your employees." Jenny laughs.

"Bedroom antics are one thing; Iris is the best when it comes to the arms dealing trade." Shepard reassures her and walks back over to the table. On the table Jenny's Glock 19 9mm lies on top of the table. Shepard picks it up and waves it in front of his daughter. "Does this look familiar to you?"

Jenny flashes back to the night that she shot La Grenouille on the pier, his lifeless body floats in the water. "Yes it's my gun that Trent Kort stole from my house, while I was away at an anti-terrorism conference in Europe."

"This is the leverage I will hold over you, just encase you change your mind." "Trent Kort has the other leverage on Agent Gibbs."

"You've won father." Jenny snaps in defeat. "I'll do as I'm told; just treat me like any other CIA Operative." "You lost your daughter the day you faked your suicide." "I don't have a father."

"Very well!" Shepard nods over at her. "I have a file on your new identity on the table; review it while you're eating breakfast." Shepard instructs her and walks back inside of the house.

Jenny reluctantly walks over to the table and sits down and finds the file. Operation Lodestone is written on the front of folder. Jenny opens up the folder, on the first page Code Named Phoenix her CIA Operative Name along with her new identity Harriett Jones. "Of all of the names for the CIA to give me." Jenny hisses in protest.

Present Time

"I studied my operative file inside and out." "As of that moment I was no longer Jenny Shepard to the outside world; I was Harriett Jones, CIA Operative Code Named Phoenix."

"And your father went by the name Kosmo Galanos, CIA Operative Code Name Lucifer." Gibbs nods over at her.

"Before we get into this, how do you know so much about what I've been doing the past three years other than what Ziva has told you?"

"I found your car keys and motel key card inside of your pants pocket." "McGee went to your room and found your briefcase."

"Past few days you've been playing dumb with me." Jenny sighs.

"I didn't want to tip my hand." Gibbs smirks.

"I gather he took all of my belongings from my room." Jenny asks.

"Yes and McGee cleaned your room so that there wouldn't be any evidence left behind." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"My room was paid in cash up until Wednesday."

"McGee left the keycard behind on the nightstand for the maid to find." "As far as your car, McGee disabled the GPS device under the car." "Later that night down in the Evidence Room him and Abby cleaned the blood from inside of your car." "McGee drove it to Baltimore in a neighborhood recommended by Tony."

"So that nothing links back to me." Jenny answers.

"I know everything of you regarding your mission Jen."

"I went from being the Director of NCIS to my father's whore, working for the CIA."

"Take me from where we left off on your father's balcony."

"It took me a month to recover from my gunshot wound and from my thallium poisoning." "I got my body back in shape and by August, Ray Cruz and I were in Morocco meeting up with my first arms dealer." "That's when I met Ziva outside of the nightclub."

"So you slept around with arms dealers to make your Daddy a profit." Gibbs says in disgust.

"Hell no, GHB works just as effective on men as it does to women." "They thought when they woke up the next morning in their hotel rooms that they got something out of me." Jenny wickedly grins.

"So you went from place to place, making deals for your father so that the CIA could have your father resell the weapons to US allies."

"Yes, US tax payers didn't have to pay for anything and my Dad got rich out of it."

"In February of 2009 I had called Mike up to help me out on an investigation that had connections to a black op that we both ran in Columbia back in the early '90's." "Mike had revealed to Tony that he knew you were alive." "Also McGee had reviewed the call logs on your burn phone from the past year; some went to the Cantina in Baja."

"I had a promise to uphold to Mike when I spoke to him on the phone in the hospital." "I was going to fulfill it."

"How with your father watching over your every move?" Gibbs sheepishly asks.

"I played along with his scheme, did my assignments and returned back to his villa for over a year." "When he thought I was going along with everything he decided to give me my freedom on a temporary basis."

May 6th 2009

Greek Island of Kalymnos

1000 Hours

Jenny is horseback riding along the beach in front of her father's villa. Her father taking a swim in the ocean calls over to her. "Jenny!"

Jenny dismounts her horse and walks over to the water's edge with her horse following behind her. "How's the water?"

"To cold for you that's for sure." Shepard snorts and gets out of water and approaches his daughter. "You seem restless."

"Bored out of my mind." "Horseback riding, swimming in the ocean and lounging in front of your pool only goes so far." "Keep in mind I had a job that I worked around the clock for twenty-four straight hours." Jenny reminds him.

"Just like your mother you get bored real easily." "Since you've been obeying orders and doing what you're suppose to be doing I have a provision for you."

"I'm listening!" Jenny nods over at him.

"Every other op I'll give you two weeks off." "You can go anywhere as you please."

"The hitch?" Jenny asks.

"I'll give you a date to report back to the villa, if you don't report back."

"My Glock will mysteriously find its way in the FBI"s hands and the Mexican Justice Department will get the evidence linking Gibbs to Pedro Hernandez' murder investigation." Jenny sweetly answers.

"Always one step ahead of me." Shepard chuckles.

Present Time

"I took a private jet out to Rome." "My father thought I was shopping."

"But you weren't." Gibbs answers.

"From the years of working as an agent over in Europe I knew how to get across the borders without being seen."

"Where did you end up at?"

"Paris!" Jenny softly answers and flashes back to the afternoon that she found a small studio apartment in the Montmartre section of the city.

May 8th 2009

Paris, France

Montmartre Section of the city

1500 Hours CEST

After signing the paperwork for her studio apartment above a café, Jenny walks into her apartment with a small carry-on bag. "Lucky for me the owner was in a hurry to go on vacation and didn't have the time to do a credit check on me, but I guess with me paying a years' worth of rent in advance helped my cause." Jenny smiles and walks into the living room and puts her carry-on bag down. "Free of my father for two whole weeks." Jenny sighs with relief and flops down on the couch and kicks off her heels. "Tomorrow morning I have to get in touch with Mike."

Present Time

"So you were free from your father for two weeks."

"I got to be myself instead of CIA Operative Harriett Jones." "I did use an alias, Rose Fortescue." "It felt so good to wander the streets, I would shop, do the things that I use to do."

"So you got in touch with Mike?" Gibbs asks.

"The following morning I left a message at the Cantina using the code name I gave him." "Two hours later Mike returned my call." Jenny answers and flashes back to her phone conversation with Mike.

After returning from a shopping spree Jenny walks into her apartment and drops her bags down on the floor. "That felt good." She smirks and walks over to the kitchen. Her burn phone begins to ring. "Took him long enough." Jenny mutters and glances down on the caller ID. "Mike must be using his cell phone." Jenny shrugs and answers her phone. "Senora Roja!" Jenny answers in Spanish.

Baja, Mexico

Mike's Deck

Mike surprised that Jenny has answered her phone in Spanish shakes his head and begins to laugh. "I didn't know you could speak Spanish." Mike laughs.

"I speak just about every language except for Russian, which Jethro for some reason was able to master." Jenny sighs.

"Where are you?" Mike asks.

"Paris, El jefe let me have two weeks' vacation time." Jenny sarcastically answers.

"How are you?" Mike asks and takes a seat on the edge of his deck.

"Miserable!" Jenny frowns and pulls a chair out from the kitchen table and sits down.

"Jethro is just as miserable, Vance has him neutered, constantly kissing that bastard's ass, he makes me sick." "I didn't train him to do that." Mike growls.

"There's a shock, Gibbs kissing ass." "He's allowed to do it to get what he wants, but when I was Director and had to go up on the hill to get funding for NCIS or had to smooth things over with other agencies, because of his screw ups, he would ream my ass out for it." Jenny hisses.

"Difference between you and Vance is; you're Jethro's Probie." Mike smirks.

"Even though I was his boss, I was still his Probie in his eyes." Jenny laughs.

Mike gets down to business. "You were right Decker's insurance policy was an old NCIS case file, I have it just like I promised you."

"Thank you!"

"My pleasure and I'll look after to my last breath." Mike smiles.

"Mike I have to repay you for helping me in Los Angeles, I put your life on the line."

"I would do it again in a heartbeat with one change; I wouldn't have gone out back for water." "You tricked me." Mike barks.

"Then you would have been shot also, possibly dead and Jethro would be grieving for two people instead of one." Jenny snaps.

"He shouldn't be grieving for you now." Mike snarls.

"I have nothing to do with it Mike it's out of my hands." "When we have a face to face meeting at some point I'll explain to you what's going on."

"Is it safe for you to see me?" Mike sheepishly asks.

"The only way you will ever see me again is to repay you the favor I owe you." "I want you to write down my cell phone number." "I bought a burn phone that the CIA doesn't know about."

Mike gets up and walks inside of his house and finds a pen and note pad on top of the kitchen table. "Shoot!"

"2135-555-5555!"

"Got it, I'll get Camilla to figure it out for me since she's use to calling foreign countries she has relatives over in Spain." Mike answers.

"You call me day or night if you need me for anything."

"You can count on that Jenny." Mike smiles.

Present Time

"So you repaid back your favor to Mike?"

"I was over in El Salvador." "I had just finished up an arms deal when I got a phone call from Mike."

September 17th 2010

Acajutla, El Salvador

Los Cobanos Village Lodge

Hotel Restaurant

1200 Hours CST Time

"Senora Jones it was a pleasure doing business with you." Enrique Sanchez grins at her from their restaurant table.

"The pleasure will be with my boss." Jenny smiles and gets up from the table.

"Where are you going?" Sanchez frowns at her.

"I have a flight back to Athens in four hours and my boss gets antsy if I stay at one place for a long period of time."

"I was looking forward to picking up where we left off from last night." Sanchez winks.

"Some other time Enrique." Jenny purrs and walks away from the table. "Moron the only thing you got from me last night was when I slipped some GHB in your Margarita."

Half an hour later after checking out of her room, Jenny's burn phone begins to ring. Taking her phone out of her pocketbook, Jenny spots Mike's name on the caller ID. "Senora Roja!" Jenny teases Mike.

Baja, Mexico

Mike's house

1130 PDT Hours

Mike is in a back bedroom in a house of a relative of Camilla's, that he's hiding out at until Paloma Reynosa and her brother Alejandro Rivera can be taken out. "Jenny I'm calling to collect on your favor."

"You in luck I just wrapped up an arms deal in Acajutla, El Salvador." Jenny smiles and walks out the front door of her hotel.

"We'll they notice if you're gone for a few weeks." Mike asks.

"I'm due for my two weeks off that my boss generously gives me every other arms deal." Jenny sarcastically answers.

"You seem bitter about him." Mike grunts.

"I'll explain it to you when the time comes Mike." "Now about your favor." Jenny smiles.

"Jethro has run into some kind of trouble from his past, which I'm involved with." "My shack got burnt down four months ago and I've been holding up at a house along the beach that Camilla's Uncle owns." "I need to fly up north."

"I can't help Jethro out Mike." Jenny frowns.

"I didn't call you to ask to help out Jethro." "I need somebody to watch over my daughter in law and granddaughter while I'm in Washington." "Other than Gibbs, you are the only other person that I can trust to make sure that they stay safe."

"I do have a 1400 hour flight out to Acapulco." "I was going to spend a few days there, before flying back out to Europe."

"Sorry to ruin your vacation." Mike frowns.

"I'll still be on vacation Mike." "I'll just take a small commuter flight out to Tijuana." "I should be there by this evening; I'll need the address for the Cantina."

"I'll be waiting at the bar for you." "The Cantina's address-"

Present Time

"I met Mike at the Cantina around eight o'clock, like you the man never changes." Jenny laughs and goes back to her meeting with Mike.

Later that evening Jenny pulls up in her Jeep outside of the Cantina. "Just how I envisioned it." Jenny laughs and gets out of her Jeep. She walks over to the Cantina and steps inside the doorway. Over at the bar, Mike is sitting on a barstool drinking a bottle of Corona and smoking a cigarette. Jenny deciding to put a patent Gibbs move on him approaches Mike from behind without being noticed. "Senor Francas!" She calls out to him in Spanish.

Mike chokes on his beer and turns and looks over at Jenny. "I bet you observed that as well." Mike coughs.

"Never worked on the teacher." Jenny shrugs.

Mike pulls Jenny into an affectionate embrace. "You look a lot better than the last time I saw you." Mike whispers in her ear.

Jenny leans up against his ear. "That's because I had a gunshot wound in my shoulder." Jenny sarcastically whispers.

Mike shakes his head and pulls away from her. "You want anything from the bar?"

"Since I'm in Mexico, a shot of tequila would be nice." Jenny smiles and walks over to the bar and takes a seat on a stool next to Mike's.

Camilla walks over to the bar carrying a tray full of empty glasses. "Senora Roja I presume." Camilla winks at her.

"Red hair gave me away hug." Jenny laughs.

Camilla leans over and whispers against Jenny's ear. "You're even more beautiful than what Senor Gibbs had described while he was on siesta several years ago." Camilla warmly says to her and pulls away.

"Thank you!" Jenny answers taken back that Gibbs had mentioned her around Camilla.

The bartender puts a shot of tequila in front of Jenny. "Senora!" He nods over at her.

"Juan this is an old friend of mine Rose Fortescue." Mike smoothly says to her.

"You here on vacation." Juan asks with a smile.

"Yes a much needed one." Jenny answers with a smile.

An hour later Mike and Jenny walk into the safe house that he is staying at. "Leyla, Amira!" He calls out to them.

"Leyla walks in from the kitchen." "Amira is sleeping!" Leyla chastises him.

"She went to bed early." Mike snorts.

"Swimming in the ocean wore her out." Leyla smiles and notices Jenny. "You must be Jenny."

Jenny raises a questioning eyebrow over at Mike for having Leyla calling her by her real name. "Yes I am." "I'm surprised that Mike is letting you know who I am." Jenny asks.

"Leyla is good at keeping secrets Jenny." Mike smiles.

"And Amira, she's just a child."

"By the time Jethro see's Amira again, she'll more than likely forget about you Jenny." Mike shrugs.

"I'll take you to your room." Leyla warmly says to her.

The next morning Mike walks out back and finds Jenny and Amira playing on the beach. Leyla approaches him from behind. "She shares a similar trait with Jethro." Leyla smiles.

"Stubborn mules the both of them." "They wasted a lot of years on pride." Mike growls.

"Your flight for Washington is when?"

"Around noon!" Mike answers.

"How long will you be gone?" Leyla asks.

"Depending on what's going on up north when I get there." "You will be safe with Jenny watching over you." "She's second best after Jethro." Mike smiles with pride. He puts his fingers inside of his mouth and whistles over to Jenny and Amira. "I'm leaving in about a half an hour." Mike shouts over to them.

Half an hour later Mike and Jenny are waiting outside for Camilla's uncle to pick Mike up to take him to the airport. "When I get back I want you to go into detail on what you're doing for the CIA." Mike asks.

"I will!" Jenny softly answers and glances back over at the front of the house where Leyla is standing in front of the door holding Amira in her arms. "Don't worry they'll be in good hands Mike." Jenny reassures him.

"I know!" Mike smiles and takes a hold of Jenny's hand and affectionately squeezes it.

Present Time

"I spent the next week and a half swimming and playing on the beach with Leyla and Amira." "It was the first time in two years where I was finally Jenny for a change and not going by some CIA alias on an op."

"Mike was up north helping me out with Alejandro Rivera and Paloma Reynosa." "Paloma had threatened everyone that I cared about." "I had put my dad on protection detail for four months at my house." "My team, Ducky, Abby, and Palmer had to constantly look over their shoulders when they were off of the Navy Yard." "Mike had gotten word that Paloma was operating inside of the states, so we flushed out a trap." "It worked; both Paloma and her brother Alejandro are dead."

"Mike had told me about your father when he returned to Mexico Jethro." "Like your family, how could you tell the people that you cared about that had a father and he was alive and well?" "I don't understand that."

"I was angry with my father and held a grudge against him for thirty years."

"Mike told me the story, your father's version not yours." "My mother died when I was eight years old Jethro." "Nine months later my father started seeing other women again." "People have to go on living."

"My mother meant everything to me Jen." Gibbs growls.

"How old were you when your mother died?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Twenty!" Gibbs shrugs.

Jenny gets up from the chaise lounge and shakes her head. "A bit immature for a young man to hold a grudge against his father for getting on with his life."

"I was angry with him, at everything." "I had a chip on my shoulder and wanted to take on the world."

"What changed you?" Jenny softly asks.

"I bumped into Shannon for the first time at the train station, while I was waiting for a train to head out to boot camp for the Corps."

"Love at first sight." Jenny smiles.

"That and she taught me the rules." Gibbs smiles.

"I always wondered who taught you the rules." Jenny laughs.

"Shannon, she said you need rules in life to keep you grounded." "After she died and I became an NCIS agent I developed my own set of rules."

"Don't worry I still have all fifty memorized." Jenny smirks.

"Now back to when Mike returned to Mexico."

"It was a week and a half later." Jenny answers and goes back to the day that Mike had returned from Washington.

September 28th 2010

1500 Hours PDT

Jenny and Mike are walking along the beach in front of his safe house. "I should be getting the insurance money in on my shack soon." "I'll rebuild!"

"Any chance that I can get a peek at Decker's insurance policy." Jenny curiously asks.

"Not if you continue to play dead." Mike snarls.

"I have to Mike." Jenny frowns.

"So who do you work for?"

"My father!"

"I thought that Jethro told me your father was dead?" Mike asks.

"So did I!" Jenny sighs and sits down on the beach.

"Government faked his death like yours."

"Yes, my dad was caught taking a bribe from an arms dealer." "It was either spending the rest of his life in Leavenworth or playing ball with the CIA."

"You don't seem happy with your father." Mike notes.

"Kosmo Galanos, the name he goes by now, is not my father." "My father was Colonel Jasper Shepard, a respected career Army Officer." "I got wind of my father's duel personality when I visited an adversary of his." Jenny snaps and recalls when she visited a dying Colonel-General Dimitri Borov in his Moscow hospital room. Borov didn't have anything pleasant to say about her father and had also mentioned that her father was alive and had recently visited him.

"So your father was dirty and got caught." Mike nods.

"He was good at being corrupt that the CIA put him in charge of Operation Lodestone." "CIA Operation that involves my father of buying weapons from arms dealers, and then he sells them to US allies."

"And it saves the US tax payers." "I get the point." Mike shrugs.

"Mike I am under strict orders."

"Your dad is holding something over you, isn't her?"

"Yes!" Jenny frowns and takes in a deep breath. "I don't want to go into what he has over me."

"You're in a no win situation." Mike sighs.

"That my father unfortunately put me into." Jenny answers and gets up on her feet.

"When's your flight to Acapulco?"

"Six o'clock!" "Then it's a long flight to Athens." Jenny bitterly answers.

"You don't want to go back."

"No, but I have to."

Mike grabs a hold of Jenny's shoulders. "If the time comes when you want to get out of this mess, I'm just a phone call away Jenny."

"Unfortunately that time will never come Mike, as long as my father, Trent Kort, Phillip Davenport, and Leon Vance are hanging something over my head and Jethro's." "I don't worry about myself." "Jethro is what is important; him in Washington is what counts." "What he does as an agent makes a difference."

"At the cost of your happiness?" Mike shouts.

"I blew my happiness Mike the moment I walked away from Jethro in Paris." Jenny sadly answers and walks off for the house.

Present Time

"I flew out to Acapulco around six, then my flight to Athens was around nine." "My typical long never ending flight back to Greece." Jenny frowns.

"Mike never mentioned to you about Paloma Reynosa and her brother Alejandro Rivera." Gibbs asks.

"No he didn't tell me what he was doing up in Washington with you." "He only mentioned your father Leroy." Jenny winks at him.

Gibbs glares over at Jenny and gets up from the end of the chaise lounge. "Don't ever call me that again." Gibbs growls.

"It's your name." Jenny smirks at him.

"Only to the folks back in Stillwater, Pennsylvania." Gibbs snarls.

Jenny noting that the veins are popping out of Gibbs neck. "I haven't gotten you that worked up, since the Frog was in my study." Jenny snickers and walks over to the nightstand and retrieves her coffee cup.

"Cute Jen!" Gibbs snorts.

Jenny walks over to the dresser and pours herself a refill on her cup of coffee. "After that incident you and I started acting like an old married couple in the office." Jenny smiles.

"You got off on Stephanie coming into the office that time." Gibbs barks.

"I laughed my ass off at you after you and Hollis left my office, when I found out that Stephanie was one of your material witness'."

"I bet you did." Gibbs grumbles and gets back to the subject at hand. "The last thing I want to question you about is what happened in Columbia?" "We saw the photos of EJ Barrett handing Julien Benoit an NCIS file and taking a bribe from him." "Then there were the photos taken of Benoit in an arms deal with Bernardo Suárez."

"While I was taking the photos of Benoit and Suárez, one of Benoit's guards had spotted me." "I guess he caught the reflection from my digital camera." Jenny answers and recalls the events from August 10th 2011.

Riohacha, Colombia

1400 Hours COT

On a yacht Julien Benoit and Bernardo Suárez are having a business meeting. Suárez has gotten a better offer from Benoit. Off in the distance hidden behind a dumpster, Jenny watches them with her binoculars. "Somebody is getting a kick back at NCIS's expense." "I wonder who Barrett is working for." Jenny asks and picks up her digital camera. Jenny snaps several photos of Benoit and Suárez. Suddenly the reflection of the lens of her camera draws Suárez' attention. "Shit!" Jenny curses and runs off. Suárez' gunman along with Benoit's guards chase after her. Jenny hails a nearby cab. "Hotel Internacional!" She urgently shouts to the driver in Spanish.

Fifteen minutes later, Jenny wearing a blonde wig and sunglasses, steps out of her hotel room, with her carry-on bag over her shoulder and carrying her briefcase in her left hand, knowing that Benoit and Suárez may have followed her to her hotel, Jenny decides to use the stairs and exits her hotel through the back door. A delivery truck is parked out back. Jenny quickly gets an idea and approaches the driver. "Need to make a quick peso." Jenny asks in Spanish.

Present Time

"I wasn't followed to the airport, but I guess Benoit figured I was heading that way when he found out I wasn't in my hotel room."

"I know you took a flight out to Miami."

"I stayed at a dive motel overnight and then I took a bus to Savannah, Georgia the next day."

"When did you e-mail Kort?" Gibbs sheepishly asks.

"On my flight to Miami."

"While you were in Washington for that week and a half what did you do?" Gibbs asks.

"Kept a low profile as much as I possibly could." "I tried getting in touch with Ziva on her burn phone, but she didn't answer."

"That's because we were out of town on an investigation and didn't return until Friday morning." "My team wrapped up their paperwork and I gave them the weekend off." "We were exhausted and I was looking forward to spending the weekend with Leyla and Amira." "I had promised her that I would build her a swing set."

"Which you did yesterday." Jenny softly answers.

"A week overdue." Gibbs answers with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "I know the timeline from when you called Ziva on the morning of the 20th and the phone calls that the two of you made to one another in the afternoon and Ziva gave me her account of what happened in the parking garage. "The two of you met at midnight."

"Yes I was hoping that Ziva would have the information on Barrett's off shore bank accounts from her contact, but her contact didn't get back to her." Jenny answers and flashes back to the parking garage.

August 20th 2011

Ritz Carlton Georgetown

1155 Hours

Jenny dressed in black with a hooded pull over sweatshirt pulled over her head to conceal her face waits in the shadows inside the parking garage; she spots Ziva's red Mini Cooper pulling into the parking garage. " "I'll give her five minutes to make sure that she wasn't being followed." Jenny answers.

Five minutes later Jenny slowly approaches Ziva's car and taps on the passenger side window. Ziva gets out of her car and walks over to the front of the car. "You always did look good in black." Ziva smiles.

Jenny walks around the front of the car and approaches Ziva. "It makes me blend in."

Ziva getting on to the subject at hand. "My Interpol contact didn't get in touch with me."

"Ziva I can't stick around in Washington for very long." "I've been gone for a week and a half." "More than likely Kort and Cruz are looking for me."

"Jenny contact Gibbs." Ziva begs her.

"No, absolutely not."

"If Davenport and Barrett are selling classified information to Arms Dealers, Gibbs has to know about this."

"And then the dirty bastard Vance will have to be notified." "I'm not taking my chances."

"Vance is at an Anti-Terrorism Conference in Munich and won't be back until next Friday."

"The answer is no Ziva." Jenny shouts and walks off towards the direction of the emergency exit.

"Jenny!" Ziva shouts at her and chases after her and grabs Jenny by the elbow. "You can't do this alone."

"For my safety and for Jethro's safety, I must remain dead."

Just as Ziva is about to answer her a Black GMC Yukon drives past Jenny and Ziva with the passenger side window down. A semi-automatic gun appears from the window and opens fires at them. Ziva clutching on to her thigh, goes down on ground and quickly loses consciousness.

Jenny gets her body in front of Ziva to protect her from more gunfire, retrieving her gun from her sidearm; she returns gun fire at the Yukon, shattering the windshield as it speeds out of the parking lot. Jenny clutches on to her right side. "Damn it!" She angrily snaps. "I can't risk going to a hospital." Jenny answers knowing that she cannot blow her cover and the consequences that she'll face if Gibbs finds out that she's alive. Jenny is about to check on Ziva when she hears the voices of the hotel security guards as they rush inside the parking garage. Jenny runs over to the emergency exit that leads to a sidewalk outside of the building. Crossing the street she makes her way down the sidewalk and rounds the corner. Her car is parked down at the end of the street, Jenny clutches on to her side noting that she's losing a lot of blood. "I hate involving Ducky in this." Jenny frowns and gingerly walks over to her car and gets inside.

Present Time

"You called Ducky!"

"I didn't want to." Jenny sighs in frustration. "I sat in my car for about an hour hoping that it was a minor flesh wound."

"The hole that's on your side is not a minor flesh wound Jen." Gibbs growls.

"At the time I didn't know that." "I called Ducky hoping that maybe he could patch me up and then in a day or two I could go on my way." Jenny answers and flashes back to her phone conversation with Ducky.

Ducky restless is down in his library reading a book. His cell phone begins to ring. "I hope that's not dispatch." Ducky mutters in annoyance. Picking up his cell phone Ducky notices an unfamiliar name on his caller ID. "Harriet Jones, maybe it's the wrong number." Ducky shrugs and flips open his phone. "Doctor Mallard!" He answers.

"Ducky!" Jenny breathes out his name.

Ducky shocked to hear Jenny's voice on the other end of the phone. "Jenny!" He says with surprise.

"I don't have time for pleasantries." "I met Ziva at the parking garage over at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown." "We both took on gunfire." "Ziva is still alive and is getting looked at." "I got wounded on my right side." "I'm losing a lot of blood."

"Jenny you need to go to a hospital." Ducky advises her.

"I can't, it will blow my cover and Jethro will find out that I'm alive." Jenny snaps.

"Do you know the pain that you've caused Jethro and the people that you care about the past three years?" Ducky scolds her.

"It's not my doing Doctor, talk to your current boss." Jenny hisses.

"Where are you and I'll pick you up?" Ducky asks.

"No, it's too close to the crime scene I'll drive over to your house."

"I moved out of my house about a year ago." "Francis Scott Key Memorial Park is a few blocks from my house."

"I'll be there in five minutes." Jenny winces and hangs up. She turns the key and starts up her car. Five minutes later Jenny pulls at the end of street behind Ducky's Morgan.

Ducky gets out of his car and walks over to her. "You need to go to a hospital." Ducky chastises her and opens up the car door.

"I can't!" Jenny grimaces in pain as Ducky helps Jenny out of the car. Slowly they make their way to the passenger side of the Morgan, Ducky opens up the door and helps Jenny inside. Coming up with an idea. "I have a blanket in the back of my trunk; I'll need to cover the car seat to hide the blood stains."

Several minutes later, Ducky pulls into the back of his house. He gets out of his car and goes over to the passenger side of the car. Opening up the car door, he carefully helps Jenny get on to her feet. "You've lost too much blood to be in any condition to walk." Ducky frantically says and picks up Jenny in her arms and carries her into the house.

Present Time

"By the time Ducky got me upstairs I was completely out of it." "I kept lapsing in and out of consciousness while he was undressing me. "I guess that's when he decided to sedate me."

Glaring over at Jenny. "The hell you've put me through the past three years Jen." "You should have called me." Gibbs shouts at her.

"I told you what Kort had on you."

"I don't care!" Gibbs growls.

"Let me ask you if the roles were in reverse, what would you have done?" Jenny angrily asks him. Gibbs rolls his eyes and looks the other way. "The same thing." Jenny snaps at him. "Do you think I enjoyed putting you through that Jethro, after what you went through with your wife and daughters deaths?" "You were in so much pain over their murders to the point that you wouldn't tell your friends, colleagues and the people who loved you the most about them." "When your ex-wives would find out about them, you got cold and distant with them." "I told you when I confronted you about them in my office that time I understood the reasons why you kept them from me." Jenny tearfully says to him.

"Then why the Ice Queen treatment when I came back from Mexico?" Gibbs frowns.

"You left without a word Jethro." "Ducky and I had to pick up the pieces for your team; they were a mess and Abby." Jenny chokes, remembering how depressed she was for weeks on end after Gibbs had left for Mexico.

"Then I came back from Mexico to help Ziva out."

"I had mentioned the farmhouse in Serbia to you in my office." "You said you didn't remember."

"At the time I didn't." Gibbs shrugs.

"You did remember afterwards." "You know how I felt when Tony, Ziva, and I went down to the bullpen to say goodbye to you and you weren't there." "You left McGee an envelope of a photo of me from the farmhouse."

"Jen at the time I was living in 1991." "I felt guilty feeling the feelings I felt for you."

"Then you came back a month later to work with Fornell on the Paulson case." "The itch was there and after the case you unretired."

"And you and Ducky had a bug up your ass." Gibbs grumbles.

"Why because unlike Abby and your team we didn't accept you back with open arms Jethro?" Jenny sarcastically asks.

"Took Ducky four months to get over it." "You on the other hand, didn't warm up to me until I broke up with Hollis."

"Please Jethro the bottled blonde wasn't satisfying you in bed, or you wouldn't have gotten an erection when I slammed you up against the window." Jenny smirks.

"If you would have pulled that number up in your office, I would have thrown you up against the conference table." Gibbs growls.

"Wouldn't have gotten very far, McGee and Ziva had chased Harrow to death." Jenny seductively reminds him.

"Right!" Gibbs groans and walks over to Jenny. "I can get you out of this."

"Jethro you can't!"

"I broke into Vance's safe and got his copy of Abby's report on the Pedro Hernandez investigation." "Unknown to me, Abby had also had made up a falsified report and was going to turn that over to Vance and the Mexican authorities, but after a visit I had made with Abby down in her lab, I told Abby not to cover up for me."

"What happened to the Mexican Government's report?" Jenny asks.

"A lawyer friend of mine that has connections intercepted it."

"Seems like sleeping with her paid off Jethro." Jenny teases him.

"How did you know it was a female lawyer?" Gibbs barks.

"Like a male lawyer would have done you a favor Jethro." Jenny laughs.

"Cute Jen!" Gibbs mutters and gets back to the subject at hand. "Where does your father keep your gun at?"

"In a safe in his study."

"While you're healing up, we have to come up with an idea to fly over to Europe without anybody knowing."

"That's going to be hard." Jenny sighs.

"Nothing is ever easy for the two of us." Gibbs smiles.

"So where do we start boss." Jenny sweetly says to him.

"That's right I'm the boss now." Gibbs laughs and picks Jenny up in his arms. "Grab the coffee traveler." Gibbs nods and walks Jenny over to the dresser.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm putting you to work." Gibbs chuckles and starts to carry Jenny out of the room.

In the upstairs hall closet Gibbs leads Jenny over to Ducky's neighbor's house. "Ducky's house keeper comes back from vacation tomorrow." "Conveniently his next door neighbors are in Vienna and Ducky's house sitting for them." Gibbs answers and carries Jenny to the backroom. "This is the room that you will be staying in." Gibbs informs her and gently puts Jenny down on to her feet.

Jenny glances around the room and notices that her personal effects from her motel room are in the room with the exception of her briefcase and then notices the books that McGee had brought over for her. "Finally I have something to do." Jenny smiles.

Gibbs picks up the carry-on laptop bag and puts it down on top of a table. "I'd advise you to stay in the back rooms only and keep away from the front of the house at all times." Gibbs instructs her and takes out Ziva's field laptop. "I have Decker's insurance policy along with the flash drive he left behind inside." "I also have your burn phone inside." "Abby has programmed all of our burn phone numbers inside of it just encase you want to get in touch with one of us during the day." "I doubt we'll answer it while we're in the building." "Starting tomorrow you will be on your own for most of the day." "With Vance back from Germany we can't have somebody watching over you, it will create too much suspicion." "I'll stop in every morning with coffee before I go to work." "Ducky will make you breakfast, since Maggie doesn't start work until eight o'clock." "Lunch will depend on who is available at the time."

"You trust me not to sneak away." Jenny curiously asks and puts the coffee traveler down on the table.

"I have all of your identification and money." "Besides if you try and leave the country by flying out you would be a dead duck at customs and they would notify the CIA." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny opens up her carry-on bag and finds her eyeglass case. "So you've had everything thought out in advance before you questioned me." Jenny answers and approaches the table.

"Pretty much!" Gibbs shrugs and shoves Jenny down into a chair. "While you're working, I have to strip the bed in the spare bedroom and clean up a little."

Jenny puts on her glasses and reaches into the carry-on bag. "A man's work is never done." She snickers.

"If you didn't have a hole in your side, you would be stripping the bed." Gibbs growls and walks out of the room.

"Wasn't any different over in Europe?" Jenny sighs and opens up the file and begins to read.

Around seven Ducky walks through the front door. "Jethro!" He calls out to him.

"In the kitchen Duck!" Gibbs shouts.

Ducky makes his way through the dining room and over to the kitchen. Inside the kitchen Ducky finds Gibbs over at the stove cooking spaghetti for dinner. "Where's Harriet?" Ducky chuckles.

"Upstairs in her new room working."

"How did it go?" Ducky asks and walks over to the kitchen table and sits down.

"I'm hurt and angry at her still, but she did throw something in my face that made me think." Gibbs answers and walks over to the table and sits down.

"And what's that?" Ducky asks.

"What would have I done if I were in the same situation as she was?" Gibbs frowns.

"You would have done the same thing Jethro." Ducky sadly answers.

Gibbs nods over at Ducky. "I would have done anything to protect Jenny from going to prison." Gibbs answers.

Ducky reaches for Gibbs' wrist on the table. "Jethro how many chances do the both of you need." Ducky gently asks his cherished friend.

"As I told you the other day, I told Mike when I left Mexico for the second and final time, because I left it for her, not for my team or for the job." Gibbs smiles.

"Todd, Hollis, La Grenouille, were all excuses to keep the two of you apart Jethro."

"I know and now we don't have any." Gibbs laughs and gets up from the table. "All I know is, if Jenny and I don't get back together after this, Mike will haunt the both of us." Gibbs laughs and starts off for the doorway. "Keep an eye on the pasta for me." Gibbs says to Ducky over his shoulder and walks out of the room.

Next door in the backroom, Jenny has made some sense of the file. Gibbs walks in. "Dinner break!"

"Part one of Decker's insurance policy is about Riley McAllister." Jenny answers.

Gibbs walks over and leans over Jenny's shoulder from behind. "How you could ever make out Decker's chicken scratch is beyond me." Gibbs growls.

"Easy I have patients were you don't." Jenny sighs and rolls her eyes at him. "It seems that McAllister was on the take with Svetlana and this dates back to the op back in Paris in 1999 where he was originally on the take with Nikolai Tarasov."

"Tarasov I knew about." "McAllister tried to kill Vance last November, making it look like a terrorist attempt." "It seems that part one of McAllister's plot was to kill you and remove you from the Director's chair first."

"Why?" Jenny asks and turns and looks up at Gibbs.

"He was pissed off that you leap frogged over him and got appointed as Director." "I bet you anything McAllister was the one who was responsible for poisoning you." "When you caught on to it, McAllister sent his old friend Svetlana's goons after you and Decker."

"Part two was to go after Vance, he was unsuccessful on his second attempt, Vance survived and when McAllister tried to finish off Vance in his hospital room, Vance had killed him with a knife that I had given him to protect himself."

"That was big of you." Jenny sarcastically answers and gets up from her chair.

"I can't stand the bastard Jen, but I wasn't going to have another Director getting killed on my watch again." "And the idea of his kids being fatherless." Gibbs frowns.

"Well their going to be fatherless Jethro." Jenny sadly answers.

"I know!" Gibbs sighs.

"What's for dinner?"

Gibbs walks over and picks Jenny up in his arms. "Spaghetti!"

"I keep getting home cooked meals and with the lack of exercise I'm going to be putting on some weight."

"In another month I know of an exercise regimen that will shed the pounds off." Gibbs smirks.

"Knowing my luck, what you have installed for me, my thighs will be in agony for over a week."

"You better start working on getting them flexible once your stitches come out." Gibbs laughs and starts to walk them out of the room.

An hour later down in the kitchen, Gibbs, Jenny, and Ducky are sitting around the table reminiscing about the old times they shared together. "I was surprised at you knowledge of sailboats." Ducky muses.

"An old college boyfriend taught me everything I know about sailboats." Jenny softly answers.

"Did you chase him off?" Gibbs smirks.

"No, he went to Harvard Law School and is now works in the US Attorney's Office in Philadelphia." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"Like your track record with women is any better Jethro, how many divorces do you have?" Ducky teases him.

"Very funny?" Gibbs growls and gets up from the table and begins to take the plates off of the table.

"The only faithful relationship Jethro maintains is the one with his boat." Jenny snickers.

"I wouldn't know that Jenny, I haven't seen a boat down in Jethro's basement in well over three years." "What boat did you tell McGee you were working on that time we working out of your basement when the FBI had NCIS on lock down?"

"Three!" Gibbs answers.

Jenny gets up from the table. "Weren't you working on number three when I came back from Europe?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Yes and I finished her two years ago, it was therapy to help me grieve for you." Gibbs frowns.

Jenny knowing she stuck her foot into her mouth quickly changes the subject. "Where's your library at?"

"Around the corner from the dining room." Ducky answers.

"I'm a fast reader and I may go through McGee's books in a few days." Jenny answers and slowly walks out of the room.

"Why didn't you tell us that you finished your boat Jethro?"

"Because it was a place that I went to when I wanted to be alone."

"You named the boat after Jenny didn't you." Ducky smiles.

"I named her after my partner, my second love, a love that a guy like me should never have." Gibbs answers above a whisper.

"Why shouldn't you Jethro?' Ducky asks and gets up from his chair and walks over to Gibbs.

"Our backgrounds!" Gibbs answers and takes in a deep breath before he continues. "Jenny was raised by a career Army Officer, her mother was from a wealthy DC prominent family." "And I was raised in a small coal mining town, population two hundred."

"Jethro it's the other way around, a man like you is suppose to fall in love with a woman like Jennifer Shepard." Ducky winks at him. "I better see what mischief my dysfunctional daughter is getting into." Ducky laughs and walks out of the room.

Gibbs watches in the direction that Ducky had walked out of. "A woman like Jennifer Shepard is not suppose to fall in love with a guy like me." Gibbs smiles.

Later that night next door at the Swartz's house up in the back bedroom, Jenny is sitting at the table reviewing the file on McAllister. Gibbs walks in. "Bed!" He orders her.

"In a minute." Jenny answers as she's writing several notes down on a legal pad. Gibbs walks over and pushes the windows icon on the laptop keyboard. "I told you in a minute." Jenny hisses in protest.

"Tomorrow is another day." Gibbs answers and picks Jenny up out of the chair.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking Jethro." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"I know, humor me Jen." Gibbs smirks and carries Jenny over to the bed. "Ducky cleaned your wound up and changed your bandage while I was cleaning up in the kitchen?"

"Yes!" Jenny snaps and takes off her glasses and puts them on top of the nightstand.

"I'll be by before I go to work tomorrow."

"Jethro since I'm now part of your team I need to be read into what's going on with your investigation." Jenny softly asks.

"Tomorrow over dinner I'll bring over the case files on the investigation and brief you on what's going on." "In between working tomorrow I want you resting."

"Between Decker's insurance policy and the books I'll have things to do to keep me busy while you're at work."

Gibbs starts off for the door. "I should be by around 0615 hours."

Jenny's burn phone begins to ring. She picks it up and spots Abby's book name from McGee's novel. "Hi Amy?" Jenny answers and begins to giggle.

"I'm out of here." Gibbs growls and walks out of the room.

"Yes we're getting on Daddy's nerves." Jenny laughs.


	18. The Final Word In

Monday morning, McGee and Abby are sitting at her desk in the backroom. "So cool that I can talk to Jenny her own phone now." Abby smiles.

"I had a good time with her on Saturday after I chewed her out." McGee answers and takes a sip of his cup of coffee.

"You didn't!" Abby chastises him.

"Abby I will forever have the scream of the loss you felt when Ducky told us that Jenny had died out in California." McGee frowns and gets up from the desk. "Not to mention what Gibbs went through, the first four months were the toughest on him, because Tony and Ziva got sent away."

"I hate what she did to us Timmy, but Jenny had no choice, Kort was threatening to go to the Mexican Justice Department and turn Gibbs in for the murder of Pedro Hernandez and Jenny's father is holding her gun that she use to kill La Grenouille." "Both of them would be in prison." Abby frowns.

"I know!" McGee swallows and starts to walk off for the doorway. "It's almost 0700 hours I should head up to the Squad Room to keep suspicion down."

"I wonder how Jenny made out with Gibbs yesterday." Abby giggles.

"We'll soon find out, we're suppose to have a meeting down here at 0900 hours." "Director Vance has a breakfast meeting with the SecNav and will be up on the hill all day."

"He doesn't kiss ass the way Jenny did." Abby snickers.

"He did get some equipment for your lab and the Special Projects Division out in Los Angeles that Jenny or Director Morrow never got under their tenure as Director." McGee answers defending Vance as Director.

"Timmy I notice every once in a while you stick up for Director Vance." Abby sheepishly asks.

"That's because he's a lot like me." "We're both computer geeks." "He said one time that an agent like me emulates the NCIS Agent that Vance would like to have, instead of Gibbs and Tony." McGee answers with a smile on his face.

"I never liked him and I have more reasons to not like him even more." "He broke up our family." "We were so happy three years ago." "Then Vance showed up from San Diego when the FBI shut down NCIS to investigate René Benoit." "Jenny got suspended for a day." "I remember the first time he strutted out of the elevator down in the Evidence Room like he owned the place." Abby angrily fumes.

"He said he didn't have personal relations with his employees." McGee sarcastically answers.

"And notice he was staring at Gibbs when he said it."

McGee's cell phone rings. "I bet that's Gibbs looking for me." McGee sighs and picks up his phone. "McGee!" He answers.

Squad Room

"Why are you late?" Gibbs snarls.

"I'm not late I'm down in Abby's Lab."

"Quit gabbing and get up here." Gibbs barks.

"I'm on my way up." McGee grumbles and hangs up.

"Gibbs!"

"Yeah, he's not in a good mood." McGee groans and walks away.

"Mommy and Daddy must have gotten into a fight." Abby giggles and gets up from her desk. "So glad that my family is back together."

Up in the Squad Room Gibbs and Tony are sitting at their desks. "What time is Ziva going over to Bethesda?" Tony curiously asks.

"Sometime this morning." Gibbs shrugs.

McGee returning from Abby's Lab. "Good morning!" He nods over at Gibbs and Tony and sits behind his desk.

"Good morning!" Gibbs and Tony address him back.

"Gibbs my office!" Vance's voice is heard from the balcony above.

Gibbs sucks in his teeth and gets up from his chair and makes his way over to the stairs. Vance impatiently waits for him near the balcony in front of his office door. "I just got into one fight with Jen." "I'm not in the mood to get into another with this bastard." Gibbs says under his breath.

"You don't look happy." Vance chuckles.

Gibbs walks the length of the stairs and makes his way over to the balcony in front of Vance's Office door. "It's a Monday morning sir." Gibbs answers sharply.

"Being a Marine, I didn't think you would notice the days of the week." Vance laughs and walks inside of his office with Gibbs following behind them, they pass his assistant's desk.

Gibbs noting that Vance has a new assistant and it's a male. "New assistant?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Yes!" Vance answers and then glances over at his new assistant Tom Watters. "Special Agent Gibbs, this is my new assistant Tom Watters." "Since I've been through several assistants all female, I thought trying out a male assistant would bring me better luck." "He should easily control you as you try to barge into my office while I'm holding a meeting or on the phone."

"I doubt it." Gibbs smirks and walks inside the office and takes a seat at the conference table.

Vance walks inside and closes the door behind him. "Other than the glitch with MI-5, all in all, you and your team figured out who was responsible for the attempt on Agent David's life." "Now we have to try and identify the remains down in Autopsy and find out who was driving the SUV." Vance smoothly answers and takes a seat at the head of the conference table.

"And we still have to find Serena Morris." Gibbs answers.

"I had a MTAC feed with Nicolas Liakos from NIS about an hour ago." "He said that Serena Morris was an alias for one of their operatives and her where bouts are classified at this time."

"Classified!" Gibbs growls.

"Gibbs I'm not going to getting into with the Greeks at this time, they passed on vital information to Ziva about a terrorist attack." "Gahiji Ulman was taken out." "End of story."

"Your right!" Gibbs answers, once again sucking up to Vance, this time for Jenny.

"I usually am Jethro." Vance grins and gets up from his chair. "Reminder I'm having breakfast with the SecNav and I'll be up on the hill all day."

"I thought that the politicians on the hill are still out on vacation?" Gibbs snorts.

"They are, but some of their advisors are still working." "I'm looking out for NCIS' interest."

"Computer geeks down in the cyber division could always use a new toy." Gibbs sarcastically answers and gets up from his chair.

"Computers are the way of the future Jethro; you better get used to it or retire." Vance snaps.

"The only way I'm going out as an NCIS Agent is not by retirement." "You're not getting rid of me Director so get use to it." Gibbs grins at him and walks out of the office.

"You can always go out like the way your mentor did." Vance answers with a menacing grin on his face.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

1415 Hours EEST

On a rainy afternoon Jasper Shepard is sitting in his study waiting for his satellite phone to ring. Cyrus walks in. "No word on your daughter's where a bouts?" Cyrus asks with concern.

"No, it's been nearly three weeks since she's disappeared in Miami." Shepard answers.

"Kort said that Jenny was trained by one of the best agents at NCIS." Cyrus smiles.

"I know all about Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs." "Of all of the men for my daughter to fall in love with." Shepard answers in disgust. "She was brought up to marry an attorney a doctor or even a military officer." "Not to fall in love with a man that grew up in a coal mine town, who enlisted in the Marine Corps and only went as far as Gunnery Sargent."

"You think she's tracked down Agent Gibbs."

"No she knows the consequences of her actions if she does." Shepard smirks and takes a puff from his cigar. His satellite phone begins to ring. "Cyrus!" Shepard nods over at him to leave the room. Cyrus walks out and closes the door behind him. Shepard picks up his phone from the top of his desk. "Kosmo Galanos!" He answers.

Washington, DC

0715 Hours

"Kosmo you sound miserable." Kort baits him from outside a newsstand.

"You find my daughter." Shepard snarls.

"No but I found out some more clues." Kort answers and walks over to his car and gets inside.

"I'm listening!"

"On August 11th she took a bus from Miami to Savannah, Georgia." "From there she rented a car, 2011 Ford Focus and drove it to Washington and checked into a Motel 6 on route 29 on August 12th." "All under her burn alias Harriett Jones." "She paid her room in cash for a week." "According to the maids and motel manager Jenny stayed in her room and did not venture outside." "The only time she went outside is when the deliveryman from the take-out food places she would order lunch and dinner from." "When the week was up on her room, the maid went inside to clean it and found Jenny's room with her belongings gone and the card key to her room lying on top of the nightstand." Kort informs him.

"Were you able to do a GPS trace of her rental car?" Shepard asks.

"It appears that Budget is in the process of a computer change over and it's going to be another week."

"Another week!" Shepard shouts.

"I'm afraid so." Kort grumbles.

"There still has been no activity on her satellite phone and laptop since she was on board her plane from Riohacha."

"I know that was her last known e-mail and it was sent to me about EJ Barrett and Julien Benoit's meeting in Riohacha." Kort answers.

"Then Benoit out bid us on the arms shipment with Bernardo Suárez." "The money I lost on that deal." Shepard sighs.

"Is that all you care about is money?"

"Yes!" "Someday it will all be left behind for my daughter when she takes over my empire."

"What makes you think she wants to continue working for the CIA?"

"By then she'll get over her past life as Jenny Shepard." Shepard answers with an evil grin on his face.

"I highly doubt that sir." Kort chuckles.

"Do not under estimate my daughter." "She gets her ambition streak from me." "How do you think she leap frogged from Probationary Status Agent to Director of NCIS with in nine years?" "Like me, when my daughter has her mind set on something there's no stopping her."

Back in Washington, Jenny in the backroom of the Schwartz house and is trying to concentrate on her book. "Bastard!" Jenny hisses and tosses her book off to the side of the bed. She flashes back to the argument that she had with Gibbs from this morning.

0620 Hours

"I don't understand why you can't give me a short synopsis on your investigation."

"No, the only thing I want you doing today is going over Decker's insurance policy and resting."

"Jethro I can't lie in bed all day long." Jenny whines in protest.

"The answer is no." Gibbs growls.

Ducky walks in with Jenny's breakfast. "I can hear your voices down the stairs." Ducky chastises them.

"It seems that Agent Jones doesn't want to take orders from me." Gibbs smirks.

"Right, your roles are reversed once again." Ducky mutters and puts the tray down on top of the table. "While the two of you battle this out, I'm going to work." Ducky sighs and quickly walks out of the room.

"Agent Jones!" Jenny hisses and gets up from the bed and walks over to the table and sits down.

Gibbs leans over the table and makes eye contact with Jenny. "Yes Agent Jones, I'm the boss and remember that." Gibbs grins.

Jenny glaring into the depths of Gibbs blue eyes. "Special Agent Gibbs does the initials F.O. mean anything to you." Jenny snaps at him.

"Don't use text message garble with me this early in the morning." Gibbs barks.

"You don't know what it means." Jenny laughs.

"I know what it means." Gibbs answers and backs away from the table.

"Liar!" Jenny snickers.

Gibbs takes Jenny's Styrofoam plate and glass of orange juice from the plate. "Do so!" Gibbs snarls and starts to walk off for the door. "Two things that I want you concentrating on today." "Bed rest and Decker's insurance policy." Gibbs shouts and walks out the door.

"Go to hell!" Jenny angrily shouts at him.

"Been there done that." Gibbs shouts back.

"Son of a bitch for once he got the last word in, but not for long." Jenny answers with a mischievous grin on his face.

Outside in the back of Ducky's house ten minutes later, Gibbs gets inside his green and black Dodge Charger. Just as he's about to turn his key to start his car his burn phone rings for an incoming text message. "Better not be Abby." Gibbs grumbles and takes his glasses from his inside pocket and puts them on. Taking out his burn phone from his front pocket Gibbs notices on the display panel that he has an incoming text message from 'Mommy'. He flips open his phone and presses in the accept button. "That bitch!" Gibbs snarls as he reads Jenny's text message defining the initials F.O. to him. "And once again, she gets in the last word." Gibbs whines in protest.

Present Time

"Jethro can be so dense at times." Jenny sighs in exasperation and takes off her glasses and puts them on top of the nightstand. "Boss wants me to sleep; I might as well follow orders." Jenny answers and closes her eyes.

Abby's Lab

0900 Hours

Team Gibbs along with Abby and Ducky are assembled into the backroom in Abby's Lab. "Where's Jimmy?" Abby curiously asks.

"At a funeral, he won't be in until this afternoon." Ducky answers.

"What we're going to be discussing doesn't concern him anyway." Gibbs answers and takes a seat on the corner of Abby's desk.

"I take it you questioned Harriett yesterday." Tony smirks.

"Yes!" Gibbs answers and then looks over at each and every one that's standing in front of him. "I'm angry and hurt at Jenny and the three parties that were involved with the cover up of her death." "I know the three of you were under orders and that Kort and Jasper Shepard were both holding something over Jenny's head that would have sent the both of us to prison." "It still does not excuse the four of you." Gibbs angrily growls. "I'm your boss Tony, first and fore most." "Ducky how long have we've been friends." Gibbs frowns in disappointment. "And lastly whether Jen was up in that Director's Office or not, she is and always will be my partner and should have gone to me the moment Sasha Gordon approached her at Decker's funeral." "She should not have called Mike in on it." "Mike had enough on his plate watching over Leyla and Amira and did not have to be involved with it." Gibbs barks.

"Boss I'm-!"

"I don't care DiNozzo." "You can apologize to your blue in the face and it won't change the outcome." "I'm angry and hurt at the four of you."

"Ok your angry and hurt, where do we go from here?" Tony defiantly asks.

"Discretely continue our investigation." "Everything stays in this room." "You and McGee will rotate every two hours when Vance is in the building." "I want to know who Benoit sent to take out Jenny and Ziva." "I want all information that leads to EJ, Barrett, Phillip Davenport, and Leon Vance."

Inside the capital, Vance is sitting in an empty conference room waiting for several advisers that will help sway funding towards NCIS's way during the fall session. Vance's Blackberry begins to ring, on the display panel Vance read's Davenports Mobile phone. "Leon Vance!" He answers.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

EJ Barrett's Beach House

"Are we in the clear?" Davenport curiously asks.

"Smooth sailing, the attempt on David has nothing to do with our business transaction with Julien Benoit." Vance grins.

"It seems that Benoit made out well on the reselling of the arms that he bought from Bernardo Suárez." "He sent the three of us a bonus."

"We're treading water double crossing the CIA." Vance warns him.

"I don't give a rat's ass Leon." "Because of the CIA's screw up during Jonas Cobb's assassin training." "It's their fault that Cobb went on a killing spree." "Not the Navy's." "I had to resign my position as Secretary of the Navy and my niece had to resign her position at NCIS." "I was looking forward in watching her ascend the lengths; maybe she would have made her way to the Directors Office." Davenports says with regret.

"I doubt after the debacle with my predecessor that another woman will ever be appointed as the head of a Federal Arms Agency."

"Isn't the current Homeland Security Secretary a female?" Davenport snorts.

"A moot point." "I have my eye on that position." Vance smirks.

"So when does Benoit get the next report on which arms dealer that NCIS is investigating?" Davenport sheepishly asks.

"Middle of next month." "I don't want to make ourselves obvious." Leon mutters.

"I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall on our competitor's villa when he found out that Julien Benoit stole an arms deal right under his nose." Davenport laughs.

"I'm surprised that he hasn't sent Trent Kort over to deal with us." Vance sighs.

"If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have went into business with Kort and his boss." Davenport seethes.

"We only went through with that may I remind you, because of the joint Navy-CIA Mission that involved using the Navy Seals."

"And again it backfired and bit me in the ass." "Nothing good ever works out while working with the CIA."

Several advisors walk through the door. "My meeting is about to start." Vance informs him.

"If anything should come up call me?"

"I will, keep me posted on that op Danielle." Vance instructs her and hangs up. "Sorry one of my MTAC Technicians needed my assistance." Vance grins and gets up from his chair.

Lunch time, Abby carrying a take-out bag, walks in through the back door of Ducky's house. "It's a good thing that Ducky's house keeper only works four hours." Abby smiles.

Next door, Jenny is lying in bed reading a book. Abby walks in and smiles at her. "You had daddy in rare form this morning." Abby giggles and walks over to the table.

"He's pissed because I got the last word in as usual." Jenny laughs and tosses her book off to the side. She takes off her glasses and puts them down on the nightstand. "Something smells good."

"I brought over Indian food."

"The only place in Europe that makes half way decent Indian take-out food is over in London." Jenny smiles and gets out of bed.

"You're moving around free of pain." Abby notes as she unpacks the bag.

"Trust me it hurts Abby." Jenny grimaces and walks over to the table and sits down. "But I rather be in pain, then having Jethro hauling me around the house." Jenny hisses.

"Actually I think he enjoys taking care of you." Abby smiles.

"I'm use to taking care of myself." "It's bad enough that I have to have Ducky help me with my bath." "My hair is in desperate need of a shampooing."

"I can help you with that after lunch." Abby offers.

"You're a life saver." Jenny smiles.

Forty minutes later, after visiting Ziva at Bethesda, Gibbs and McGee are sitting outside on a picnic table in front of a hotdog stand.

"I wonder how Jenny is making out today in her new hide out?" McGee curiously ponders.

"Between the books and the little project I gave her last night, she should be settled in." Gibbs answers between bites of his hotdog

"You think she'll try and sneak away?"

"No, Jenny deep down inside wants her life back Tim." "The only way she can get it back is if we help her."

"You got Vance's copy of Abby's report." "How are you going to get Jenny's gun back from her father?"

"Haven't thought of it yet McGee." Gibbs grumbles and gets up from his chair and tosses his hotdog wrapper into the trashcan.

"It's going to be hard for Jenny to sneak out of the country." McGee notes.

"I know!" Gibbs answers and takes in a deep breath. "Somehow some way I'll figure it out McGee."


	19. Tyler Keith OwensLeon Vance

Back at NCIS headquarters after lunch, Tony and McGee are standing in the aisle way between Gibbs and McGee's desk. "Gibbs still in a bad mood?" Tony asks and glances around the bullpen and makes sure that Gibbs isn't around.

"So so!" McGee answers.

"I wonder what she did to piss him off." Tony asks.

Vance walks in and over hears Tony's conversation. "Piss who off Agent DiNozzo?" Vance curiously asks.

"Ziva!" Tony lies and looks over at McGee to cover up for him.

"They got into an argument over her father." McGee answers.

"I don't care what Gibbs says about Director David." "He's a good man." Vance smiles and walks off for the stairs.

Tony waits for Vance to get up inside of his office. "He's back early." Tony curiously asks.

Gibbs walks in with a fudge pop in his hand. "Who's back early?"

"Director Vance!" "Tony nearly slipped on mentioning you know whose name in the Squad Room." McGee tattles.

"Great DiNozzo!" Gibbs growls and walks over to his desk.

"Don't worry I recovered." Tony grins and walks over to his desk and sits down.

Abby walks in returning from lunch with a big smile on her face. "You're late!" Gibbs playfully barks at her.

"I had my reasons." Abby grins and walks off for the elevator.

"Cluck, cluck, cluck." "Is that all that women ever do?" Tony laughs.

"When their plotting against the male species yes." Gibbs grumbles.

Half an hour later down in Abby's Lab, Gibbs walks in and finds Abby sitting in front of the counter at her workstation. "What were the two of you up to?" Gibbs growls as he approaches Abby.

"Girl stuff that you wouldn't know about Gibbs." Abby giggles.

"I guess you're making up for lack of gossiping that the two of you use to do down here." Gibbs smirks.

"Gibbs I missed her." Abby pouts.

"I miss Jen my partner, not Madame Director."

"Aren't they the same person?" Abby shrugs.

"Madame Director defines Jenny's ambitious side." "That's the side of her I despise, because her ambition cost us." Gibbs sadly answers on the life that him and Jenny would have had together if Jenny hadn't chosen the job offer in Paris.

"Well if you get her gun back, she won't need to be Madame Director." "And you think of it Gibbs, Jen your partner is back at the Swartz's, playing field agent on Ziva's laptop."

"She better be resting in between."

"Jenny was lying in bed reading a book when I walked in during lunch time, actually she told me that's what she was doing all morning and hadn't ventured out of bed much after she ate breakfast."

"That's because she over did it yesterday, Jen needs to slow down." Gibbs sighs.

McGee walks in. "I'm going to get started on those reports for Jenny." McGee nods and walks into the backroom.

"That should keep her busy tomorrow." Abby smiles.

"Jen will have them read by the time she goes to bed tonight." Gibbs laughs and turns and walks off for the door. "If Tony should call down to alert us about Vance, tell him I'm on my way down to Ducky's." Gibbs calls over his shoulder and walks off for the elevator.

"Admit it Gibbs, you were attracted to Madame Director." Abby grins.

Down in autopsy Ducky and Palmer are sitting at Ducky's desk, discussing Palmer's wedding arrangements for next spring. "It's a big step Mr. Palmer." Ducky muses.

Gibbs walks in on cue. "What is?" Gibbs shrugs and walks over to them.

"Mr. Palmer's upcoming wedding nuptials." Ducky smiles.

"Been there done that." Gibbs chuckles.

"Yes I know I was there for all three of them Jethro." Ducky snorts.

"You would have to remind me." Gibbs grumbles.

"I adored ex-wife number one and introduced you to number three." "Number two that was your undoing." Ducky mutters.

"She that bad." Palmer sheepishly asks.

"She cleaned out my bank account and Fornell's when she left him as well." Gibbs snarls.

"Not to mention the indentation she put on your scalp." Ducky grins.

"Keep throwing that in my face Duck." Gibbs whines.

"Why did Diane hit you over the head with a golf club?" Palmer inquires.

"Because Agent Gibbs was more interested at working late hours at the office working with a certain Probationary Status Agent, who I may mention is recovering in a back bedroom in my next door neighbor's house." Ducky winks.

"I had two choices, head down the basement and get drunk on a bottle of bourbon or work late at the office and get off on tormenting Jen." Gibbs laughs.

"May I remind you she got off on tormenting you as well?" Ducky laughs and shakes his head at the memory of walking into the bullpen and observing Gibbs and Jenny as Jenny would deliberately bait her boss.

"That mouth of hers." Gibbs sighs.

"Speaking of her mouth, who won out this morning?" Ducky curiously asks remembering the fight that Gibbs and Jenny got into this morning.

"I did and that sneaky bitch cheated and text messaged me."

"Got the last word in." Ducky asks and raises an eyebrow at him.

Gibbs takes his burn phone from his pocket and flips open his phone and shows Ducky the message. "I'd say!"

"What's it say?" Palmer asks and is about to glance down at Gibbs' phone.

"Never mind!" Gibbs answers and closes his phone shut.

Up in the Squad Room, Tony is watching ZNN on a monitor behind his desk. Vance steps out of his office and walks over to the elevator. "So it begins." Tony grins and waits for Vance to get inside the elevator.

Down in Abby's Lab. "I'm visiting Ziva tonight." Abby calls out to McGee in the backroom.

"She seemed kind of tired when Gibbs and I left her at lunch time." McGee shouts back.

Abby's phone begins to ring. Picking up her cordless phone from the counter. "Hello!" She answers.

"Vance is heading downstairs." Tony warns her.

"Gibbs is down at Ducky's." Abby answers.

"I'll give him the heads up." Tony answers and hangs up. "I hope Gibbs figures out some dirt on Vance soon." Tony grumbles and picks up his phone and begins to dial Ducky's extension number. "Ducky, warn Gibbs that Vance is on his way downstairs."

"I will pass on the message." Ducky answers and hangs up. "Director Vance is heading downstairs."

"This is my cue to leave." Gibbs smirks and walks off for the doorway.

A second later, the elevator door opens and Vance walks out. "A wise decision Jethro." Ducky chuckles.

Vance walks in. "Doctor Mallard can I view what was left of the remains that were found inside the gunmen's SUV. Vance asks and wanders over to the mortuary chamber.

"Certainly Director!" Ducky answers and walks over to refrigeration drawer number nine and pulls it open. "From the intense heat from the fire inside of the SUV, the only thing that survived from our mystery shooter was his skull." "Abby on her forensics' report had indicated that gasoline was used to set the fire and that the body and the seat were saturated in it."

Vance glances down at the charred skull. "They made an effort to conceal the body." Vance sighs in frustration.

"As Gibbs has stated there were pro's on both sides." "They would be assassins and Ziva and her mystery contact." Ducky answers.

"Serena Morris!" Vance answers.

"I gather she hasn't turned up yet?" Ducky sheepishly asks.

"No and if she would have left the country we would have heard about it by now." Vance answers.

"She's most likely dead if she hasn't surfaced by now." Ducky muses and closes the drawer. "Anything else that I can help you with Director?"

"No, besides coming down here I was also looking for Gibbs?" Vance shrugs.

"You just missed him." Palmer answers from his desk.

"Did he say where he was going?"

"No, rushed on out of here and took the stairs, where I didn't ask." Ducky mutters and walks over to the sink and washes his hands.

Vance picks up his Blackberry and pushes in the speed dial button for Gibbs' cell phone. Waiting for Gibbs to answer his cell phone. "Gibbs where the hell are you?" Vance snaps and starts off for the door.

Up in the Squad Room. "Sitting at my desk." Gibbs smugly answers and puts his feet up on his desk.

"Meet me down in forensics." Vance instructs him and hangs up and steps inside the elevator.

Gibbs flips his phone closed and gets up from his desk. "Director wants to see me down in Abby's."

"Since I don't have to watch out for him, I'll head down to the lounge and get a soda." Tony nods and gets up from his desk and walks away.

Gibbs flips open his cell phone and presses in the speed dial for Abby's Lab. "Abs the Director should be in your lab at any minute." "I'm on my way down."

"I'll warn McGee." She answers and hangs up. "McGee!" She shouts.

"I overheard the warn part." McGee answers and shoves the reports on their current investigation inside a lower desk drawer. McGee gets up from the desk and walks over to Abby's workstation just as the bell for the elevator goes off.

Vance walks out and approaches Abby. "Abby do you have the shell casings that were found at the crime scene from Agent David's shooting."

"Yes I do, they're in my back room." Abby smiles and walks into the backroom with Vance following her from behind.

Two minutes later, Gibbs walks in. "Where's the Director?"

"Back room, he wanted to see the shell casings from the crime scene." McGee smoothly answers.

"Why was I summoned down here for that?" Gibbs grumbles and walks off for the direction of the backroom.

Inside the ballistics' room Vance is looking over the bullet casings. "Agent David's shooter used a 9 mm caliber weapon."

"That would be correct." Abby smiles and notices Gibbs standing behind them. "Hi Gibbs!"

"Abs!" Gibbs nods.

"I'm reviewing the bullet casings that were found at the crime scene." Vance answers.

"So I've noticed." Gibbs sarcastically answers.

"How's Agent David making out on her therapy?" Vance sheepishly asks.

"She was in a lot of pain when McGee and I visited her just before lunch."

"From what the Doctor had told me, he's expecting her to make a full recovery." Vance nods.

"Was there a reason why you called me down here, I was busy working at my desk?"

"I wanted to review some of the evidence with you together." "Miss Scuito, could you come down to the Evidence Room with Agent Gibbs and I?" "There are some questions I need to ask about the burned out SUV."

"No problem, I'm all caught up on my work." Abby answers.

Back inside the lab, McGee watches, Gibbs, Abby, and Vance file past him and out of the lab. "We're heading down to the Evidence Room; the Director wants to see the SUV." Gibbs hollers over his shoulder on his way out the door.

"Make it quick, I have reports that I have to finish up for Jenny." McGee says under his breath.

Down in the Evidence Room, Vance is looking over the burnt out Yukon. "Somebody went through a lot of trouble to hide evidence and to conceal a body." Vance sighs.

"Both the back seat and body were soaked in gasoline; I'm surprised that the skull made it through the intense heat." Abby answers.

"Most likely who ever set the fire to the SUV was under orders from Gahiji Ulman." Gibbs theorizes.

"But who?" Vance questions and glances over at Gibbs.

"That's to be determined sir." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Teterboro, New Jersey

Teterboro Airport

1800 Hours

Trent Kort steps inside a private plane, he finds Julien Benoit waiting for him in the back of the plane. "I see you like to fly in style like your father." Kort snorts and slowly approaches him.

"One of the few things that I've inherited from my father." Benoit icily answers and gets down to business. "I only have a few minutes before my plane takes off."

"Right!" Kort answers and takes a seat across the table from him. "No information on Shepard's daughter, it's like she disappeared." "And Quinn and Colville have not surfaced yet either."

"I'm wondering if Shepard caught on to them and took them out." Benoit sighs and gets up from his seat.

"I wouldn't doubt it, she's skilled with weapons." Kort answers.

"Still no contact between Shepard and Agent Gibbs?"

"There's been no contact with Gibbs and Shepard." "His house, cell phone, and desk phones are monitored twenty-four hours a day and there have been no incoming calls from a Harriett Jones." "I've also had his entire team along with Doctor Mallard and Abby Scuito's phones monitored twenty-four hours a day."

"I guess she takes her father's threat seriously."

"The idea of going to a federal prison doesn't appeal to her." Kort smirks.

"She wouldn't get the justice that I want her to get for killing my father." Benoit seethes.

"I gather when the time comes you want to deal with her yourself?" Kort inquires with a wicked grin on his face.

"Unlike my father's death." "Shepard's will be slow and painful." Benoit warns.

Back in Georgetown, Jenny with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and in a change of clothing, wearing a pink pair of Capri lounging pants and a loose fitting white Camisole top gets up out of bed. "I guess I better get to work." Jenny smirks and grabs her glasses from the nightstand and walks over to the table. Before sitting, she turns on her laptop. "Jethro should be over around nine." Jenny answers and sits down at the table. She picks up the flash drive and puts it inside the USB dock. "I should have Decker's password figured out in under a minute." Jenny smirks.

Back at headquarters, Gibbs returning from Abby's Lab with the reports from Ziva's investigation tucked behind his back. "I'm going home." Gibbs nods over at Tony and turns off the light at his desk.

"I have a few things to wrap up here, before I drive over to Bethesda." Tony answers.

"Ziva maybe in a better mood." Gibbs chuckles and walks off for the elevator. "Good night DiNozzo."

"Goodnight boss." Tony smiles over at him.

Gibbs walks over to the elevator and pushes in the button. He turns his head and finds Vance at the balcony near his office watching his every move. "Keep watching me you dirty bastard." Gibbs says under his breath.

Back at the Swartz's Jenny has Decker's password figured out. "Only a man would use 123456 as a password and note how stupid that Jethro is that he couldn't figure it out." Jenny laughs and opens up a file entitled Tyler Keith Owens. Inside the file are folders containing a background report and photos of Owens. "I want to put a face to who I'm dealing with first." Jenny says to herself and clicks open the folder, where a familiar face appears onscreen. "Tyler Keith Owens is Leon Vance."


	20. Caffè Misto

After putting Amira to bed Gibbs stops at Starbucks on his way over to Jenny's safe house, five minutes later he walks out of with a coffee tray in his hand. "Since you behaved yourself today I treated you to a Caffè Misto." Gibbs says with a big smile on his face and walks over to his Dodge Challenger.

Five minutes later, he walks through the walk in closet and enters the Swartz'. Walking through the hall Gibbs pops through the doorway and finds Jenny busy working at the table. "I see why Abby was grinning at me." Gibbs smirks, noting that Abby had helped Jenny with washing her hair. "Damn it!" He inwardly growls as his realizes that Jenny is deliberately teasing him with her choice of attire. His eyes immediately focus down on her exposed cleavage from the loose fitting Cami top that she's wearing.

Without taking her eyes from Ziva's laptop. "You could walk through the door faster, if you would get your eyes off of my chest."

"Busted!" Gibbs grumbles under his breath and walks into the room. "What was Decker's password?" Gibbs asks and put the coffee tray down on top of the table.

"Easy, typical man's combination." "1,2,3,4,5,6." Jenny mutters.

"That's a combination that somebody would put on their luggage." Gibbs laughs and pulls a chair beside Jenny and sits down. "Find anything out?"

"Yeah!" Jenny answers and clicks open Decker's flash drive. "Does that name ring a bell to you?"

"Yeah a friend of Vance's, he was murdered in Chicago two years ago." Gibbs answers and takes Jenny's coffee from the coffee tray and hands it to her.

"So he says." Jenny answers and clicks open the photo folder of Tyler Keith Owens.

"A picture of Vance and Tyler's sister Tara." Gibbs shrugs.

"You mean a picture of Tyler and his sister Tara." Jenny answers and takes a sip from her Caffè Misto.

"Son of a bitch I knew it." Gibbs growls and gets up from the chair.

"You suspected that Vance wasn't who he said he was." Jenny asks and raises a questioning eyebrow at Gibbs.

"Yes!" Gibbs sighs in frustration. "Owens was murdered two years ago." "While Tony and I were away in Arizona on an investigation." "Vance flew out to Chicago and took Ziva and McGee with him and ordered an investigation into Owens murder." "Owens served in the Marine Corps."

"You had your doubts." Jenny nods up at him.

"Yes, nothing seemed right with the evidence." "I should have listened to my gut." Gibbs snaps.

"But you didn't." Jenny answers.

"Kort gave me a file on Vance." "I kept it and never opened it up." "After the investigation into Owens murder I was tempted to read the file-"

"But you chose not to." Jenny sighs and gets up from her chair.

"At the time I didn't think it had mattered." Gibbs answers.

"According to Decker's report, Tyler Keith Owens had suffered an injury to his eye during a boxing match in a nightclub while he was on active duty with the Marine Corps."

"According to Ducky, Vance had an eye injury that required surgery for a detached retina."

"You can't serve on active duty once you have an injury to your eye."

"So the real Leon Vance switched places with Tyler Keith Owens." "But why?" Gibbs asks and begins to pace the room.

"It seems that Tyler worked under Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Davenport at Camp Pendleton for the 1st Intelligence Battalion." Jenny informs him.

"So that's the connection between them." Gibbs snaps.

"It's the reason why Vance will do anything that Davenport tells him." "The real Leon Vance switched places with Tyler Owens."

"Davenport knew he was going places after he got out of the Marine Corps and needed a lackey." Gibbs answers in disgust.

"Davenport falsifies Owens identity to make him Leon Vance, then he goes through college at MIT and off to a federal officer training school." "I had to bust my ass through FLETC, because I was a woman and Tyler gets a gentle bump from Davenport." "Makes me sick."

"The part I don't understand is Vance's family and friends back home accept him as Tyler Owens." Gibbs says with a confused expression on his face.

"Easy, Tyler Owens enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was eighteen and with his injury he was discharged in his late twenties." "Neighborhood changes, people forget." "As far as Owens sister Tara, she was told to go along with it." Jenny surmises.

"Why didn't he just go through his training as Tyler Owens?" "I don't understand it." Gibbs asks.

"Decker could never figure that out."

"I wonder what made Decker look into Vance's past."

"A week before he died, somebody had sent Decker a flash drive into Vance's past." "Who again, Decker did not say."

"Great one more thing on our list of things to look into." Gibbs grumbles and walks over to the table and flops down.

"You forget something."

Gibbs leans up against the table and pulls out an expandable file from the back of his waist and hands it over to Jenny. "I told McGee that you'll be done reading this by the time you go to bed." Gibbs smirks.

"Don't flatter yourself, I'll be in bed my midnight." Jenny mutters and takes a seat in her chair.

"There's a shock." Gibbs laughs and picks his cup of coffee up from the coffee tray. "It's the one thing that the both of us had in common; we could function on little sleep."

"When my body is fully functional in another month maybe."

"You get your stitches out at the end of the week." Gibbs asks and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"Sunday morning." Jenny answers and opens up the file.

"McGee put everything in by order."

"Typical Tim!" Jenny smiles.

"You didn't say anything about your coffee yet."

"Caffè Misto!" Jenny softly answers.

"I bought that for you our first morning in Naples." "You were sleeping in bed."

"I didn't get up until noon." Jenny laughs and raises a cryptic eyebrow at him.

"If you learn to pace yourself Jen, you wouldn't have worn yourself out." Gibbs snorts.

"Pos-"

"Don't go there!" Gibbs growls.

"Don't worry it took me six weeks to get my stamina back after I got shot in the shoulder."

"Took me three weeks." Gibbs answers with a mischievous grin on his face.

"It was easy; because all you did was lay there, while I did all of the work." Jenny teases him.

"I always did prefer you on top." Gibbs smirks.

"So I noticed."

Gibbs aroused with their conversation quickly changes the subject. "Ziva was in rare form when McGee and I visited her today at Bethesda."

"I hated rehab myself, I don't blame her." "It's a good thing that Tony wasn't there or he would have had a bull's eye on him." Jenny laughs.

"He visited Ziva after work." Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"By then Ziva would have been tired and Tony was safe."

Ducky walks in. "Putting Agent Jones to work." Ducky chuckles and approaches the table.

"Please I despise the name of my alias; I have no idea why my father came up with that name." Jenny sighs and begins to read one of the reports on the attempt on Ziva's life.

"Jethro I was heading to bed, could you treat Jenny's wound and put a fresh dressing on it before you go home."

"No problem Duck." Gibbs nods up at him.

"Night Jethro, Good night Jenny." Ducky smiles and walks off for the doorway.

"Good night Ducky!" Jenny smiles at him.

"Night Duck!" Gibbs answers back to him.

"So you pinned the attempt on Ziva's life on a Somalia terrorist." Jenny notes as she reads the file.

"Yes, he was wanted by MI-5, so it didn't matter anyway." Gibbs shrugs.

"Mossad leave?" Jenny asks.

"Yes last week, thank god and Daddy David went home on Saturday." Gibbs grumbles.

"Lastly I gather that Tyler is buying into it?"

"Hook line and sinker." Gibbs smirks.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, Vance is working late in his office catching up on paperwork. Suddenly his Blackberry begins to ring. "Leon Vance!" He answers.

Palm Springs, California

1815 Hours

"You alone?" Julien Benoit asks from the back seat of his limo.

"Yes, I'm up in my office." Vance smoothly answers.

"Did you enjoy the bonus I gave you?" Benoit grins.

"Indeed I did." "The rate I'm going, I should be able to purchase a home in Bermuda within two years." Vance smirks.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you Director." "I made a profit on my last arms sale and it was directly from the information you gave me."

"Eventually I might have to bust Suárez."

"Hopefully he keeps my name out of it." Benoit grumbles.

"I'll just pin everything on Kosmo Galanos."

"I thought that the he has the CIA's backing." Benoit shrugs.

"But he doesn't have the FBI's." "One phone call from me to Tobias Fornell and Galanos will be extradited to the United States." Vance informs him.

"Then the FBI and CIA Directors will be at odds with one another, I like your approach Director." Benoit laughs.

"If it gets me appointed as Homeland Security Secretary, I'm all for it." Vance grins.

Benoit gets down to business. "When should I receive my next report?"

"Next Monday, I just got back from Munich and I have to catch up with things at the office." Vance answers.

"One of my suppliers needs weapons over in Somalia; MI-5 took out a major terror cell and needs all the weapons that I can get my hands on."

"I'm aware of what happened." "Gahiji Ulman was taken out by MI-5 for the kidnapping and murder of British bankers Malcolm and Marjorie Whitfield."

"I really don't care about the details; somebody else has taken over Ulman's place and is seeking revenge on MI-5." "I'm just looking at the large profit that I'm going to make from my next arms shipment." Benoit answers.

"That's the difference between you and your father, you have a conscious." Vance notes.

"His conscious in the end was his downfall." "When it's all said and done Director, I will be more powerful than my father." Benoit vows.

Back at the Swartz's, Gibbs and Jenny are going over the evidence from the reports. "So it's a long shot to identify what remains of the shooter." Jenny asks between sips of her coffee.

"Whoever set the fire to the SUV did not want that body to be identified?" Gibbs growls and gets up from the table.

Jenny closes the file and then shuts off her laptop. "Other than Regine, I have no idea who works for Julien Benoit." "I'm not sure if any of his father's people work for him or not." Jenny answers and takes off her glasses.

"There's an idea."

"What?" Jenny yawns and gets up from the table.

"I'll have Tony and McGee check into what some of the Frog's former associates is doing now."

"Hopefully they decided to get out of the arms shipping trade." Jenny answers and walks over to the bed and lies down on her left side.

"I take it you want to go to bed?" Gibbs asks and walks over to the bed.

"I can barely keep my eyes open."

Gibbs sits down on the edge of the bed and pulls Jenny's Cami top up. "You put on some weight." Gibbs smiles and begins to remove the bandage.

"European food." Jenny grimaces.

"After the Frog Op you had to have lost about ten pounds Jen." "You had Ducky concerned."

"My conscious ate at me for almost getting Tony killed." Jenny frowns.

"You dad almost got Tony killed." "He wanted you to back off and keep in mind La Grenouille's daughter was the main target." Gibbs reminds her and begins to tend to Jenny's wound.

"Kosmo Galanos isn't my father." Jenny chokes.

"I think Kosmo Galanos existed all along Jen."

"Greed and ambition." "I got my ambitious trait from my father and what did it get me."

"You became the first woman to be appointed Director of a Federal Arms Agency." Gibbs smiles and pulls Jenny's top down. "Ducky wants to start letting your wound air out at night." "I'll stop by before work." Gibbs says and gets up from the bed and turns out the light.

"Night Jethro!"

"Night Jen!" Gibbs answers back and walks out of the room.

"My ambition wasn't worth losing you." Jenny frowns.

Unknown to Jenny, Gibbs is standing near the doorway and over heard her. "Your ambitious side is what made you become an NCIS Special Agent Jen." Gibbs answers in the darkness, suddenly his cell phone begins to ring, Gibbs walks down the hallway and steps through the walk in closet leading over to Ducky's house. "Gibbs yeah!" He answers and listens in. "We'll be there in twenty minutes."

Rock Creek Park

Twenty Minutes Later

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee are along a path. "Harvey Stone was walking his dog along this path." "His dog had gone over to that bush to relieve himself and that's when Mr. Stone found the gun underneath of it." McGee informs them.

"Where is Mr. Stone?" Gibbs asks and looks around the park.

"Sitting in a Metro PD police car." "They held him up for questioning." McGee answers.

"Tony question him." Gibbs nods.

"On it!" Tony answers and walks off towards the police car.

"Think it's our shooters weapon?" McGee asks.

"Could be since the SUV was found nearby." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"I hope so." "I want to know who we're dealing with boss." McGee sighs.

"What we're dealing with is the Frog Junior." "He sent his people out to eliminate Jenny." "Unfortunately Ziva was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"To get even with Jenny's father?" McGee asks.

"No to get even with Jenny for killing his father." Gibbs frowns and walks off towards the direction of the truck. "Killing La Grenouille, this is the price you had to pay Jenny." Gibbs says to into the moon lit night. He stares up into the sky. "I'll get you out of this." He vows.

_*Author's Note*_

_In time I will get around to correcting in this story and my three other stories that I've written._

_I must be color blind with my old pair of glasses. Gibbs drives a yellow and black 1971 Dodge _

_Challenger RT Hemi. On one of my recent chapters that I've written I needed to do background_

_on his car and I noted my error. Eventually I will have it corrected it._


	21. She Will Always Be My Probie

Jenny in a back bedroom at Ducky's house glances out the window, noting the alley that separates Ducky's house from his neighbor directly behind him. "Tomorrow morning I'll leave through the kitchen door over at the Swartz's before Jethro comes over." She says to herself.

"Jenny, it's not a good idea for you to be standing near the window." Ducky's voice calls out to her in the darkness.

Jenny startled by Ducky's presence, turns and looks over at him. "What are you doing out of bed?" Jenny asks.

"I always get up at three for my middle of the night snack." Ducky answers and walks over to her.

"My dad use to get up in the middle of the night for a snack." Jenny softly answers, remembering after returning from a late date with one of her boyfriends in the early morning hours; Jenny would frequently find her father out in the kitchen eating a sandwich.

"And now?"

"More than likely Iris his assistant-tramp gets it for him." Jenny answers in disgust and walks over to Ducky.

"Were you surprised that your father had changed?" Ducky curiously asks and sits down on the bed.

"No, because I was told of the real Jasper Shepard about a year before my so called death." Jenny icily answers. "At first I didn't want to believe what I wanted to hear."

"What changed your mind about him?" Ducky asks.

"My second encounter with him, I realized that I was talking to a total stranger." "The man that I worshiped and put upon a pedestal didn't exist." "It was all a lie."

"And you gave up love to pursuit his killer." Ducky softly answers and squeezes Jenny's hand.

"I gave up the love of my life and the possibility of bearing his children so that I could bring La Grenouille to justice." Jenny sobs and buries her face up against Ducky's shoulder.

Ducky puts his arms around Jenny and holds her close to him. "You use to come down to me and cry on my shoulder when your boss would be pushing you to the breaking point, during your Probationary Status training." Ducky fondly recalls.

"I never cried in front of him, it was a sign of weakness." Jenny sniffs.

"You were human like the rest of us Jenny."

"Jethro didn't think so."

"That's because you were his Probie." Ducky laughs and strokes Jenny's hair.

"I was still Jethro's Probie even when I was his boss."

"I'm afraid your stuck are stuck with it, just like Jethro was Mike's Probie and McGee is Tony's Probie."

"I never had a Probie, it never felt right." Jenny laughs and pulls away from Ducky.

"All of my trainees are Probie's in my eyes." Ducky muses.

"I'm going stir crazy in this house." Jenny sighs in frustration and gets up from the bed.

"Jenny you can't go outside." Ducky warns her.

"I know, I know!" Jenny answers back and starts off for the doorway. "Since I can't sleep, I might as well finish reading the reports that Jethro had brought over last night." "I'll see you in a few hours." Jenny waves and walks out of the room.

"I better let Jethro know that Harriett may be plotting her escape." Ducky frowns.

Sunrise, Gibbs walks through the kitchen door with a coffee tray in his hand, spotting Ducky sitting over at the kitchen table. "Morning Duck!" He nods over at him.

"Good morning Jethro." Ducky frowns.

"What's wrong?"

"I caught Harriett during the middle of the night in the back bedroom up on the third floor looking out the window."

"I've told her to keep away from the windows." Gibbs growls and is about to walk off.

"Jethro I think she's going to try and leave." "Jenny is much too weak."

"Duck she isn't going anywhere." "I have her ID and passport and her money and credit cards under Harriet Jones." "And even if she does try to leave Jenny has nowhere to go." "CIA has people at the airports, train and bus stations."

"And more than likely they will have her stopped." Ducky finishes.

"The urge to run is there, because of what her father will do to her." "In the end Jenny won't go."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Ducky sheepishly asks.

"She wants to be herself, Jenny Shepard, not CIA Operative Harriett Jones, Code Name Phoenix." "She got a taste of being Jenny a year ago while she was down in Mexico watching Leyla and Amira for Mike."

"And also while she's recovering from her gunshot wound, Jenny gets to play field agent and is welcomed back into our dysfunctional work family, she gets to be herself." Ducky smiles.

"Trust me Duck, Jenny isn't going anywhere." Gibbs smiles and walks off for the doorway.

Over at the Swartz's next door Jenny is sitting at the table talking on her burn phone with Abby. "Of course he noticed." Jenny giggles.

Abby's Apartment

"Did he approve?" Abby snickers.

"Oh yeah, on cue Jethro's eyes were focused on my chest." Jenny smirks.

"You called it."

"No I know how his mind works." Jenny answers with an evil grin on her face.

Gibbs walks in through the door. "Do I have to listen to the two of you gabbing every morning?" Gibbs growls and approaches the table.

"Seems like daddy is in rare form." Abby giggles.

"He usually is when two women talk." Jenny mutters.

Gibbs grabs a hold of Jenny's phone. "Goodbye Abs!"

"Goodbye Gibbs, I'll see you at headquarters." Abby laughs and hangs up.

Gibbs pushes in the end button and hands Jenny her phone back. "Too early!"

"No wonder you got divorced three times." Jenny teases him and takes her coffee from the coffee tray.

"If they were like you when I first got up in the morning, I would still be married to one of them." Gibbs smirks and sits down at the table across from her.

"It usually would take me five minutes to wake up."

"Try ten and I would take full advantage of it." Gibbs grins.

"So I noticed."

Knowing that Jenny had wandered over to Ducky's during the middle of the night. "Sleep well last night?" Gibbs asks and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"I haven't slept well in sixteen years."

"Since your father's suicide."

"Supposed suicide." Jenny snaps and gets up from the table.

"Jen I know you don't want to hear this, but there was something good that came out of your dad faking his death."

"What good came out of it?"

"You became one damn good field agent." "If your dad had played the straight in narrow and didn't take a bribe from the Frog, what would you be doing at this time?"

"Shopping on M street." Jenny laughs.

"Seriously!" Gibbs shrugs and gets up from the table.

"I would have been married, not sure if it would have lasted with the times we live in and I would have had kids."

"Boy or girl?"

"Wouldn't have mattered to me." Jenny answers.

"Just before I got shipped off to Camp Pendleton, Shannon and I were working on conceiving our next child." "I wanted a son."

"You had Kelly seemed appropriate." Jenny softly answers.

"I wanted to teach my son everything that my dad and grandfather taught me." Gibbs answers.

"You could have had more children with your wives Jethro." "Stephanie out of the three of them was the youngest."

"I didn't want to have children with them." "It didn't feel right." Gibbs frowns and walks over to Jenny.

"I remember a different conversation that you and I had once a long time ago next to the carousel in front of the Eiffel Tower." Jenny answers and looks into the depths of Gibbs' blue eyes.

Before Gibbs can answer her, his cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

NCIS Headquarters

MTAC

"I heard that there was a gun found in Rock Creek Park near the location of the burnt out SUV." Vance asks from his seat in the front row.

"Abby will get right on it the moment she comes into work."

"I want quick results, there's another suspect out there." Vance reminds him.

"You don't have to keep reminding me Leon." Gibbs growls.

Jenny rolls her eyes in annoyance and makes kissy face expresses at Gibbs. "That's it Jethro kiss Tyler's ass." Jenny sarcastically whispers and flops down on her chair.

Gibbs glares down at Jenny. "Soon as Abby comes up with something I'll let you know."

"Good, I want this case wrapped up soon; it's been dragging on long enough."

"Don't worry when I have it wrapped up, you will be the first to know." Gibbs bitterly answers and hangs up. "When my investigation is wrapped up, your ass will be in a federal prison."

"So what did the asshole want?"

"There was a gun found in Rock Creek Park last night in some bushes located near the burnt out SUV."

"What if it links back to Julien Benoit and not Gahiji Ulman?" Jenny curiously asks.

"I'll think of something." Gibbs grumbles.

"You usually do."

Gibbs walks over to the table and retrieves his coffee and starts off for the door. "I'll stop by at lunch time."

"No Abby!" Jenny asks and looks off in the direction of the doorway.

"No!" Gibbs smirks and walks off for the hallway.

"Don't worry Jethro I have another Cami top in my carry-on bag." Jenny laughs.

An hour and a half later at headquarters Gibbs and Tony are in the elevator on their way down to Abby's Lab. "So Vance called you this morning about the gun that was found last night." Tony asks.

"Yes!" Gibbs answers and sucks in his teeth.

"What if it links back to Gahiji Ulman?"

"Like I told Harriett I'll think of something." Gibbs mutters.

"Harriett teasing you." Tony smirks.

"None of your business DiNozzo." Gibbs growls and gives him a glare of warning. The elevator stops on Abby's floor, the door opens and Gibbs and Tony step out and walk inside the lab. Abby is in her ballistics room firing the 9mm Luger.

Five minutes later, Abby walks out of the ballistics room with several evidence jars. "I told you I would call you." Abby sighs.

"Vance is up my ass." Gibbs growls.

"El jefe will have to wait." Abby defiantly answers and walks over to her work station with Gibbs and Tony following her from behind. "You were mean to us this morning."

"I don't need a bunch of hens gabbing when I haven't had my second cup of coffee yet." Gibbs barks.

"Did you like Harriett's hair last night?" Abby innocently answers.

"Yes, it reminded me of my Probie from fifteen years ago." Gibbs smiles.

"You could have fooled me Gibbs, she told me your eyes were focused elsewhere." Abby giggles.

"She was being a tease." Gibbs groans in protest.

"Where were they-" Before Tony can finish Gibbs slaps him on the back of the head. "Ow!" He grimaces and rubs the back of his head.

"Let me know as soon as your test results come in." Gibbs nods and walks off for the elevator.

"Where was his eyes focused at?" Tony grins.

"She had a low cut Cami top on." Abby winks.

"Damn!" Tony drools.

"Today DiNozzo!" Gibbs snarls from inside the elevator.

"On your six boss." Tony calls out to him. "My eyes would have been focused down there." Tony smirks and rushes off for the elevator.

"And mommy would have given you the scarier version of the Gibbs stare." Abby laughs.

Inside the elevator. "I keep forgetting to mention this to you and McGee, team meeting up in Harriett's room tonight after work." Gibbs informs him.

"This should be interesting since you're the boss now." Tony grins.

"Remember Decker's insurance policy."

"The one that Mike was looking after for Jenny." Tony nods.

"Mike gave it to me after he died." "I could never figure out Decker's handwriting plus he had a flash dive that was pass word protected."

"That Jenny figured out." Tony finishes.

"We'll go over what she uncovered."

"Does it involve anybody we know?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Yeah our boss." Gibbs sighs in disgust.

"Vance?" Tony asks and raises a questioning eyebrow over at Gibbs.

"Tonight we'll go over it." Gibbs answers and his cell phone begins to ring for an incoming text message. Gibbs flips it open and squints down at the message. "Vance is standing over at the elevator up on his floor." Gibbs grumbles.

"Which means he's headed down to Abby's lab?"

Gibbs presses in the speed dial button for Abby's Lab. The elevator doors open, Gibbs steps out with Tony following him behind, stopping under the overhang of the balcony so that Vance can't see them. "Abs, Vance is heading downstairs." Gibbs warns her.

"I haven't started my test yet." "I'll hide the gun and the evidence jars and lock them in a drawer and then I'll quickly take the stairs up to the Squad Room."

"That should stall him for about an hour." Gibbs snorts and hears the bell for the elevator going off on Vance's floor. "He's heading down now."

"I'm heading up now." Abby answers and quickly hangs up.

"What are we going to do?" Tony asks.

"I'm trying to think." Gibbs answers and walks off towards the other elevator. "I'm going for coffee." Gibbs says over his shoulder.

"I wonder what Harriett found out about our fearless leader?" Tony ponders and walks over to his desk.

"How did Abby make out with the 9mm Luger?" McGee curiously asks.

"She was about to run a test on the slugs, when Gibbs got your text message." Tony nods and sits down behind his desk.

"Has Gibbs figured out-"

Tony quickly interrupts McGee, knowing full well that they're not suppose to talk about their current investigation outside of Abby's Lab. "No!"

Abby rushes in out of breath. "I'm getting to old to be running up the stairs." Abby pants and then glances around for Gibbs. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Coffee!" Tony answers.

Ten minutes later sitting outside at a table out in front of a Starbucks near the Navy Yard, Gibbs is sitting alone. Noting that there is nobody around him, Gibbs flips open his burn phone and presses in the speed dial button to Jenny's burn phone. Waiting for her to answer. "You better not be wearing anything low cut." Gibbs growls at her in sexual frustration.

Up in the spare bedroom dressed in Ducky's flannel robe after getting a bath in shallow bath water. "Impossible!" Jenny seductively answers.

"How come?" Gibbs shrugs and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"Because I'm wearing Ducky's bathrobe." Jenny laughs.

"I preferred you out of it." Gibbs smirks.

"So I noticed the other morning when I woke up, you had you're hands on the back of my ass." Jenny hisses.

"There was a time that you didn't protest my hands on your ass." Gibbs grins.

"I believe the calendar says 2011, not 1999 Jethro." Jenny reminds him.

"And the last time I checked, the only reason that kept me from your bed when you came back to Washington was Madame Director's no off the job rule." "You're not Madame Director anymore." Gibbs baits her. Before Jenny can answer him, Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. Glancing down at the caller ID he notices Vance's mobile phone. "Director is calling me."

"You are so lucky." Jenny warns him. "Go ahead Jethro, kiss ass to the boss man." Jenny teases him and hangs up.

"I hate it when she does that." Gibbs grumbles and hangs up his burn phone. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Squad Room

"The US tax payers are not paying your salary to run off to buy an espresso Agent Gibbs." Vance chastises him from Gibbs desk chair.

"Try Colombian blend sir." Gibbs corrects him and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"Get back to headquarters and meet me up in my office." Vance orders him and hangs up.

"I'll take the long way back to the Navy Yard." Gibbs smirks and flips his phone closed.

Fifteen minutes later, Gibbs walks into Vance's Office with a cat shire grin on his face. "You wanted to see me Director."

"Starbucks is a five minute drive from the Navy Yard Agent Gibbs." Vance angrily chastises him and slams his office door.

"Abby has not gotten the results back from gun that was found in Rock Creek Park." "What is it that is so important that I have to drop everything for you?" Gibbs growls.

"Watch your tone of voice with me, unlike my processor who you walked all over when it came to taking direct orders from." "I won't tolerate it." Vance warns him and walks over to the conference table and sits down.

"The previous Director of NCIS was a trainee of mine, keep that in mind Leon." "It's kind of hard to take orders from somebody, when they use to call me boss."

Vance shakes his head and bursts out laughing. "Jenny never called you boss, Jethro."

"Only to be a smart ass." Gibbs answers and takes a seat across from Vance and gets back to the subject at hand. "You wanted to see me Director."

"I've received word that you and your team keeps disappearing from the building." "It started the week that I was away on my conference in Munich."

"I believe one of my agents got shot." "DiNozzo sat by her side for two days." "McGee stayed down in forensics and got some extra help from Abby." "I don't see where the problem is?" Gibbs shrugs.

"So there's nothing to it?" Vance asks.

"None that I can see sir." "We solved who was responsible for the attempt on Ziva's life by mid-week." "Tasker and his team took him out with the help of MI-5." "Case solved!"

"Partially solved, our shooter is down in Autopsy and the driver to the Yukon is still out there." Vance reminds him.

"He or she will slip up and we'll catch him." Gibbs answers and gets up from his chair.

"I'm just hoping that they will slip up soon, I want this investigation closed."

"So do I sir, I've been missing quality time with Amira." "Her first day of school is tomorrow." Gibbs frowns.

"How is Mike's daughter in law and granddaughter adjusting to living in the states?" Vance asks.

"Fine so far." "Leyla is going to be looking for a job and eventually wants to get a place of her own."

"That's understandable." Vance nods.

"I told her their welcome to stay with me as long as they want to." "I promised Mike I would look after them for him." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"By the way, what came about Decker's insurance policy after Mike's death?" Vance curiously asks.

"That got burned when Mike's house was set on fire." "I don't know what it was about; Mike never mentioned it to me." Gibbs lies.

"Strange since he said he would watch over it until his death."

"It was Jen's business not mine, Decker left it for her."

"You were always good at playing poker Gibbs."

"Come again?" Gibbs asks.

"Jenny was your partner, what was her business was yours as well."

"Let me make one thing clear to you Leon." "Jenny is and always will be my partner; even in death nobody will ever take her place." Gibbs viciously snarls and walks over to the door and opens it up.

"Nobody ever has and that includes the bedroom." Vance inwardly says and smirks over at Gibbs as he walks out of the office.

An hour later Gibbs and McGee are down in Abby's Lab. "The bullet that was removed from Ziva's thigh and the test fire bullets from the Luger all match." Abby informs them.

"Do you know who the gun belonged to?" Gibbs sheepishly asks.

"Reported stolen in Madrid, Spain on September 22nd 2009." Abby answers.

"So we're back to square one." Gibbs growls in frustration.

"Boss I think this is a good thing." McGee suggests.

"He's right, it's possible that if the gun was stolen-"

Gibbs quickly interrupts Abby. "Then it keeps the focus off of Julien Benoit and on to Gahiji Ulman." Gibbs answers.

"How did Jenny make out with our reports last night?" McGee curiously asks.

"She read them."

"I guess she was impressed with our quick disinformation strategy." Abby smiles.

"Jenny's seen it before Abs." Gibbs shrugs.

"What time do you want us at Jenny's safe house?" McGee answers.

"After work, order take-out and we'll meet in the back room over at the Swartz's."

"How come I'm not invited?" Abby pouts.

"You're more than welcome to come." Gibbs laughs.

"Good, it will seem like old times." Abby beams with excitement.

"Boss I miss Jenny at the office." McGee frowns.

"I miss the fights in the office." Abby giggles.

"I miss getting off when I pissed off Madame Director." Gibbs smirks.

"Yeah it's no fun pissing Vance off." McGee laughs.

"Speaking of Vance I better let him know that the gun was stolen." Gibbs answers and walks off for the elevator.

"He's been in a good mood since he came back from his coffee run." McGee smiles and watches Gibbs over at the elevator door.

"He must have been on the phone teasing Harriett." Abby snickers.

"I hope we get this resolved fast, so that Gibbs and Jenny can live a normal life together." McGee sighs.

"Normal for me would be our dysfunctional family back together." Abby grins.

"I don't think Jenny can get her position back as Director of NCIS Abby." McGee sadly informs her.

"I don't think Gibbs would want her back as Director, now that he's the boss again." Abby laughs.

"He's enjoying every minute of it."

"We missed the first go around of Agent Gibbs and Shepard." Abby smiles.

"We'll get to see them in action tonight." McGee grins.

Up in MTAC, Gibbs is updating Vance on the information that he received on the Luger that was found at Rock Creek Park. "Stolen!" Vance mutters in annoyance from his seat in the front row.

"Abby is forwarding a copy of her report up to your office as we speak." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Can't anything go right with this case?" Vance sighs and gets up from his seat.

"It hasn't from day one sir." Gibbs answers.

"I have a briefing with the SecNav in ten minutes."

"Since its day light out, I'm heading over to the park to see if we over looked something from the original crime scene." Gibbs nods and gets up from his seat.

"Alone!" Vance sheepishly asks.

"Tony and McGee are behind in some of their reports and I want them to catch up." Gibbs answers and starts up the ramp.

Vance watches Gibbs as he walks up the ramp and exits the room. "Soon as this investigation is over with, I'm going to look into Navy Human Resource to see if you're eligible for retirement." "If Kort hadn't screwed up with Cobb, Barrett would be Team Leader of the Major Case Response Team and you would be sucking down Margarita's down in Baja." Vance angrily snaps.

Down in the bullpen, Tony is keeping an eye on the door for MTAC. "Well!" He calls up to Gibbs on the catwalk.

Gibbs walks over the catwalk, down the stairs and approaches Tony at his desk. "He's not a happy camper." Gibbs chuckles.

"Are we going to put this case in the cold file for now?" Tony curiously asks.

"No, because we have an unidentified body down in Autopsy and the driver of the SUV is out there."

"So we're back to square one." Tony shrugs.

"I'm afraid so." Gibbs answers and starts off for the elevator.

"We are you going?" Tony curiously asks.

"I'm suppose to be going to Rock Creek Park to see if we over looked any evidence from the night before."

"Suppose to be." Tony grins and gets the hint as to where Gibbs is going to. "Make sure that your eyes are-"

"Shut up DiNozzo!" Gibbs barks over his shoulder.

Tony smirks over at Gibbs as he impatiently stands over at the elevator. "So this is how it was like sixteen years ago, when a certain red haired Probationary Status Agent had your motor running." Tony inwardly says to himself.

McGee returns from Abby's Lab. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Supposedly Rock Creek Park to check up on evidence that we might have missed last night." Tony answers with a mischievous grin on his face.

McGee walks over to Tony's desk and glances around to make sure that nobody is observing them. "You mean he's making up an excuse to see Harriett." McGee whispers.

"You got that right Probie." Tony winks.

From above Vance angrily glares down at Tony and McGee. "Agent's DiNozzo and McGee don't you have reports that you have to work on." Vance angrily asks them.

McGee mouths off reports to Tony. Tony noting that Gibbs had lied to Vance about going to Rock Creek Park alone. "Yes we do sir." Tony answers and glances up at Vance. "Probie was just asking me a question."

"Make it quick." Vance snaps and walks off for his office.

"Gibbs lies so he can flirt with mommy and we get are butts chewed out." McGee whispers and walks off for his desk.

"What Vance doesn't know won't hurt us or Gibbs." Tony laughs stealing one of Jenny's catch phrases.

"I believe it just hurt us." McGee pouts.

"It's worth it kid." "To see Gibbs smiling again." Tony smiles.

Fifteen minutes later up in the back bedroom of the Swartz's house, Gibbs walks in and finds Jenny in a low cut red Cami top. "I swear you're wearing that on purpose." Gibbs growls and approaches the table.

"Aren't you a bit early?" Jenny asks and takes off her glasses.

"Vance was being a pain in the ass, so I made up an excuse to leave the building." Gibbs groans and takes a seat at the table across from Jenny.

"Your lips are chafed from kissing ass." Jenny laughs.

"Very funny!"

"I thought it was." Jenny giggles and gets up from the table.

"Come up with anything?"

"No, I was about to lie down for a few hours." Jenny yawns.

"That's what you get for wandering over to Ducky's side of the house." Gibbs growls.

Jenny shakes her head. "I knew Ducky would rat on me." She mutters in annoyance and walks over to the bed and lies down.

"He ratted on you because I've told you to keep away from the windows."

"Jethro I'm going stir crazy being cooped up inside of this house." Jenny sighs in protest.

"I'm still trying to figure out a way to get us over to Europe."

Jenny narrows her eyes over at him. "Jethro that is going to be impossible."

"I know we'll both need to leave the country without using a passport." "Then we'll need to hide somewhere until you get your strength back for a few weeks."

"And you will need to come up with an excuse for Vance why you will need a leave of absence from work."

"Forgot about that also." Gibbs sighs.

"If you do figure a way over to Europe, I know where we can stay at for a few weeks." Jenny yawns and closes her eyes.

"Your apartment in Paris." Gibbs smiles.

"We should be safe, and I can wander the streets without being recognized."

"We can travel to our old haunts."

"I still go to them."

"You do!" Gibbs says with surprise and gets up from the chair and approaches the bed.

"The time that we spent in Paris together, was the happiest time of my life." Jenny says above a whisper.

Gibbs grabs a hold of the comforter and pulls it over Jenny. "Get some sleep." He whispers and quietly backs away from the bed. Jenny feeling safe with Gibbs watching over her in her sleep drifts off to sleep.

Back at headquarters, McGee is buying an orange juice out of the vending machine. Ducky walks in. "Hello McGee!" He smiles at him and walks over to the snack machine. Ducky noting how quiet McGee is. "Timothy is there something wrong?"

"Yeah, boss is turning into Tony." "He pulled a DiNozzo number in the bullpen this morning." McGee angrily answers.

"Does this have something to do with-?"

"Yes!" McGee interrupts.

"Gibbs conference room, five minutes." Ducky nods.

Five minutes later, McGee and Ducky are inside the elevator in between Abby and Ducky's floor. "Vance chewed Tony and I out, because Gibbs had lied to him and told him that we had reports to finish up on, while he was looking for evidence that we might have over looked at Rock Creek Park where the burnt out SUV was found." McGee answers with a frown.

"Gibbs isn't at Rock Creek Park; he's over at the safe house." Ducky mutters and shakes his head. "I hope Maggie didn't catch him sneaking in through the back door."

"I forgot about that." McGee grumbles.

"Mr. Palmer and I have to pick up a deceased sailor at a funeral home, in Fairfax." "He had donated his body so that NCIS could use it for training purposes." "On my way over, I'll call Gibbs up on my burn phone and chew him out." "Your right he is acting like Tony, his brain is in his pants."

"I didn't think Gibbs could get down to Tony's level." McGee says with surprise.

"Only Jennifer Shepard could get Jethro's brain down in his lower anatomy." Ducky chuckles.

Forty minutes later outside a funeral home in Fairfax, Virginia, Ducky flips open his burn phone. Nodding over at Palmer as he closes the back door to the truck. "I need to get a hold of Gibbs."

"Take your time Doctor Mallard." Palmer smiles at him and walks over to the front of the truck and gets inside.

At the Swartz's, Gibbs is reviewing Jenny's notes on the table when his burn phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers and gets up from the table and walks out of the room.

"Jethro are you insane, what if Maggie caught you sneaking into the back of the house." Ducky scolds him.

"Impossible, she was sitting out front smoking a cigarette and blabbing on her cell phone." Gibbs growls.

"McGee thinks you're turning into DiNozzo."

"Not a chance." Gibbs laughs and walks over to the top of the stairs and sits down.

"Then explain why you're not at your desk at this time."

"I'm giving Jenny the reasons why she won't take off."

"I thought you said you weren't worried about that." Ducky asks.

"I'm not; my gut tells me that she won't." Gibbs smiles.

"Unlike you, I don't know how the woman's mind works." Ducky laughs.

"I don't always know how her mind works; if I did I would have figured out that she blew her assignment in Paris."

"Jethro, I still do not know how you can justify sending Jenny on a sanctioned assassination when she just had her first kill a month before that."

"Because it was her job Duck." "You can't be soft as an agent, when it comes to putting a hit on somebody."

"I noticed eight years later she had no trouble putting a bullet into Benoit's head." Ducky sighs.

"Ziva's Mossad training made her an excellent killing machine." Gibbs growls.

"You can't observe assassinating somebody in cold blood Jethro." Ducky reminds him.

"I know!" Gibbs answers above a whisper.

Ducky glances down at his watch. "I'm outside a funeral home in Fairfax, Virginia with Mr. Palmer."

"Going to a funeral Duck?" Gibbs shrugs.

"No a deceased sailor had donated his body to NCIS for science." Ducky answers.

"If something happens to me you ain't using my body for the Probie's to gawk at." Gibbs barks.

"Too many war wounds on the outside to keep track of." Ducky teases him. "I'll see you back at headquarters after lunch.

"Bye Duck!" Gibbs laughs and hangs up. Suddenly Jenny's screams of terror from a nightmare fill the hallway. Gibbs gets up and rushes into the room, going over to the bed, Gibbs pulls Jenny into his arms. "I gotcha!" He gently says to her and cradles her in his arms.

"Make it go away." Jenny sobs against Gibbs chest.

"Make what go away?" Gibbs asks and tenderly kisses the top of Jenny's head.

"The pain I've felt since I walked away from you in Paris."

"You made a choice to sacrifice a life with me to pursuit your father's killer." "Don't punish yourself for that Jen."

"I am being punished." Jenny sniffs and looks up into the depths of Gibbs' blue eyes.

"I forgave you for leaving me six months after you came back to Washington." "Remember those late dinners we use to have up in your office." Gibbs smiles and touches Jenny's face. "After your kidnapping, I thought the two of us were working our way back to one another."

"We were!" Jenny sadly answers.

"My coma!" Gibbs frowns.

"Now I knew how your ex-wives felt." Jenny answers and pulls away from him. "I was second in your life."

"You were only second, because my mind and heart were stuck on 1991 Jen." Gibbs answers and pulls Jenny into his arms.

"Jethro it still hurt."

"I know, it all it seems that the two us do to one another is hurt each other." "We both should have been honest with one another." "I should have told you about Shannon, you should have told me about your dad." "The lies cost the two of us a houseful of kids."

"I would have had a houseful of kids, you keep forgetting your mischievous little boy streak."

"Which you always gave into." Gibbs smirks.

"It was hard not to." Jenny laughs and closes her eyes.

"I'll hold you while you drift off to sleep."

"You have to go back to work at some point today."

"After lunch, until then I'm not going anywhere." Gibbs tenderly reassures her. Jenny feeling safe in secure in Gibbs' arms lulls herself to sleep at the sound of the beat of his heart. "From this moment on you're stuck with me Jenny." Gibbs whispers against the top of her head.

Back at headquarters after lunch, Gibbs walks into his section and finds Tony and McGee standing in the middle of the bullpen. Just as Gibbs walks past McGee he head slaps him on the back of the head. "Ow!" McGee grimaces and rubs the back of his head.

"There will be a cold day in hell, when I would stoop down to DiNozzo's level Tim." Gibbs growls and walks over to his desk and flops down in his chair.

"Hey!" Tony whines and glares over at McGee.

"Finish your reports." Gibbs asks as he checks in on his e-mails.

"Yes!" Tony and McGee quickly answer.

"I didn't find anything at Rock Creek Park." Gibbs loudly answers, knowing full well that Vance is leaning on the railing listening in on them from the balcony in front of his office door.

"We covered that pretty good the first time we were there." McGee answers.

"Then explain last night." Tony asks.

"Possibly the driver of planted it there afterwards." Gibbs answers.

"I never thought of that." McGee says out loud.

Vance walks back inside his office. "He bought it." Gibbs nods up at them.

"We got our asses chewed out by him after you left." McGee sighs.

"Keep going along with it for the time being." "I had my reasons for leaving the office and I will explain them to you later on."

"I bet you did." Tony smirks.

Meanwhile at a bar in Dupont Circle Trent Kort is meeting Ray Cruz before his flight back to Athens. "Soon as you get the GPS trace on Harriett Jones' rental car let me know." "The old man is up my ass." Kort sighs.

"When isn't he?" Cruz chuckles.

"He wants his daughter found."

"He wants his daughter found, because he's losing profits." Cruz answers in disgust.

"That's all the bastard cares about is making money and becoming more powerful."

"For what?" Cruz asks.

"He gets off on it." Kort grumbles and takes a sip from his glass of whiskey.

"He'll get off on you if he ever finds out that you and Iris are seeing each other on the side." Cruz warns him.

"That will never happen." Kort laughs and gets up from the table. "And the only way he'll find out about me and Iris, if you tell him Ray."

"I just file it away and I won't use it against you." Cruz grins.

"If you use it against me and there won't be any body parts left to identify you." Kort icily warns him and walks out of the bar.

Cruz watches Kort get into his rental car. "If I have my way, there will be nothing left of you." Cruz angrily says to himself.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee are in between floors between the Squad Room and Abby's Lab. "Ducky's afraid that Jenny's going to leave?" McGee says with surprise.

"I don't think she's going anywhere." Gibbs smoothly answers. "But just encase she's thinking about it, I want each and every one of us to remind her of the life that she left behind."

"That's the reason for the meet up at the Swartz's tonight." Tony nods.

"Yes, we'll meet up and discuss the case as a team over dinner."

"Sort of like Tony's campfires." McGee laughs.

Gibbs flips the switch over to the elevator. "It's not a campfire."

The elevator stops on Abby's floor, the door opens, Ducky is standing on the outside. "Jethro, Tony, McGee." Ducky nods over at them.

"DiNozzo, McGee, I need to talk to Ducky." Gibbs says to them.

Tony and McGee walk out of the elevator, Ducky steps inside the elevator and pushes in the button in for his floor. The doors close and the elevator starts down. Just as the elevator gets to Ducky's floor, Ducky flips over the switch. "Did something happen?" Ducky asks.

"After I hung up with you, I could hear Jenny screaming from inside the other room." Gibbs frowns.

"Did she open up her wound?" Ducky asks with concern.

"No she had a nightmare." Gibbs answers and takes in a deep breath. "With her father's death being a flat out lie, its eating at her conscious about choosing the job offer in Naples over a relationship with me."

"Jethro, that took a lot out of Jenny, choosing a promotion over the love of her life." Ducky smiles at Gibbs. Gibbs narrows his eyes with surprise over at Ducky. "Yes Jethro, you are the love of Jenny's life and the only man that she's ever loved."

"As painful as it was to see Jenny in that much pain from her nightmare, the good part about it is, I got to hold her in my arms." Gibbs smiles.

"You held her last week."

"That was one sided and when Jenny woke up, she pulled away from me." "Today was different."

"You were holding your Jenny from Europe." Ducky answers.

"She was my Jenny before Europe Ducky." Gibbs grins.

"I forgot about that the two of you were running around on the side after the Marseilles Op." Ducky mutters.

"It has been so long since I've held her like that."

"She let her guard down for a moment Jethro." Ducky muses.

"Jenny use to have nightmares, just like I had nightmares about my family." "We both would comfort one another." "Jenny was the only woman after Shannon death, that I would accept comfort from."

"Face it Jethro as I've stated over and over again, the two of you are so much alike." Ducky chuckles.

"I know!" Gibbs smiles.

Ducky flips the switch back over. "Probie's are coming in to view their first autopsy."

"I'll keep DiNozzo out."

"You're just as bad." Ducky mutters.

The elevator stops on Ducky's floor, the door opens and Ducky steps out. "I haven't teased Jenny about failing her first autopsy since-"

"She died!" Ducky finishes over his shoulder.

Gibbs takes in Ducky's words as the elevator door closes. "Phillip Davenport and Leon Vance thought that they killed off Jenny." "Her CIA Code name is fitting." "The Phoenix has arisen and when all is said and done, all of the major players involved with this including her father will be taken down." Gibbs vows.

After work, Team Gibbs arrives at Ducky's. "Pizza again!" McGee sighs over at Tony and shakes his head.

"I can eat pizza morning, noon and night Probie." Tony grins and glances down at his bag. "What's in the bag?"

"Stuffed Shells and a side salad."

The doorbell rings, Ducky walks out from his library. "That must be Gibbs and Abby." Ducky surmises and walks over to the front door and opens and finds Abby. "Got one of them right." Ducky laughs and backs away from the door.

Abby walks in and notices that Gibbs hasn't arrived yet. "Where's Gibbs?"

Unknown to Abby, Gibbs has sneaked up from behind her. "I'm right behind you." He whispers against the back of her ear.

Startled Abby jumps. "Gibbs don't ever, ever do that to me again." She chastises him.

Gibbs laughs and steps in through the doorway carry a take-out bag. "I see that we're all here."

Tony smelling the barbecue sauce coming from the direction of Gibbs' bag. "Barbecue!" Tony drools

"Keep your nose to yourself DiNozzo." Gibbs playfully growls and walks of towards the direction of the stairs.

McGee noting that Abby hasn't brought dinner with her. "Abby aren't you eating with us?"

"I bought Abby her dinner, we both were craving for Japanese food." Ducky muses and walks off towards the kitchen.

"I'll help!" Abby calls out to him and follows Ducky.

Tony frowns down at his box of pizza. "Gibbs and Jenny are eating barbecue, Ducky and Abby are eating Japanese food and I'm stuck with my pizza." Tony frowns.

"I thought you can eat pizza morning, noon, and night." McGee taunts him and walks off for the stairs.

"Very funny Probie." Tony grumbles.

Upstairs, Gibbs is setting up dinner at the table, noting that Jenny has put on one of Ducky's old shirts. "Did you catch a draft up in the room?" Gibbs smirks over at Jenny, who's lying in bed reading one of her books.

"No, you're not the only little boy Jethro." Jenny teases him and tosses her book off to the side. On cue Tony and McGee walk in.

Gibbs glances over at Tony and it dawns on him that Jenny was referring to his dysfunctional eldest son. "I get it."

"Get what?" Tony shrugs and walks over to the table with his box of pizza.

"Never mind!" Gibbs growls.

Jenny gets out of bed and approaches the table. "What's for dinner boss?" Jenny playfully baits Gibbs.

"Barbecue Probie!"

"I keep forgetting that you're Gibbs' Probie." McGee laughs and walks over to the table.

"Probie, partner, that will never change McGee." Gibbs smiles.

"In more ways than one." Tony smirks.

Abby and Ducky walk in and raise a curious eyebrow. "Did we miss something?" Ducky sheepishly asks.

"No, Tony itching for another head slap." Gibbs barks and pulls Jenny's chair out.

Jenny before taking her seat in her chair, she spots a bottle of beer on top of the table. "Jethro that is not fair." Jenny whines in protest.

Gibbs shoves Jenny down into her chair. "Tough!" Gibbs snorts.

Abby and Ducky walk over to the table, Ducky hands Jenny a bottle of green tea. "In a few more weeks you can resume your alcohol consumption."

As McGee unpacks his bag. "So what did Jenny uncover?" McGee curiously asks and sits down.

"After dinner!" Gibbs answers and sits down in a chair next to Jenny.

Jenny opens up her Styrofoam container. Noting that Gibbs has a little of everything all of her favorites. "I see you got smoked turkey in there." Jenny smiles and begins to dig into her food.

"It's the same barbecue take-out place that we use to go after work." Gibbs answers and opens up his bottle of beer.

"You use to eat dinner together?" Abby curiously asks.

"Every night!" Gibbs smiles.

"No wonder Diane divorced you." Ducky chuckles.

"That was after the Marseille Op." Gibbs grumbles and then gives Tony a glare of warning to keep his mouth shut. "Don't even go there DiNozzo." Gibbs growls.

An hour later, McGee has a plasma TV screen set up on a nearby dresser. "Thankfully you had a plasma TV on your second floor Ducky." McGee smiles with relief.

Gibbs walks into the room carrying a knapsack. "What's in the bag?" Tony curiously asks.

Gibbs takes out an NCIS agent hat from the bag and puts it on top of Jenny's head. "Now you're one of us." Gibbs answers and takes a seat in a chair next to Jenny at the table.

Jenny puts a flash drive into the computer and with McGee's help, redirects to the plasma screen. "This was the flash drive that was found in Decker's insurance policy. Jenny clicks open the file Tyler Keith Owens.

"Boss what does Tyler Keith Owens have to do with Will Decker?" McGee curiously asks, remembering the investigation that him and Ziva had worked on with Vance, on the loss of his friend in Chicago.

"Because the Tyler Owens you were investigating a few years ago for Director Vance is actually the real Leon Vance." Gibbs informs him.

"Come again boss?" Tony asks.

Jenny clicks open a folder containing photos of Vance as Tyler Keith Owens. "Apparently Director Vance is the real Tyler Keith Owens."

"Jethro you had your suspicions during the investigation into Owens death that he didn't appear to be who he was." Ducky notes.

"I know and I should have followed my gut." Gibbs grumbles and takes out a folder from his knapsack and hands it over to Jenny. "This was the file that Trent Kort gave me after we had worked an investigation." "I almost opened it up after the Owens investigation."

"Almost, what stopped you?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"When I was over at his house for dinner." Gibbs answers and recalls the time, Vance's wife had invited him over to dinner, when he had stopped over at the house to brief Vance. "I enjoyed his off work life and in some ways I was a little envious of him." Gibbs frowns.

"Face it unlike us, he has it all." "Perfect job and then he goes home to his wife and kids." Tony smiles.

McGee glances up at a photo of Vance in his Marine uniform with his arm around his sister Tara. "So Tara is his sister." McGee says and studies the photo intently.

"McGee I want you to make copies of this flash drive for Tony and Abby." "Vance will be out of the building for most of the day tomorrow." "I want the three of you studying the information on this flash drive inside and out." Gibbs orders them.

"Anything besides Vance on this flash drive?" Tony curiously asks.

"Yeah Davenport and there will be a connection to the real Tyler Keith Owens and Phillip Davenport in one of the files." Gibbs answers.

"I knew the two of them were connected some way prior to Vance's appointment as Assistant Director." Tony answers.

"Davenport created Leon Vance." Jenny sighs in disgust.

"Was there anything else in Decker's insurance policy?" McGee asks.

"Yeah, a little too late since he's dead." "Riley McAllister had connections to Svetlana." "He knew about Jenny's failure in Paris and had tipped Svetlana off."

"So that he could become Director of NCIS." Abby frowns.

"Jenny caught on to his poisoning scheme and somehow McAllister found out about it."

"So he contacted Svetlana, who in turn flew out to Los Angeles and had Viggio Dratryev poison Decker, which lured Jenny out to Los Angeles to attend Decker's funeral and has Viggio tip his hand at Decker's funeral." "Decker's fiancée approaches Jenny at the funeral and mentions the code name that Decker had given her in Paris when she didn't kill Svetlana." Tony theorizes and is quickly interrupted by Gibbs.

"To make a long story short, McAllister was responsible for sending Svetlana after Decker and Jenny." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"And in the end the file on McAllister doesn't matter since he's dead." Ducky answers.

Gibbs gets up from his chair and approaches the front of the room. "McGee when you go home from work at night I want you to monitor all of Vance's phone calls from his cell phone call log and report any suspicious phone calls to me right away." "I also want you to check into bank accounts for a Tyler Keith Owens."

"Right, we could never find anything on a Leon Vance." McGee nods.

"What do you want me to do?" Tony curiously asks.

"Come up with a plan, so that Jenny and I can sneak out of the country without being seen."

"That's going to be hard boss." Tony sighs.

"I know that, I've been racking my brains trying to come up with something." Gibbs barks.

"And me?" Abby asks.

"Assist McGee."

"What about Jenny?" Tony grins.

"I don't have to tell her what to do."

"I'm looking into the connection between Davenport, Barrett, and Julien Benoit." "It seems that Davenport is working with Benoit to piss off my father over his resignation as SecNav." Jenny answers.

"Your father had nothing to do with that?" McGee answers.

"He's still CIA." Jenny bitterly reminds McGee.

"You may find a connection between the three of them, but keep in mind Davenport and Barrett is living the good life in Rio at this time." Tony pouts.

"They can't stay in Rio forever Tony." Jenny winks.

Around eleven o'clock Jenny is out in the hallway walking Gibbs to the doorway that leads to the walk in closet. "I'll be by around my usual time." Gibbs smiles at her and is about to walk off when Jenny grabs a hold of him by his wrist.

"Jethro!" She softly calls out to him.

"Hum!"

Jenny leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. "Thank you for this morning." She smiles and then walks off for her bedroom.

Gibbs thunderstruck stands in the doorway for a moment. "Jethro!" Ducky calls out to him from his side of the house.

"Coming Duck!" Gibbs answers and stares off towards the direction of Jenny's bedroom doorway one last time and then steps inside the doorway to the closet.

Around quarter to six the next morning, Ducky walks out of the walk in closet carrying Jenny's breakfast on a tray, glancing inside the bedroom and finds the room empty. "Jenny!" He calls out to her.

"I'm in the bathroom!" Jenny shouts out.

"I'm putting your breakfast down on the table." Ducky calls out to her.

"I'll be out in five minutes." Jenny shouts back.

Five minutes later, Jenny steps out of the bathroom, dressed in a pair of jeans and a white blouse. Yesterday afternoon she went through the Swartz's study and found five hundred dollars in a drawer and several credit cards. Jenny makes her way down the stairs. Outside Gibbs pulls up out back and gets out of his Dodge Challenger. Ducky opens up the kitchen door. "You're a bit early." Ducky smiles down at Gibbs.

Gibbs leans inside of the car and grabs the coffee tray. "I couldn't sleep." Gibbs shrugs and closes the car door.

"Gee I wonder why." Ducky laughs.

Over at the Swartz's Jenny has made her way down to the first floor, catching her breath at the bottom of the stairs. "Come on Jenny, you have to move before Jethro shows up." She chastises herself and slowly walks through the dining room and makes her way into the kitchen. She walks over to the kitchen door unlocks it and is about to turn the door knob-


	22. Overwhelmed With Emotion

Previously on NCIS

Around quarter to six the next morning, Ducky walks out of the walk in closet carrying Jenny's breakfast on a tray, glancing inside the bedroom, he finds the room empty. "Jenny!" He calls out to her.

"I'm in the bathroom!" Jenny shouts out.

"I'm putting your breakfast down on the table." Ducky calls out to her.

"I'll be out in five minutes." Jenny shouts back.

Five minutes later, Jenny steps out of the bathroom, dressed in a pair of jeans and a white blouse. Yesterday afternoon she went through the Swartz's study and found five hundred dollars in a drawer and several credit cards. Jenny makes her way down the stairs. Outside Gibbs pulls up out back and gets out of his Dodge Challenger. Ducky opens up the kitchen door. "You're a bit early." Ducky smiles down at Gibbs.

Gibbs leans inside of the car and grabs a coffee tray. "I couldn't sleep." Gibbs shrugs and closes the car door.

"Gee I wonder why." Ducky laughs.

Over at the Swartz's, Jenny has made her way down to the first floor, catching her breath at the bottom of the stairs. "Come on Jenny, you have to move before Jethro shows up." She chastises herself and slowly walks through the dining room and makes her way into the kitchen. She walks over to the kitchen door unlocks it and is about to turn the door knob, when Jenny is suddenly overwhelmed with images from her past life. Memories of her training as a Probationary Status Agent where she went from despising her chauvinist boss to falling in love with him. The stake out in Marseille up in the steamy hot attic, where for two days they photographed and observed everybody coming and going off of the Lebanese Trawler and the ensuing argument on that second night, which led to a night of passion between them, they had broken a rule that partners need to abide by. "Never screw your partner." Jenny whispers, mocking the words that she had spoken to Gibbs in the bullpen while they were arguing over his rules.

Their passion continued from the attic in Marseille, to Gibbs' basement where they would frequently get drunk on bourbon. The nights that they would share together up inside Jenny's bedroom in her Georgetown home. Then their mission over in Europe, London, Naples, Serbia, Positano, and finally Paris, six months in the City of Love, where to the unknown eye they were playing the part as a married business couple. By day they were Special Agents Gibbs and Shepard, by night inside their Paris apartment bedroom they were Jethro and Jenny, losing themselves in each other. "We will always have Paris." Jenny smiles.

Sadly at the end of the Paris mission, Jenny got a Team Leader promotion in Naples, Italy. She sacrificed a life with her beloved Jethro so that she could complete the task that she was set out to do, before falling in love with her boss. Her five point plan, she was well on her way to step two to move as far as she could in the NCIS hierarchy so that she could bring her father's killer to justice, René Benoit an arms dealer that had set her father up by taking a bribe and ultimately from the shame that he put upon his family committed suicide. "I never believed the CID report into my father's death." Jenny angrily snaps.

Six years later, Jenny achieved her goal in her five point plan, by becoming the first female to be appointed as Director of a Federal Arms Agency. Her first day on the job was a memorable one. One of Gibbs' agents had been killed on the line of duty. Outgoing Director Tom Morrow had asked Gibbs to join him inside of MTAC. Jenny could hear their voices from below in her seat while she was overseeing an op up on the plasma screen. The op had ended successfully. "Good job everyone." Jenny cheerfully compliments the MTAC Technicians. They file out of the room, knowing that Jenny had requested to speak to Gibbs alone.

"He's your problem now Director." Morrow teasingly calls down to her from the top of the ramp.

Jenny slowly gets up from her seat and turns and looks up at Gibbs from his seat in the top row. "Doesn't that man every change?" Jenny inwardly laughs. Gibbs has the same salt and pepper cropped hair from six years ago, his casual polo shirt and sports jacket. "Hello Jethro!" She breathes out his name. Gibbs thunderstruck at seeing Jenny for the first time since she left him on the plane in Paris. Noting his facial expression. "Figures the first time you see me in over six years and your most likely having an X-rated flashback of the two of us in bed." Jenny sighs and decides to break the ice between them. "You can start by saying you haven't changed a bit bull."

"Why start lying to each other now Jen?" Gibbs answers and gets up from his seat and walks over to her.

"Have any problems taking orders from me?"

"As Director or as a woman?"

"Either!"

"That shouldn't be a problem that was in the past." "You were a damn good agent, particularly undercover." Gibbs smirks.

"Jethro!" Jenny warns him.

"Madame Director!" Gibbs grins down at his Probie.

"I hated being called Madame Director." Jenny hisses in protest. After breaking the ice, Gibbs and Jenny go over the investigation into Kate's murder, Gibbs insists that it's Ari; Jenny argues that there isn't any evidence connecting Ari to the shooting. They step out of MTAC and continue their argument at the top of the stairs.

"No tight sphincter is getting in my way and that includes you Jen." Gibbs angrily warns her and starts off down the stairs.

Incensed that Gibbs would refer to her by the nickname that Gibbs had stuck her with on her first day on the job as a Probationary Status Agent. "Special Agent Gibbs!" She angrily calls down to him. Gibbs stops at the bottom steps, straights out his shoulders at the idea of Jenny calling him out like that in front of the other agents. He turns and slowly walks up the stairs and stands below her looking up into the depths of Jenny's green eyes. "On the job it's Director Shepard or ma'am." Jenny chastises him.

Gibbs turning on the charm. "What about off the job?" He whispers in his little boy voice.

"There will be no off the job Agent Gibbs." Jenny answers, knowing full well the consequences of having an inappropriate affair with one her subordinates. Unlike Jethro, this time around as the boss, Jenny will have better control of her urges.

"That's' a shame, I really missed you Jen." Gibbs grins.

"Don't make this difficult Jethro." Jenny warns him.

"Sorry it won't happen again." Gibbs apologizes and backs away so that Jenny can pass him on the stairs. "Director!"

Jenny slowly walks down the stairs. "If you prefer we can continue this conversation in private."

"Good, we can talk in the car on the way back to the house." Gibbs answers and walks down the stairs.

"Gibbs!" Jenny sighs in annoyance as Gibbs passes her on the catwalk.

"I have a dead agent and a terrorist on the loose, I don't have ten minutes to spare." Gibbs answers over his shoulder.

Reluctantly Jenny went with Gibbs, on the way back to his place, Jenny gave him the reasons why they couldn't see one another. "You're putting a job over us again." Gibbs growls in protest.

"Jethro I've busted my ass to get this promotion." Jenny hisses.

"Was it worth giving up us?" Gibbs angrily asks and pulls up along the curb to the front of his house.

"Yes!" Jenny answers.

Present Time

Jenny looking back on her past. "It wasn't worth giving you up Jethro." Jenny angrily chokes, her father's suicide was a lie, a CIA cover up so that he can wheel and deal the arms trade over in Europe.

"I became an agent to pursuit your killer, became the first female Director of a Federal Arms Agency and along the way found the family that I had longed for since your death. "I became some one's dysfunctional daughter, stepmother, aunt, and platonic wife." Jenny smiles and lets the memories wash over her of standing up on the balcony with her portfolio, pretending to review a case file as she listened in on Gibbs and his team as they would discuss a case amongst themselves at their desks. The casting glances that she and Gibbs would give one another when they thought nobody was looking. The gossip sessions down in Abby's lab with her dates. Reliving their missions together with Ziva over a soda and a bag of chips in the lounge. Tony and his knowledge of TV shows and movies. "How he had the time to watch TV and dated women at the same time was beyond me?" Jenny laughs and shakes her head. McGee the quiet unsure agent, when she first became Director, to the confident sure of himself agent. "Tim moved a long ways." Jenny fondly answers. Lastly the man that became a fill in father for her, Donald Mallard. "He got her by her Probationary Status period, when over bearing boss would try and break her in front of the other agents in the Squad Room. Ducky would hold her in his arms and would calm her nerves with a cup of Earl Grey tea down in Autopsy. "You were more of a father to me then my own father." Jenny softly answers. Glancing down at the door knob, Jenny pulls her hand away. "I want my life back." She cries bursting into tears. Jenny turns and finds Gibbs standing in the doorway watching her.

"I knew you wouldn't run."

"How?"

"You want to be Jenny Shepard again." Gibbs smiles and walks over to her.

"I still do not know how you're going to pull this off." Jenny says through tears streaming down her face.

"I've been known to pull off the impossible." Gibbs smirks and touches Jenny's face. Jenny exhausted from walking down three flights of stairs, slumps into Gibbs' arms. Gibbs picks her up. "Besides if you did decide to take off, you wouldn't have made it very far." Gibbs laughs and starts to walk out of the kitchen.

Five minutes later up in the back bedroom, Jenny is sitting up in bed eating her breakfast. "After you get done eating I want you to go to sleep." Gibbs orders her from his seat at the table.

"Easier said than done since I can barely keep my eyes open." Jenny yawns.

Half an hour later, Gibbs is throwing the blankets over a sleeping Jenny. "In a few more weeks, we'll both get the life that we were cheated out of because of your father." Gibbs tenderly promises her. He leans down and kisses Jenny on the mouth. Gibbs quietly leaves the room. His burn phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Tony pulls into the main gate at the Navy Yard. "Boss, McGee found an offshore account for a Tyler Keith Owens in the Cayman Islands using the same bank that EJ Barrett and Phillip Davenport." Tony informs him.

"Anything else?" Gibbs asks.

"He spoke with Julien Benoit on his cell phone."

"When?"

"Monday night, Benoit is out in Palm Springs, California." "McGee also found several phone calls from Trent Kort as well."

"Kort is double crossing Jenny's father." Gibbs grumbles.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Not now, she's sleeping."

"Sleeping?" Tony shrugs.

"DiNozzo, Jenny lost a lot of blood when she got shot and gets tired." "She'll be like this for at least a month or so."

"I take it you're at Jenny's safe house?"

"I'm leaving right now." "I should be at the office in ten minutes."

"I'll see you then." Tony answers and hangs up. Vance's Towne Car pulls up to the gate. "Getting kickbacks from arms dealers Tyler." Tony angrily snaps as he watches Vance's car pull out on to the street.

An hour later in the back room in Abby's Lab, Gibbs, Tony, Abby, and McGee are reviewing the new information that McGee has uncovered on Vance. "The phone conversation between Vance and Benoit lasted for five minutes." McGee answers.

"Benoit might have been asking Vance for information on the arms distribution rings that NCIS is investigating overseas." Gibbs nods.

"I'm curious if Vance was tipping off his father, it seemed that La Grenouille was always one step ahead of us." Tony asks.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Gibbs grumbles.

"It always frustrated Jenny that La Grenouille kept getting the best of her." Tony sighs.

"At the time La Grenouille's boss was her father Kosmo Galanos." "It's possible that somebody was feeding her father information so that he could divert Jenny's attention away from the frog."

"Is any of this going to trace back to us boss?" Tony asks.

"No, McGee took a bunch of old laptops that were about to be destroyed and used them to do a GPS trace on to Vance's cell phone and he also hacked into his office computer."

"That's how I found out about his bank account in the Cayman Islands." McGee smoothly answers.

"How stupid can he be to use his office computer to do illegal transactions on it?" Tony laughs.

"It's not stupidity DiNozzo, it's called arrogance, Vance doesn't think he'll be caught." Gibbs snaps.

"When are you going to tell Jenny about this?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"I don't want to wake her up, she over did it yesterday." "Ducky is going home for lunch, I'll have McGee make a copy of what he's uncovered on to a flash drive and then Ducky will pass it on to her."

"I kind of enjoyed last night." McGee smiles.

"Me to!" Abby smiles.

"Felt like old times, the difference now, Jenny is the subordinate." Tony grins.

"And Gibbs is the boss." McGee chuckles.

"I'm enjoying every minute of it." Gibbs smirks and walks off towards the direction of the elevator.

"They seemed a bit different last night." Tony says with a smile on his face.

"They use to flirt with one another back at the office." Abby shrugs.

"No this was different Abby, the way they looked at one another." Tony answers.

"Unlike before they had to keep their feelings in check on the job." McGee reminds them.

"I wonder if Jenny's tired because they-"

McGee quickly interrupts him. "I don't think so; you need a lot of stamina for physical contact." McGee laughs.

"Which Jenny doesn't have at the moment." Abby giggles.

"Gibbs did say that it will take her at least a month to regain her strength." Tony grins.

"Tony you're sick." McGee grumbles and gets up from his chair.

"I have a pool that I need to run, same one as before."

"Not betting this time." McGee smiles and walks out of the room.

"Why not?" Tony shrugs.

"It's not worth betting on Tony." Abby smiles and walks off and follows McGee.

"Maybe I can get Ziva, Ducky, and Palmer to bet on it." Tony ponders.

Down in Autopsy, Gibbs is filling in Ducky on Jenny's near escape. "I told you she wouldn't go anywhere." Gibbs smirks.

"When I get home I am going to let her have it." Ducky angrily snaps. "She is in no condition to walk down a flight of stairs, let alone three flights."

"After breakfast, Jenny fell asleep."

"Hopefully with her early morning excursion, Jenny will sleep most of the morning." Ducky snorts.

"I didn't try and prevent her to leave." "I stood in the doorway and watched Jenny as she contemplated walking out the back door." "She was overcome with emotion." "The urge to run was there, but in the end the need to be Jenny Shepard again stopped her."

"Was she surprised to see you standing on the doorway?"

"Yes and she was relieved at the same time." Gibbs laughs and shakes her head. "Even if Jenny had wanted to run, the trip down the stairs physically wore her out and she wouldn't have made it very far."

"Stubborn mule." Ducky mutters.

"Could you do me a huge favor?" Gibbs asks.

"Name it!"

"Before heading over to your place, could you pick up a flash drive from McGee, he uncovered some information that I want Jenny to look at."

"I'll bring it over to the house." "Depending on Harriett's condition, I'll decide whether or not that she'll look at it today."

"She'll pump me for information when I go over to the house later on." Gibbs grumbles.

"To bad, Jenny's medical condition is my top priority over your investigation."

"I guess I'll have to think of something to keep her mind off of the investigation for one night." Gibbs sighs and begins to walk off for the door.

"Remember Jethro, sex is out for at least another four to six weeks." Ducky teases him.

"Thanks for reminding me." Gibbs growls and steps through the doorway.

Lunch time at the safe house, Ducky walks into Jenny's room carrying a box of take-out from a Scottish Pub. Glaring over at her as she lies on the bed reading one of her books. "If you were six years old I would be putting you over my knee young lady." Ducky scolds her.

"I see Jethro ratted on me." Jenny sighs in protest and tosses her book on to the side of the bed.

Ducky puts the box on top of the table and approaches the bed. "Before we have lunch I want to look you over."

"I'm fine!" Jenny whines and takes off her glasses and puts them on top of the nightstand.

"Let me be the judge of that." Ducky chastises her and sits down on the edge of the bed.

Ten minutes later at the table. "I want complete bed rest from you for the rest of the day." Ducky orders her.

"Ducky I'm fine." Jenny reassures him and pops open the lid to her container. "Salmon Balmoral!" Jenny smiles with surprise.

"We use to go to a Scottish Pub in London when Gibbs and Decker use to work late." Ducky fondly answers.

"And then we would hit the streets afterwards and browse some of the shops." Jenny softly answers and begins to dig into her lunch.

"Those are some of my fondest memories at NCIS." Ducky smiles.

"What I enjoyed about that time is we lived for the moment and not for the now."

"That's because you and Jethro were keeping secrets from each other." Ducky sadly reminds her.

"It was one of the reasons why Jethro and I worked back then." "We didn't ask too many questions about our past and other than at the end of the Paris Op, we didn't talk about a future together."

"If you didn't get the job offer would you have stayed with Jethro?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Yes, because I doubt that there would have been a job offer down the line with in the next year, by then I would have asked to be reassigned as a case agent so that Jethro and I could be together."

"You and Jethro would have made wonderful parents." Ducky smiles.

"I know!" Jenny frowns.

"Jenny you have been given a chance to have a life with Jethro." "Embrace it!"

"I'm so confused right now." "Things have been moving too fast since Sunday between us."

"Just take it slow, one day at a time." Ducky answers and squeezes Jenny's hand.

"That's all I can do."

"Now back to the subject matter at hand." "After lunch I want you to go straight to bed." Ducky orders her.

"Duck-"

Ducky quickly interrupts her. "Not another word from you."

Back at headquarters after lunch, Ducky walks out of the elevator and walks along the corridor leading towards the stairs, just as he passes Gibbs' section he gives Gibbs the stare at his desk for Gibbs to join him in the elevator. Gibbs gets up and nonchalantly walks over to the elevator, where Ducky is standing in front of the elevator. "Duck!"

"Jethro!" Ducky nods over at him.

"You rarely go out to lunch." Gibbs baits him.

"I had a lunch date with a temperamental woman." Ducky sighs.

"Can't be anybody that I know." Gibbs laughs.

The elevator doors open and Gibbs and Ducky step in. "You would be surprised."

Gibbs waits for the doors to close, before asking Ducky on Harriett's condition. "Did she have red hair?"

"I'm so glad that the two of you never had children with that temper of hers." Ducky mutters and pushes in the button for his floor.

The elevator starts to go down. "I take it bed rest in order for the rest of the day." Gibbs shrugs.

"I highly doubt that she's listening to me."

"I'll bring over a John Wayne DVD, that will keep our mind off of work for a few hours."

"Which one?"

"McLintock!"

"Did you have to bring over a movie that resembles you and Jenny personality wise in real life?" Ducky laughs.

"She hasn't taken a swing at me in over twelve years." Gibbs smirks.

"But she does use big words at you that you don't understand." Ducky chuckles.

"I know it pisses me off." Gibbs growls and flashes back to the fight that they had in the elevator, after work one day.

Gibbs steps inside of the elevator and is surprised to find that Jenny had worked late, glancing down at his watch. "Going home!"

"No, I'm the Director's doppelganger."

Gibbs presses in the button for the parking garage. "I never knew what that meant." Gibbs answers with a shrug. Before Jenny can answer him a young female agent steps in. Gibbs smiles over at her, the young woman sensing the tension in the elevator between Gibbs and Jenny, quickly turns and faces the elevator door. The doors close and the elevator begins to go down. Gibbs continues to smile at the young woman; Jenny rolls her eyes in annoyance, knowing full well that Gibbs is deliberately baiting her. The elevator stops on the parking garage floor. The doors open. "Good night!" Gibbs smiles at the young woman.

"Good night!" She answers and quickly gets out of the elevator wanting to distance herself from her boss and Agent Gibbs.

Gibbs stares off at the direction at the young woman walked off in and then looks over at Jenny. "So, a doppelganger is someone who's pissed?"

"Yes, Agent Gibbs, this one definitely is." Jenny hisses.

"Why?"

"Why!" "Because you countermanded me in front of Metro Police!" Jenny angrily snaps.

"I didn't countermand you, you overruled me!" Gibbs snarls.

"Semantics!" Jenny sighs in disgust and walks out of the elevator and walks down the hallway.

Gibbs pops his head out of the elevator. "Is that like doppelganger?" Gibbs sheepishly asks.

"Get a dictionary!" Jenny angrily shouts out to him over her shoulder.

Present Time

Ducky bursts out laughing. "Jethro, face it you've missed it the past three years."

"Her mouth does have its entertainment value at times, when it does not come at my expense." Gibbs laughs.

The elevator stops on Ducky's floor. "What time will you be over tonight?"

"After nine, I want to spend some time with Amira tonight."

"When you do come over Jethro, slow it down."

Gibbs flips the switch over. "Did she say something to you?"

"Jethro she's confused right now."

"What about me?" Gibbs growls in frustration. "She kissed me last night."

"A kiss of gratitude." Ducky smiles.

"It's been twelve long years since I've been kissed by her." "And now you're telling me I have to pace myself." Gibbs whines.

"You can't do anything physically for at least another month." Ducky reminds him.

"I know it's taking all of my will power not to throw her down on the bed and ravish her senselessly."

"In the end it will be worth the wait Jethro." Ducky reassures him and flips the switch over to the elevator. The doors open and Ducky steps out.

"There are going to be a lot of cold showers for the next month." Gibbs barks.

Baltimore, Maryland

1500 Hours

Ray Cruz is sitting in his car outside a police impound yard. He flips his cell phone over and presses in the speed dial button for Trent Kort's cell phone.

Athens, Greece

Marriot Hotel

Room 349

2200 Hours EEST

Trent Kort is lying in bed wrapped in a towel. His cell phone begins to ring on top of the nightstand. Kort reaches over and grabs his phone. Noting Cruz's name on the caller ID, Kort flips open his phone and answers it. "You got something for me Ray?"

"Baltimore PD called in the bolo on Harriett Jones Ford Focus."

"Where did they find it?" Kort asks.

"It was found stripped and burned out under a highway underpass." Cruz answers.

"It's not looking good for Shepard's daughter." Kort snorts.

"I know, it's looking more and more like Julien Benoit's successfully put a hit out on her."

"Maybe her body was dumped into the Baltimore Harbor." Kort answers.

"More than likely." Cruz shrugs.

"I'm heading over to the old man's villa tomorrow and I'll break the news to him then."

"Better you than me." Cruz grins.

Iris walks out of the bathroom in a lavender Teddy. "Thanks a lot." Kort grumbles.

"You headed to the bar?"

"No to bed, I had a bumpy flight."

"I'll hang out in Washington for a few days, the GPS trace on Jenny's rental car should be in by Friday, maybe it will show her where a bouts were, leading to her disappearance."

"Suit yourself; I doubt that it will be any use."

"Good night Kort."

"Night Ray!" Kort answers and hangs up.

"Good news!" Iris purrs and slinks her way across the room.

"Jenny's car was found in Baltimore, it was stripped and burnt."

Iris straddles Kort's waist. "So this means I can eliminate Kosmo." She wickedly grins.

"When I give you the ok to eliminate him." Kort grunts and flips Iris over on to her back.

"But why do I have to wait." Iris whines in protest.

"Because I want to make sure that Jenny is dead." "It might be a set up."

"You better make it worth the wait." Iris seductively answers.

"Don't worry; I'll have you screaming out my name within five minutes." Kort smirks and leans over and kisses Iris on the mouth.

Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Gibbs and Tony are visiting Ziva in her rehab room. "Another week of hell, then I can go home." Ziva smiles.

"You're going to Ducky's for a few weeks." Gibbs reminds her.

"It beats staying at the hospital." Ziva warmly answers.

Gibbs' burn phone begins to ring, spotting McGee's name on the caller ID. "Yeah Tibbs!"

Abby's Lab

In the backroom, sitting at a desk. "Boss, I've been keeping tabs on the CIA's bolo on Harriett Jones' rental car." "Apparently Baltimore PD found it last night." "It was stripped down to the frame and the rest of the car was set on fire."

Gibbs glancing over at Tony. "DiNozzo watch the door for me." Gibbs instructs him. Tony gets up from his chair and walks over to the entrance way of Ziva's rehab room. "Good, they'll either think that Benoit got to Jenny and think that's she's dead."

"Less pressure off of her safety." McGee smoothly answers.

"There will always be pressure on keeping Jenny safe McGee." "My next step is trying to figure out on how to get the two of us out of the country without being recognized."

"Your next step is to confront her father." McGee nods.

"No a few weeks of healing time, we'll find a place and set up."

"Nobody will be looking for Jenny and the two of you can just blend in, I got it boss." McGee smiles and notices that Vance has walked into the lab. "Boss I gotta go, Director Vance just walked into the lab."

"Has he noticed you on your burn phone yet?"

"No his attention is drawn over to Abby."

"I'll let you." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Vance walked into Abby's Lab."

"Baltimore PD found Harriett's car?" Ziva asks.

"Yes, stripped and burned." "CIA will give up the search into looking for Jenny." Gibbs answers.

"More than likely they'll think that Benoit took her out." Tony answers.

"This gives her more time."

"Speaking of Harriett how is she?" Ziva smiles.

"Resting, she over did it yesterday." Gibbs grumbles.

"She didn't seem tired last night." Tony asks.

"This is from Ducky's orders not mine."

"Jenny is more than likely pulling her hair out." Ziva giggles.

Tony remembering that Vance is down in Abby's Lab. "Wonder what the Director wanted with Abby?" Tony ponders out loud.

"I don't care, just as long as it's not about our current investigation." Gibbs growls.

Back at Abby's Lab. "Saturday mornings, is when the teens bowl at my bowling alley." Abby answers.

"My son wanted to join a league." Vance smoothly answers.

"How good is he?" Abby smiles.

"He bowled a near perfect game last week."

"I've done that three times already." Abby grins.

McGee walking out from the backroom. "Director Vance!" McGee nods at him and walks over to Abby's workstation.

"Agent McGee, I didn't know you were down here, I thought that you were out with Agent Gibbs and DiNozzo." Vance answers.

"Their visiting Ziva at Bethesda."

"That should be done on their time, not NCIS'." Vance snaps and walks off for the direction of the backroom.

Abby waits for Vance to get inside the room. "Great, Vance is going to chew out Gibbs."

"I don't see what the big deal is." McGee sighs.

Ten minutes later, on their way back to the Navy Yard. "Bastard!" Gibbs snarls.

"Why did McGee have to open up his big mouth?" Tony grumbles.

"He didn't do anything wrong." Gibbs groans and stops at an intersection for an approaching red light. "Vance wants us to wrap up our investigation into Ziva's shooting."

"It's going to be a long and dragged investigation." "We do not know who her shooter was or the getaway driver."

"I'm beginning to think that the getaway driver disappeared off of the face of the earth." Gibbs frowns.

That night, at the Swartz's Gibbs walks into the back bedroom carrying two pints of chocolate chip ice cream and has a DVD under his armpit, he finds Jenny in lying in bed reading a book. "Reading one of your trashy novels." Gibbs grins.

"No a mystery novel." Jenny sighs and takes her eyes from her book. "Ice cream!" She smiles and tosses her book off to the side and then puts her glassed won on top of the nightstand. "We're not working tonight."

"Per Ducky's orders." Gibbs answers and hands Jenny her ice cream with a plastic spoon on top of the container.

Jenny spots the DVD under Gibbs' arm. "A movie!"

"Not just any movie." "It's the Duke!" Gibbs grins and walks over to the TV and DVD player and turns both of them on.

"Which one?"

"McLintock!"

"Life imitating art!" Jenny teases him.

"Ducky said the same thing." Gibbs laughs and takes the DVD out of its case and puts it inside the DVD player, he grabs the remote and pushes start.

Jenny opens up her pint of ice cream and digs in. Gibbs approaches the left side of the bed. He puts down his ice cream on top of the nightstand. "What are you doing?" She asks between bites of her ice cream.

Gibbs sits down on the bed and takes off his boots. "Making myself comfortable." Gibbs answers and retrieves his ice cream from on top of the nightstand and settles in bed beside Jenny.

"I can't remember the last movie we watched together." Jenny answers.

Gibbs pops off the lid from his ice cream container. "It was in Paris and I don't remember the title, because I feel asleep." Gibbs grumbles.

"Steel Magnolias!" Jenny snickers.

"No wonder it was a chick flick."

Just before midnight, Jenny is tucking a sleeping Gibbs in bed. "You need to slow down also Jethro." She frowns with worry. Jenny leans over and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. Grabbing a throw blanket from the bottom of the bed, Jenny walks over and settles herself into a chaise lounge near the bed. Exhausted from the long day, Jenny closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep.


	23. Leverage

Gibbs awakens in an unfamiliar room, blinking over at the alarm clock. "0400 hours!" He yawns and sits up in bed. Through the small light that Jenny had left on, Gibbs realizes that he's fallen asleep in Jenny's bed. "Wonder where she went to." Gibbs inwardly says to himself and gets out of bed. As Gibbs nears the foot of the bed he spots Jenny sleeping on the chaise lounge. "You didn't have to leave your bed, we slept together last week." Gibbs frowns and walks over to the lounge chair. Gently he picks Jenny up in his arms and carries her over to the bed. "I know you want us to slow down, but I would have given anything to look into the depths of your sleepy green eyes this morning when you first woke up." Gibbs smiles and tenderly strokes Jenny's hair. He bends over and retrieves his boots, quietly he leaves the bedroom.

Two hours later, Gibbs and Jenny are having breakfast at the table. "You didn't have to move over to the lounge last night." "Remember we slept together last week."

"That was last week and I passed out in your arms as I recall and had no choice in the matter." Jenny reminds him.

"You thought it was 1997 when you woke up." Gibbs laughs and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"A familiar hand was on my ass, what did you expect?" Jenny sighs.

"How many men that you have dated over the years, have my calloused hands?"

"Zero, because they didn't spend their free time down in their basement building a boat by hand." Jenny teases him.

"True!" Gibbs answers and gets up from the table. "Did Ducky give you McGee's flash drive?"

"Yes and I've already reviewed it." "Not surprised that Kort is working for Julien Benoit."

"What about Benoit and Vance's phone call from the night before?" Gibbs shrugs.

"Most likely Vance was giving him information on what arms dealers that NCIS was investigating abroad." Jenny answers.

"I'm looking forward to the day I haul that bastard out his office in handcuffs." "Below in the bullpen, I will have every single agent that works in the Navy Yard to witness his humiliation."

"Keep in mind that the next Director may be worse than Vance." Jenny warns him.

"But I won't have to kiss ass with him." Gibbs smirks.

"Or she?"

"I'll retire if I have to deal with another female Director." Gibbs growls.

"Don't worry I doubt that she'll hold on to your retirement package like I did." Jenny laughs.

"You threw that in my face." Gibbs barks and gets up from his chair.

"I loved every minute of it Jethro." Jenny wickedly answers.

"I bet you did." Gibbs grumbles and walks off for the doorway. "Behave yourself today." He calls over his shoulder and walks out of the room.

"How much trouble could I possibility get into, being cooped up in two rooms." Jenny mutters in exasperation.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Kosmo Galanos' Villa

1400 Hours EEST

Out on the balcony, Trent Kort is giving Jasper Shepard the news about Jenny's car. "That doesn't mean that my daughter is dead." "She might have abandoned her car to keep suspicion down." "Keep looking for her." Shepard orders him.

"But sir-"

Shepard quickly interrupts Kort. "Do as you're told to do?" "Am I making myself clear?"

"Crystal!" Kort sarcastically answers and gets up from his chair and walks down the stairs.

"Jenny I hate to give the FBI your gun." "I'm giving you until the end of September." Shepard icily says.

Back in Washington, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee are talking amongst themselves at their desks. "I had a hot date with Lana last night." Tony grins.

"What Magnum episode did you bore her with?" McGee teases him.

"We had dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant, then we went clubbing."

"Aren't you kind of old to be hitting the clubs?" McGee laughs.

"Hey that's the second time somebody has made reference to my age in the past week?" Tony whines.

"Age is a state of mind DiNozzo; I married Stephanie when she was in her late twenties." Gibbs smiles.

"And how old were you-" Gibbs quickly interrupts Tony by giving him the stare to shut him up.

"Forty-seven Tony." McGee snickers.

Vance walks into the bullpen. "Gibbs!" He nods over at him and walks over to Gibbs desk.

"What can I do for you Director Vance?"

"I want you to put Ziva's case on the back burner for now." "Other than the gun that was found the other day, there are no creditable leads out there and Doctor Mallard cannot get a positive ID on the skull down in Autopsy."

"Fine by me." Gibbs shrugs.

"I'm surprised that you're not arguing with me." Vance smoothly says to him.

"What's there to argue about?" "Our investigation has stalled." "I'll put it on the back burner while we investigate a new case."

"Good!" Vance answers and walks off towards the stairs.

Gibbs waits for Vance to get inside his office. "We'll just work on our current investigation off the job."

Two hours later Gibbs, Tony, and McGee are at Langley Air Force Base investigating the murder of Lance Corporal Ross Tyson. Over at a nearby hanger, Gibbs spots a familiar face. "DiNozzo I'll be back." Gibbs nods over at him and walks off towards the hanger. "Trevor!" He smiles at him.

"Jethro!" Trevor smiles and reaches for Gibbs hand and affectionately shakes it. "Still staying single I gather." Trevor chuckles.

"After my third divorce I got smart." Gibbs laughs.

"I take it your investigating Tyson's murder." Trevor shrugs.

"Yes, looks like he walked into something that he shouldn't have seen." "We'll have it figured out." Gibbs smoothly answers. "I didn't know that you were stationed here."

"I've been stationed over in Germany for the past three years." "I frequently fly back and forth to pick up cargo for Camp Panzer Kaserne." Trevor answers.

"How long are you going to be staying state side, maybe we can have dinner?"

"For a week and a half."

"I would like to catch up, since we haven't seen one another since your father's funeral ten years ago."

"You were like a brother to him." Trevor smiles.

"We fought side by side together during Panama and Desert Storm."

"Boss I found something." Tony shouts over to him.

"I'll be right there DiNozzo." Gibbs shouts back. "Tomorrow night sound good."

"Works for me." Trevor smiles.

Gibbs hands Trevor his NCIS card. "My cell phone and office numbers."

Later that afternoon down in Abby's lab, Gibbs and McGee are reviewing the video footage from the Air Force Base. "How stupid!" Gibbs snorts as Abby gets a close up of Tyson's killer.

"Private Jessica Miller." Abby answers.

"McGee alert the MP's to bring her in." Gibbs nods over at him.

"On it!" McGee answers and flips open his cell phone.

"This was an easy one for you." Abby shrugs.

"With all of the video camera's around on the base." Gibbs answers.

McGee hangs up. "I told them we're on our way over."

"McGee with me." Gibbs barks and walks off for the elevator.

On the drive over to Langley. "Boss who were you talking with by the hanger?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"Sergeant Trevor Douglas." "His father Trevor Senior served with me on my platoon." "We were like brothers."

"I guess you were asking him how his father was doing." McGee shrugs.

"His father died in a car accident ten years ago."

"Then why do you want to go out to dinner with him?"

"Because I have something over Trevor's head that I can use against him." "Jenny and I need to get over to Europe." "Trevor flies back and forth over to Europe carrying cargo for Camp Panzer Kaserne in Germany."

"Ok, you get over to Europe, but how do you explain to Director Vance the reason why you need to get off from work for about a month?"

"Easy that's where my dad comes in." Gibbs grins.

"Make up a fake illness for about a month." "I get it."

"Jenny should need a few weeks to get her strength back." "By then we'll take on her father." "Then go after Julien Benoit, Trent Kort, EJ Barrett, Phillip Davenport, and Tyler Keith Owens."

"All in that order." McGee laughs.

"Nothing is ever easy McGee, but we always get the job done."

Athens, Greece

Athens International Airport

2300 Hours EEST

"Truthfully I think that Harriett Jones is alive and she's trying to make us believe that she's dead." Kort says to Julien Benoit on his cell phone. Kort takes a seat in a chair near a window as he waits for the boarding gate to open for his flight to Nice.

Palm Springs, California

1300 Hours PDT

"Looks like she's trying to pull the wool over the CIA's eyes." Benoit answers from his poolside lounge chair.

"It's not working, the old man believes that his daughter is alive." Kort snorts.

"Once you get the GPS data from her rental car you should piece together where she went to and then it should be easy to find her." Benoit answers and takes a sip from his glass of Long Island Ice Tea.

"It's a rarity that Shepard slips up."

"Then explain Columbia." Benoit asks.

"Truthfully, I think she did it on purpose to get away from under her father's thumb." "Conveniently she stages her disappearance makes it look like she's dead and then goes off on her own." "I told her father that it wasn't wise for him to let Jenny go off on her own unsupervised for a few weeks." "We never knew where she went to."

"Do a GPS trace on her satellite phone?"

"Been there done that, it usually got shut off just as Jenny landed in Italy or Spain."

"Why wasn't she tailed?" Benoit seethes in annoyance.

"I was busy working on another CIA joint venture at the time." "That was her father's department." Kort snaps.

"To trusting of his daughter." Benoit sighs.

"Like Iris, she played him." Kort laughs and quickly changes the subject. "How are the new digs out in Palm Springs?"

Benoit glances around his new mansion. "Perfect, I'm inviting several Mexican drug cartels over for dinner this weekend."

"New customers."

"Yes, I want to corner the market in the world wide arms distribution." "Once I get set up in Central America there will be no stopping me." Benoit smirks.

Back in Washington, Gibbs and Tony walk out of the Interrogation Room after interrogating Private Miller. Vance is waiting for them out in the hallway. "Open and shut case." Vance nods over at them.

"Thanks to video surveillance at Langley Air Force Base." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"To bad Ziva's investigation wasn't as easy to solve." Vance sighs in frustration.

"In the end I'll get the dirt bag that's responsible for it sir." Gibbs grins over at him and walks off down the hallway with Tony following him from behind. "Hope you enjoy the food inside of a federal prison Tyler."

"Boss I have an errand I need to take care of for an hour."

"What kind of an errand?" Gibbs shrugs as the round the corner.

"Personal!"

"Go on, you deserve an hour away from your desk." Gibbs smiles at him.

An hour later, Tony is sitting in the back seat of the SecNav's limo as it's parked along the street near Lafayette Park. "EJ Barrett and Phillip Davenport are both hiding out in Rio." Tony sadly informs him.

"Find a location on Julien Benoit yet?" SecNav curiously asks.

"Last known location was in Palm Springs, California."

"We have a known arms dealer operating inside of the United States." SecNav sighs heavily.

"Yes, you want me to send a team in to take him out." Tony curiously asks.

"No, I want Barrett and Davenport." "Eventually they will leave the safety of Rio."

"Hopefully we can nab all three at once." Tony grins.

"Director Shepard had offered you a Team Leader position in Madrid five years ago and you turned it down." SecNav sheepishly asks.

"My place was in Washington." Tony answers.

"As second to Agent Gibbs I don't understand that." SecNav shrugs.

"Someday years from now Agent Gibbs is going to step down as Agent In Charge of the Major Case Response Team and he will pass on the mantel to me just like Mike Franks had passed it down to him when he retired." Tony smiles.

Later that evening Gibbs, Jenny, and Ducky are having a late dinner at Ducky's kitchen table. "You think that your plan is going to work?" Jenny curiously asks between bites of her asparagus.

"Yes I do." "I'll monitor the freight lines from Germany to France." "It should take us a day to get to Paris." Gibbs answers.

"Few weeks in Paris will do the two of you some good, you can just be yourselves." Ducky smiles and takes a sip from his glass of wine.

"All I want Jenny to do is concentrating on getting her strength back nothing else."

"That should be easy since I will be able to roam the streets of Paris without looking over my shoulder." Jenny softly answers.

"Expect the unexpected Jen."

"Jethro if we keep away from the tourist attractions the two of us should be ok." "It was the reason why I chose Montmartre as a location for my apartment."

Gibbs' burn phone begins to ring, he takes his phone out of his pocket and spots McGee's burn alias on the caller ID. "Yes McGregor!"

McGee's Apartment

"Boss I followed Trent Kort's call log today on his cell phone. "Not only did he speak with Jenny's father on the phone, he also spoke with Julien Benoit." "I also did a GPS trace on Kort's phone he had a busy day today, not only was he in Athens, but he was also on Kosmo Galanos villa in the Greek Island of Kalymnos and he's currently in Nice, France."

"Busy day for our good friend Trent Kort." "He went from kissing Kosmo's ass to kissing the Frog Jr's ass." Gibbs growls.

"I wonder if he told them about Jenny's car being found in Baltimore." McGee sheepishly asks.

"Wouldn't doubt it." "Hopefully they think that Harriett is dead." Gibbs answers.

"Did you tell Jenny your plan?"

"I just went over it with her."

"What did she think?"

"I don't know she didn't give an answer." Gibbs grumbles and rolls his eyes. "Is there anything else McGee?"

"No boss, I'll continue monitoring Kort, Benoit, and Vance's cell phones."

"If anything comes up, let me know."

"I will!" McGee answers and hangs up.

Gibbs flips his phone closed. "It seems that Kort was busy passing information around to your father and Julien Benoit today."

"Hopefully they buy into Harriett's death." Jenny answers and takes a sip from her glass of cranberry juice.

"Whether they buy into it or not, the quicker we get us safely into Europe the happier that I will feel."


	24. Favor To Collect

The next evening Gibbs is having dinner with Trevor Douglas. "I'm surprised that you wanted to have dinner with me Jethro." Trevor smiles.

"I wanted to catch up." Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his bottle of beer.

"You're not drinking bourbon?" Trevor asks.

"I haven't drank bourbon since my partner died three years ago; it was something that the two us did together." Gibbs frowns.

"I know what you mean; I haven't went fishing since my dad died." Trevor sadly answers.

"You do things in grief." Gibbs nods.

"So your still an NCIS agent, I thought that maybe you would have been fired or retired by now." Trevor chuckles.

"I tried retirement for four months down in Mexico with my mentor Mike Franks." "I was bored out of my mind."

"Bored in Mexico you got to be kidding me." Trevor answers and shakes his head.

"There's so much of the beach and the local ladies that a man can take." "If I have nothing to do I go out of my mind with boredom."

"That would be paradise to me." Trevor smiles.

Gibbs noting Trevor's ring finger. "When did you get married?"

"Two years ago, my wife is seven months pregnant."

"I didn't mean to take you away from your wife."

"No, we have a house off of the base in Stuttgart, Germany."

Gibbs with the wheels beginning to turn in his head. "You said you're going to be here until next Wednesday?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes, Genie's father had made furniture for the baby and is driving down from Maine this weekend." "I'll put the furniture in a huge crate."

"I built my daughter's baby furniture by hand." Gibbs answers and flashes back to the day that Shannon and Kelly came home from the hospital. Shannon had just changed Kelly on top of the changing table inside of the nursery. Gibbs with pride picks up his daughter in his arms and gently put her down into her crib.

"My dad told me that you build boats down in your basement."

"I did, when I finished with my pride and joy boat number three; I decided to stop building them."

"Boat number three mean anything special to you?" Trevor asks.

"Yes, I named her after my partner and former Director of NCIS Jenny Shepard."

"I didn't know that the two of you were partners."

"Are partners, death won't ever change that." Gibbs smiles.

"Since I still have time to kill before I go back to the base, I would love to see your basement that my dad use to go on and on about."

"It's a guy's paradise." Gibbs smirks.

An hour and a half later, Gibbs and Trevor are sitting around Gibbs' worktable drinking a bottle of beer. "When I get back from the states, I'm having a room like this." Trevor grins.

"It was the reason why I bought the house for the basement." Gibbs answers.

"The wife would nag you and you would hide down here." Trevor laughs.

"I wouldn't hide from Shannon, my other three wives yes." Gibbs growls.

"I'm surprised that you kept this house after your first wife died."

"I couldn't sell it; all of my memories of my family are here."

"I have my eye set on some land near Camp Lejeune." "After my tour is over I'm going to build a house."

"That's a lot of work."

"I have some buddies that live in the area that will give me a hand." Trevor shrugs.

Gibbs gets up from his chair. "Trevor there was a reason why I asked you to dinner."

"What?"

"I asked you over to collect on a favor from 2001 just before you dad's accident."

"When you hid the file on my motor pool theft ring."

"I did it for your father." "He saved my life in Kuwait, by dragging me out of harm's way after I got caught up in that explosion."

"Name it!"

"I need to leave the country undetected."

"Jethro that's impossible."

"I didn't say it was going to be easy Trevor." "Just make enough room for me and one other person to hide inside the crate and make the side of the crate so that the panel will be easy to take on and off."

"Secret mission!"

"So secret that my boss and the SecNav don't know anything about it."

Trevor gets up from his seat, swallowing hard he looks into the depths of Gibbs' intense blue eyes. "Alright I'll do it." "After this we're even."

"I won't owe you a favor, you won't owe me a favor, and we'll both have a clean slate."

"I fly back to Germany next Wednesday night at 2300 hours." "My plane will land at Spangdahlem Air Base around 0730 hours the next morning." Trevor answers.

"I'll be looking into the nearest freight train lines." Gibbs answers.

"Where are you and your mystery friend headed to?"

"That's classified, what I tell you is need to know Trevor, the less you know the better off you are." Gibbs advises him.

The next morning, Gibbs and Jenny are in Ducky's kitchen eating breakfast. "So glad that Maggie isn't coming over so I can have full run of the house today." Jenny mutters.

"Don't overdo it." Gibbs growls.

"Trust me I won't." Jenny smiles and squeezes Gibbs hand on top of the table. "Just as soon as you leave I'll look into the freight lines that lead from Germany to France." "We should be in France by late afternoon." "Once inside of France we can either take a bus or train to Paris." "I can't wait to get into my own bed for a change." Jenny sighs and then looks over at Gibbs who's smirking over at her. "Alone to sleep."

"Spoiling my fun Jen." Gibbs laughs and gets up from the table. "Tony will be over for lunch." Gibbs nods over at her and starts off for the back door.

"Play nice with Tyler." Jenny snickers.

"I would love to push Tyler through a wall." Gibbs barks and walks out the back door.

Jenny gets up from the table and walks over to the door and notices that Gibbs is getting into a classic yellow and black sports car. "When did he get that car?" Jenny smiles and begins to mentally plot on driving his car. Jenny picks up her cell phone along her waist line and snaps a photo of the car. "In between looking information on the freight lines leading into France from Germany, I'm going to get back ground information on Jethro's toy." Jenny mischievously grins.

0900 Hours

With Vance out of the building, Gibbs assembles a team meeting down in the back of Abby's Lab, with Ducky and Palmer present. "Wednesday night Jenny and I are going to sneak out of the country." Gibbs informs them.

"How?" Abby asks.

"Somebody has a favor to collect with me and I'm cashing it in." "There's a Marine cargo flight from Langley's Air Base to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany at 2300 hours next Wednesday night." "Jenny for the past two years has leased an apartment in Paris that her father and the CIA doesn't know about." "For a few weeks Jenny will concentrate on getting her strength back, then we'll go after her father first, then the other parties involved and that includes Vance."

"Boss how will you explain to Vance that you will need a leave of absence from NCIS for about a month." Tony sheepishly asks.

"This is where I come in." Jack's voice is heard from McGee's laptop from his General Store back in Stillwater, Pennsylvania.

Tony approaches the front of Abby's desk and finds Jack sitting at his table in front of his laptop. "Jack!" Tony smiles.

"DiNozzo I want you to take a red eye out to Las Vegas next Wednesday night under my name Leroy Jethro Gibbs." "I want you to take my NCIS cell phone with you and give it to my father." "He's going to fake some kind of fall that will require me to stay with him in Vegas for up to a month." Gibbs answers.

"This is good boss." Tony grins.

"How will we explain Tony's absence for the day?" McGee asks.

"You and DiNozzo were on a stake out." Gibbs answers.

"That covers everything I guess." Tony shrugs.

"How are you going to sneak into Langley Air Force Base?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Following up on the Tyson investigation." "Tony and McGee will drive the truck near the hanger where a friend of mine will have a crate filled with baby furniture that his father in law had made for him and his wife." "There will be enough room for Jenny and me to hide in." "Once the plane takes off and is up in the air, we'll take off one of the side panels so that we're not cooped up inside for eight and half hours."

"You and Jenny will need to wear a disguise on the base just in case boss." McGee suggests.

"Good thinking McGee, on my way over to Ducky's tonight I'll stop at an Army-Navy store." Gibbs answers.

"Do you want us to keep in touch with you?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Only if it's on our current investigation, the less that everyone talks to us the safer everybody will be." "I'm keeping my NCIS cell phone with my father so that they'll think I'm out in Vegas."

"So what should we call our current mission?" Palmer curiously asks.

"We don't need a name for this Palmer." Gibbs answers and then walks over to the front of the desk and glances down at his father. "On your way to the airport purchase a burn phone." Gibbs instructs him.

"Don't need to, I sell them in my store now." Jack answers.

"Who's going to be watching over your store?" Abby asks.

"LJ's daughter Louise." "She came back to Stillwater on hard times and I gave her a job helping me out with running the store." Jack answers.

"I want all of us to be on the same page am I making myself clear." Gibbs nods over at them.

"When do I get to meet your mystery lady?" Jack grins up at his son.

"When the mission is over with and I know that Jenny will be safe." Gibbs answers.

"What she like?"

"You've seen some of the Duke's movies I gather." Tony smirks down at Jack.

"Yeah, John Wayne is Leroy's all-time favorite actor." Jack smiles.

"Mentally picture John Wayne opposite Maureen O'Hara." Tony laughs.

"A red head with a temper." Jack chuckles.

"Not to mention a mouth." Gibbs growls.

"I believe it goes with her temper Jethro." Ducky laughs.

Lunch time at Ducky's, Tony walks in carry a plastic bag and finds Jenny sitting at the kitchen table in tuned with a sheet of paper that she printed out. "Got some information on the freight lines going into France from Germany?" Tony curiously asks.

"No!" Jenny answers and then takes off her glasses. "How long has Jethro been driving that Dodge Challenger?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Three years!" Tony shrugs and approaches the table. "You into the classics." Tony smiles as he looks over Jenny's shoulder and reads the classic car article on the 1971 Dodge Challenger RT Hemi. "Gibbs was rebuilding his car in the garage back home in Stillwater, just before he left for the boot camp. "He never returned home." "Jack finished rebuilding it and kept in the garage for thirty years." "He gave it to Gibbs when we were about to leave Stillwater after our investigation was over." "Gibbs has driven it to work practically every day since, with the exception of when he has to use his truck for something."

"I'm going to drive it." Jenny grins.

"Oh no you're not." Tony laughs and pulls out a chair and sits next to her. "Never every mess with a guy's car."

"Jethro let me drive his truck when we were together the first time." Jenny answers.

"There's a difference between a beat up pick-up truck, versus a classic car Jenny." "Gibbs won't let you near his car with a ten foot pool." Tony laughs.

"We'll see." Jenny mentally notes to herself. "What's for lunch?"

"Mexican!" Tony grins and takes out several tacos and burritos. "I have a bottle of Margarita mix in the back of my car I'll go get it." Tony nods and gets up from his chair.

"I'm not suppose to drink Tony." Jenny sighs.

"Virgin Margarita's!" Tony answers over his shoulder.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

Ray Cruz slams his desk phone down in disgust. "Bunch of moron's at the rental car headquarters." Cruz grumbles and gets up from his chair. "I wonder what Ziva is up too?" Cruz ponders and picks up his cell phone and presses in the speed dial button in for Ziva's cell phone. Ziva's phone after the tenth ring goes directly to voice mail. "Ziva its Ray, call me when you get a chance.

Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Abby and Ziva are outside sitting at a table enjoying the beautiful sunny day. "I can't wait to get out of here." Ziva whines.

"I can't wait for everything to be back to normal again."

"Abby it will never be normal again." "Normal for me is Jenny up in her office, which will never happen, once she turns up alive again." Ziva sadly answers.

"She can't play house with Gibbs."

"I know that Abby, she'll be bored out of her mind with in seventy-two hours." Ziva snickers and takes a sip from her Berry Mango Madness.

"Do you think another agency will hire her?"

"Possibly, but I doubt that Gibbs will want Jenny to put herself at risk."

"I don't blame him; he's gotten a second chance with his soul mate."

"Don't worry Abby, they will figure it out." Ziva reassures her.


	25. You And I In Paris

September 4th 2011

0830 Hours

At the Swartz's Jenny is under the shower head taking a long much needed hot shower. "I feel human!" Jenny sighs in relief.

Next door at Ducky's Gibbs walks in with a coffee tray in his hand and finds Ducky sitting at the kitchen table alone. "Jenny still sleeping?" Gibbs shrugs.

"No getting a shower." Ducky answers.

"She'll be in there for a half an hour." Gibbs laughs and takes a seat at the table.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Ducky snorts and takes a sip from his cup of tea. "Jethro take the two weeks in Paris to your full advantage."

"I will!" Gibbs smiles over at him. "The first time around, it was all hormones between us in the beginning when we first started seeing one another." "The Paris Op I slowed things down a bit and started to romance her by taking Jenny out to dinner a few nights a week, walks in the park together, stuff that couples in love are suppose to do."

"Paris is the perfect setting for romance Jethro." Ducky muses.

"The language gets on my nerves." Gibbs growls in protest.

"That's because you were too ignorant to learn the language." Ducky mutters.

"Why would I want to learn French?" "That's was Jenny's job being my interpreter." Gibbs laughs.

Half an hour later, Jenny walks into the kitchen. "Now that you are out of the shower, I'll start making breakfast." Ducky nods over at her and walks over to the refrigerator.

Gibbs noting that Jenny is wearing blue low rise jeans and a low cut pink shirt smirks over at Jenny's butt as she sits down at the table. "For once I would like your eyes to be focused elsewhere on me." Jenny sighs and grabs her coffee.

"Tight jeans, you asking for too much Jen." Gibbs chuckles.

"I can't return the favor to you, most of the time your jeans are to baggy to check out your butt."

"Do the two of you mind?" Ducky chastises them from the counter.

"It's not like you haven't heard this before Ducky." Gibbs teases him.

"I know I heard enough from the two of you eleven years ago in Paris." Ducky grumbles.

"What are you going to do with Leyla and Amira while we're away?" Jenny curiously asks.

"They should be fine while I'm gone." "Leyla has a burn phone and I told her that I would be calling her on that instead of the landline phone." "Abby, Tony, McGee, Ducky will look after them for me and I'll ask my neighbors to check in on them also."

"I see you that you have all of your t's crossed and you're i's dotted Jethro." Ducky smiles.

"For the first phase of my plan." Gibbs answers and grabs a hold of Jenny's hand on top of the kitchen table. "I'll concentrate on the second phase after I think you're strong enough to take on your dad."

Monday afternoon Ray Cruz gets out of his car in the parking garage at NCIS Headquarters. Ziva keeps ignoring his phone calls. "I want some answers." Cruz says with a hint of determination in his voice. As he approaches the elevator, the elevator door opens and Vance steps out. "Director Vance!" Cruz nods over at him.

"Agent Cruz!" Vance smoothly addresses him. "Does the CIA have business with NCIS?" Vance sheepishly asks.

"No I was here to visit Ziva and catch up on some things." Cruz shrugs.

"Ziva got shot two weeks ago." Vance informs him. Vance noting Cruz's ashen expression on his face. "She's expected to make a full recovery."

"Where is she?" Cruz asks.

"Bethesda Naval Hospital doing rehab, she's expected to be there for another week."

Before Cruz can answer Vance, his cell phone rings for an incoming e-mail. Cruz opens up his phone and notices the e-mail is from Budget Car Rental on the GPS trace on Harriet Jones' Ford Focus. "I have something that I have to take care of first and then I'm going to pay Ziva a visit at the hospital." Cruz abruptly answers and walks off for his car.

"Strange!" Vance shrugs and walks off towards the direction of his Towne Car in confusion over Cruz's actions.

Langley, West Virginia

CIA Headquarters

Ray Cruz is reviewing the GPS trace on Harriet Jones rental car. "It had not moved from the parking garage from the Motel 6 from August 12th until the 20th." "On August 20th just before midnight, the car was parked on 31st street from 2345 hours until 0100 hours on August 21st." "From there the car made a left on to M Street and where it had parked along a street corner near Francis Scott Key Memorial Park." "It stayed there until 0610 hours on the morning of August 22nd where the signal was lost." Cruz says.

CIA Agent Darren Wong approaches Cruz with a report. "You owe me big time."

"How long did it take you to hack into NCIS's computer?" Cruz curiously asks and takes the report from him.

"A minute, what did you expect from the bottom feeders of the Federal Arms Agencies." Wong smirks.

"Dinner on me."

"Deal, as long as we double date, we haven't done that since you went out with Ziva." Wong sadly answers and walks away from Cruz's desk.

Cruz opens up the file and reads the report into Ziva's shooting. "Serena Morris my ass, you were meeting Harriet Jones and she was tipping you off about EJ Barrett giving Julien Benoit classified information on Bernardo Suárez." Cruz angrily snaps at Ziva for getting involved with Jenny. He's about to get up from his desk when his cell phone rings. Noting Kort's name on the caller ID. "Cruz!" He answers.

Nice, France

Hotel Beau Ravage

Room 104

2000 Hours CEST

"Did the morons at the car rental company get back to you?" Kort angrily asks from his hotel room sofa.

"Yes, Phoenix left the Motel 6 on August 24th and drove north to Baltimore." Cruz answers and puts up a map of downtown Baltimore up on his computer screen. "She parked her car in a parking lot of a Foodarama on Eastern Avenue." "After that it's a crap shoot to her where a bouts."

"Or Phoenix could have been taken from her room at gunpoint by one of Benoit's men." Kort answers.

"Could be a possibility with her car turning up stripped and burnt out." Cruz answers.

"I'll let the old man know."

"Better you than me." Cruz chuckles.

"Maybe he'll be on his third glass of scotch by now."

"Or maybe Iris is entertaining him in the bedroom."

"Iris is in Rome shopping on Kosmo's hard earned money." Kort laughs.

Cruz gets up from his desk with the report in his hand and starts off for the elevator. "I hate to cut this short, but I'm needed for a briefing."

"If anything comes up let me know."

"I will!" Cruz answers and hangs up. "You will be the last person that I will get in contact with." "You almost got Ziva killed two years ago and besides Jenny's father you are also one of the reasons why Jenny is where she's at right now." "I'm going to run my own investigation from now on and when my end comes clean I will be briefing the new CIA Director about Operation Lodestone."

An hour later, Cruz walks into Ziva's room at Bethesda. "Ray what are you doing here?" Ziva says with surprise.

"Director Vance told me what happened?" Cruz answers and approaches the bed. "Why didn't you tell me?" Cruz asks hurt that Ziva was keeping the attempt on her life a secret.

"I was under orders not to." Ziva answers and sits up in bed. "And I do not have to answer to you Ray; we broke up two months ago."

"Under who's orders?"

"Gibbs!"

Cruz walks over to the door and closes it and then pulls a chair over to the side of Ziva's bed. "Where's Jenny?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Ray." "The last time I saw Jenny was in Tel Aviv two years ago." Ziva defiantly answers.

"I have connections over at NIS; there isn't an operative by the name of Serena Morris." "You're covering for Jenny." "Tell me what happened." Cruz demands.

"As I've stated-"

Cruz quickly interrupts Ziva. "I got the GPS trace on Jenny's rental under Harriet Jones." "On August 20th she drove from her motel on route 29 to the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Georgetown." "Her car was parked on 31st Street for almost an hour, then she proceeded over to M Street and parked on a street corner near Francis Scott Key Memorial Park." "On August 22nd the GPS device on her Ford Focus was turned off." "The CIA put a bolo out on the license plate of Jenny's rental car and vehicle identification number." "I got a phone call from Baltimore PD; they found what was left of Jenny's rental car."

"As I've stated Ray, I do not know what happened to Jenny." "I met a contact of mine in the parking garage; she had information on a terrorist attack." "We took gunfire, I was hit and my contact fled the parking garage."

Cruz knowing that Ziva's contact got wounded in the parking garage decides to play along with her. "Jenny's lying low because she got wounded."

"Yes my contact got wounded, but I do not know where she went to after fleeing the parking garage." Ziva angrily answers and pushes in the button for the nurse.

Ziva's nurse walks in a minute later. "Yes Agent David." She sweetly answers.

"Could you have security escort this man out of my room and out of the building?" "He's harassing me."

"Yes ma'am!" "Sir!" Nurse Marshall nods over at Cruz.

"You do not need security, I know my way out." Cruz nods over at her and gets up from his chair. "We'll continue this conversation later on, once you're out of the hospital." Cruz warns her and walks out of her room.

"Who was that?" Marshall curiously asks.

"My ex-boyfriend!" Ziva frowns.

At NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs is finishing up a report when his cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

"Gibbs I need to see you right away." Ziva urgently asks him.

"Ziva what's wrong?" Gibbs asks noting how anxious Ziva is on the phone.

"Please!" Ziva begs him. "And bring Tony and McGee."

"We're on our way." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "DiNozzo, McGee with me." He shouts over to him and gets up from his desk and starts to walk over to the elevator.

"What's the matter with Ziva?" Tony frowns with worry and gets up from his chair and chases after Gibbs with McGee following him from behind.

"We'll find out when we get there." Gibbs answers.

Half an hour later, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee arrive in Ziva's room. "Close the door behind you." Ziva instructs them. McGee closes the door and they approach the bed. "Director Vance told Ray Cruz about what happened to me."

"How much does he know?" Gibbs growls and takes a seat in a chair beside Ziva's bed.

"GPS trace came back on Jenny's car and Ray has the car on 31st street the night of the shooting." "He also has Jenny's car parked near Francis Scott Key Memorial Park."

"Boss what are we going to do?" Tony asks.

"He's only on to Ziva and not us." Gibbs answers.

"He is under suspicion of you, since I lied to him." Ziva sighs.

"You were under orders." Gibbs barks.

"Boss we'll have to get new burn phones." McGee grumbles.

"That's right Jenny had called Ducky on the night of the shooting, damn it!" Gibbs snarls and gets up from his chair. "After work I want Jenny to have full protection detail."

"We can't stay out on the street; the CIA will be on to us." McGee answers.

"Set up hidden cameras in the windows inside of Ducky's house after work."

"How do we warn Harriett?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"There's free Wi-Fi access down in the hospital cafeteria with several computers." "I'll e-mail her." McGee answers.

"E-mail her under Ziva's account." Gibbs nods over at McGee as he walks out of the room and closes the door behind him.

"This sucks!" Tony grumbles.

"Three days to go." Gibbs sighs.

Vance walks into the room. "I thought that you might be here, I just bumped into McGee when I got out of the elevator." Vance smiles.

"We were on our way back from questioning a witness and popped in for a visit." Gibbs lies and walks over to Ziva's bed and squeezes her on the hand. "You keep getting stronger." "I need somebody to keep DiNozzo in line." Gibbs smirks.

"Nobody can keep the Big D in line." Tony grins and walks off for the doorway.

"I'll see you back at the office." Gibbs nods over at Vance and leaves the room. "Almost!" Gibbs answers taking a deep breath.

"Boss three more days." "Just keep saying it over and over again."

"I won't be relieved until our plane lands in Germany Thursday morning."

Over at the Swartz's Jenny is working on Ziva's laptop when she spots an incoming e-mail for Ziva with the subject 911. Jenny clicks open the window and reads the e-mail from McGee. 'Message from Poppa Bear zero communication from our burn phones turn them off and keep inside your safe room until further notice.'

"I wonder what happened." Jenny answers and picks up her burn from on top of the table and shuts it off.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, with Vance out of the building still, Gibbs has a team meeting down in Abby's Lab in the backroom. "McGee I want you monitoring all of Cruz's calls on his cell phone." Gibbs instructs him. "We'll also have to get new burn phones." Gibbs grumbles.

"I was way ahead of you Gibbs." "I was in Alexandria for an electronics show." "They had latest big screen TV's, blu ray recorders, and-" Abby opens up her desk drawer. "Burn phones!"

"Abby what made you think of buying burn phones for all of us?" McGee curiously asks.

"The ones that Jimmy picked out have lousy reception." "These are the top of the line burn phones and I got them real cheap." Abby smiles.

"Let me know how much-"

Abby quickly interrupts Gibbs. "You aren't paying me one red cent." "Our government will once this is over and done with." "I chose a Tracphone, instead of T-mobile." "It should keep suspicion down." Abby answers.

"Abby get the phones registered and our phone numbers by the end of the day." Gibbs orders.

"I'll get started on that when you leave the room."

"Do you think you could seal up the wall between Ducky's house and the Swartz's after we leave the house on Wednesday night?" Gibbs nods over at Abby.

"I took a piece of the wallpaper from the wall in the Swartz's closet, a friend of mine runs a wallpaper store and can make an exact copy of it for me." Abby answers.

"Since the wall will be dry walled you'll need to take the door down over at Ducky's and put up a wall on his side of the house."

"My boyfriend Danny who helps me volunteer at Habitat for Humanity can give me a hand with that this weekend." "We'll put up a new wall, paint Ducky's closet and put up shelves where the door use to be."

"Abby I'm paying for the work on that, you're not doing that for free." Ducky smiles.

"We all have to be looking over our shoulders from here on out." "Tony and McGee take a cab over to Ducky's tonight."

"When are you coming over?" Tony asks.

"Not until tomorrow morning." "My gut tells me that Cruz will be following me tonight once I leave the office." "If Jenny wants to get a hold of me, do it over our new burn phones."

That evening at Gibbs' house, Gibbs is out in the backyard pushing Amira on her swing. From the corner of his eye he finds Ray Cruz parked across the street observing his every move. Leyla walks out the back door and walks over to Gibbs and Amira. "Dinner is done."

"Good, because I'm starving." Gibbs grins and grabs the back of Amira's swing to keep it from swinging. Gently he helps her down on to the ground.

An hour later down in the basement, Gibbs is cleaning up his basement, when his burn phone begins to ring, spotting Jenny's name from Paris on the caller ID. "Yes Rose!" He playfully teases her.

Jenny lying on her bed. "I was enjoying the full run of Ducky's house once Maggie left for the day." Jenny mutters.

"Sorry, but I want you to keep safe between now and Wednesday night." Gibbs says with regret.

"I'm hoping that Ray doesn't tell Kort or my father." Jenny frowns with worry.

"We have no control over that." "What we have going for us at the moment is that you have not been seen with any of us." "Ray only knows that your rental car's last known where a bouts was right in front of Francis Scott Key Memorial Park." "He can't pin point you to another location." Gibbs reassures her.

"When are you coming over?"

"I'm trying for tomorrow morning, but I doubt it." "Ray is camped outside in front of my house." Gibbs growls.

"I guess I'll have to live with Ducky's feeble attempt at coffee then." Jenny pouts.

"By the end of the week we'll be drinking real coffee in Paris." Gibbs smiles.

"It seems like it was an eternity since we were in Paris." Jenny sighs with anticipation.

"Once you've regained your strength we'll make up for lost time." Gibbs smirks.

"You have this planned out." Jenny laughs.

"It's what's keeping me going." "You and I in Paris."

Amira runs down the stairs. "Bedtime story!" She shouts up to him.

Jenny hearing Amira in the background. "It seems that somebody wants your undivided attention." Jenny giggles.

"I promised her that I would read her Cinderella tonight."

"Tell Amira that sometimes the fair lady does find her Prince Charming." Jenny softly answers. "Good night Jethro."

"Night Rose!" Gibbs smiles and hangs up.

"Who's Rose?" Amira shrugs.

"A friend!" Gibbs smiles and picks up Amira and starts up for the stairs. "I read you Cinderella last week."

"Again!"

"Alright!" Gibbs laughs as he makes his way up the stairs.


	26. Make That A Hard Copy

Nice, France

Promenade des Anglais

0900 Hours CEST

Kort sitting on a bench overlooking the square, Kort presses in the speed dial button in for Jasper Shepard's satellite phone. "Old man should be finishing up breakfast." Kort snorts.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Kosmo Galanos' Villa

Cyrus walks out on to the balcony carrying a satellite phone. "Trent Kort, Mr. Galanos."

"He better have good news." Shepard snarls and takes the phone from Cyrus. Cyrus noting that his boss wants to be alone walks back out into the dining room. "Kort!"

"The GPS trace came back in on Harriett Jones' rental car."

"Well!"

"The morning of August 24th Jenny left her motel room and drove up to Baltimore." "She abandoned her car in a supermarket parking lot."

"Or Benoit grabbed Jenny and drove her car to Baltimore."

"It's a possibility!" Kort answers.

"Find Benoit and eliminate him at once." Shepard orders him.

"It's a little hard at the moment." "He keeps traveling from place to place with no itinerary."

"Then work your way back on the inside and find out where he's going." Shepard growls.

"That will be difficult since I had a falling out with most of the people that were loyal to his father." "Regine Smidt and Marcus Quinn hate my guts."

"I don't care how difficult it is, I want results." Shepard screams at him and hangs up. "Jenny if you are alive and come back to me safely, there will be a cold day in hell that I will ever let you venture off this island ever again."

Washington, DC

0700 Hours EDT

Tony and McGee walk out of the elevator and find Gibbs sitting at his desk lost in thought. "I guess he didn't go to Harriett's safe house." Tony mentally notes and approaches his desk. "Morning boss!"

"Morning DiNozzo, McGee!" Gibbs nods over at them.

McGee on his way over to his desk drops a sheet of paper on top of Gibbs' desk. "Morning boss!" He winks and walks over to his desk and takes a seat.

Gibbs reads the sheet of paper. Trent Kort had called Kosmo Galanos at 0900 hours from his cell phone in Nice, France. Gibbs leans over and puts the paper through the paper shredder. "I'm going down to Abby's." Gibbs nods over at McGee and gets up from his desk and walks off for the elevator.

"Soon as the bell rings for the elevator-"

McGee quickly interrupts him. "I know I start my way down the stairs." McGee grumbles.

Five minutes later in the backroom of Abby's Lab. "So I guess Kort filled in daddy about the GPS trace on Jenny's car." Gibbs angrily growls.

"Gibbs, Jenny's car was nowhere near Ducky's house." "They can't pin point her to him." Abby reassures him.

"But she did call Ducky's cell phone on August 21st at 0100 hours." McGee reminds him.

"Which won't lead back to any of us?" Abby answers.

"Because you used fake names for our burn phones." McGee nods.

"But we used our phones in our homes." Gibbs answers.

"By the time that Kort and Cruz figure that at, you and Jenny will be safely in Paris." McGee smiles.

"Two more days of this crap." Gibbs groans and walks off for the door.

McGee waits for Gibbs to walk out of the room. "The pressure is getting to him."

"No the pressure to rekindle their romance is getting to him." Abby giggles.

"Two weeks in Paris."

"The City of love." Abby says in awe.

That evening in the parking garage, Gibbs and Tony are walking over to their cars. Tony remembering a conversation that he had with Jenny during lunch on Friday smirks over at him. "What was that smirk for?" Gibbs grunts.

"A certain party who shall be nameless noticed your car on Friday morning and took a liking to it." Tony grins.

"Yeah!" Gibbs shrugs and unlocks his car door.

"So much so that she wants to drive it." Tony tattles.

"Hell no!" Gibbs growls and gets inside of the car. "No female is driving my car." Gibbs barks and slams the car door behind him.

"This should be interesting." Tony snickers.

Palm Springs, California

1500 Hours PDT

After taking a swim in his pool, Julien Benoit flops down on a lounge chair. Noting that he had a missed call on the caller ID of his Blackberry, Benoit picks up his phone. "Wonder what Kort wanted." Benoit shrugs and dials Kort's cell phone number.

Nice, France

0000 Hours CEST

Kort walks out of a bar when his cell phone begins to ring. "Where were you?" He angrily snaps.

"Taking a dip." Benoit mutters in annoyance. "Remember Kort you work for me." Benoit bitterly reminds him.

"Ray Cruz got the GPS trace in on Shepard's rental car." "She drove to Baltimore on the morning of the 24th of August and abandoned her car in a grocery store parking lot."

"She's out there somewhere, find her?" Benoit seethes.

"You sound like her old man?" Kort snorts.

"Unlike her father, I don't want Jenny Shepard alive, I want her dead."

"Kosmo wants me to play nice with you so that I can kill you." Kort informs him.

"Is that so?" Benoit laughs.

"I told him that you are traveling abroad at this time and cannot be located."

"I'm flying out to Rio to join EJ." "I'll spend a few days with her and then I will return to Nice on Sunday."

"You're playing with fire when it comes to your dalliances with EJ and her Uncle." Kort warns him.

"I can handle EJ and Uncle Phillip." Benoit smirks.

"What about Tyler you're bought off government politician?" Kort chuckles.

"He's beginning to get cold feet on me." Benoit sighs and grabs a bottle of spring water from the table. "He's trying to be careful under the new SecNav."

"It was a little bit easier being a dirty politician under Davenport's tenure." Kort grins.

"I know I made a lot of money off of that last arms shipment." "Stole it right under Kosmo's daughter's nose."

"You mean she caught your whore red handed." Kort reminds him.

"Nothing has turned up about that report that EJ gave me on Bernardo Suárez."

"Nothing as of yet." "Keep in mind both Quinn and Colville's where a bouts have not be accounted for since August 20th."

"They all can't be dead at the same time." "As I've stated find her." "Bring her to me." "I want to see the death in Jenny's Shepard's eyes as she draws in her last breath."

Washington, DC

2045 Hours EDT

Vance is in his office looking over his Cayman Island bank account. "I just made a cool five million on my latest transaction." Vance grins and takes in Tyler Keith Owens net worth. "I've made an easy $150 million dollars since I took office." "Once my kids are set up in college, my wife and I are going to retire in luxury on a private tropical island."

At Gibbs' house, Gibbs peers behind his living room curtains. Ray Cruz sits across the street in his car watching the house. "Ray there's a thing called the back door." Gibbs snorts and walks off for the kitchen.

Five minutes later Gibbs is getting into a cab on the next street over. "Georgetown, I'll tell you where." Gibbs instructs the driver.

While Gibbs is heading over to Ducky's, Jenny, McGee, and Tony are sitting at the table in the backroom at the Swartz's working on last minute details for Gibbs and Jenny's trip to Germany. "You guys won't believe this." McGee sighs in disgust.

"What?" Jenny and Tony answer at the same time.

"I was monitoring Vance's Office computer, he was on his bank account that he has over at the Cayman Islands."

"You mean he was on Tyler's bank account." Jenny bitterly reminds him.

"How much does he have in it?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Since I can see everything that he was doing, he has over $200 million dollars in his account."

"On blood money." Jenny angrily snaps and gets up from the chair.

Tony smirks over at Jenny's exposed belly. "You keep yourself in good shape for a woman of your age."

"Tony, keep in mind I'm only five years older than you." Jenny smirks back at him.

"Yeah your middle aged DiNozzo." McGee chuckles.

"Hardee har har Probie." Tony grumbles.

"If Tony was standing up what would you have done for checking you out?" McGee curiously asks.

"My knee would have been positioned in the right place." Jenny winks over at Tony. "You wouldn't have gotten laid in over a week also."

"A week!" Tony gulps.

Fifteen minutes later, Gibbs walks through the door. "DiNozzo, McGee go get a drink and come back at midnight." Gibbs nods over at them.

"Boss, I had hacked into Vance's Office computer and he was on line with his Cayman Island Bank Account." "He just had a five million dollar deposit from Julien Benoit." McGee informs him.

"More than likely he was selling off more secrets." Gibbs growls and approaches the table.

Tony and McGee get up from the table. "McGee I know a bar that's close by."

"Good, I need to munch out on some appetizers." McGee answers and walks off for the doorway with Tony following him from behind.

Gibbs takes a seat in a chair next to Jenny. "You nervous!" He asks and takes a hold of Jenny's hand from on top of the table.

"No, I just want to get this over and done with so I can move forward with my life." "I'll be nervous afterwards." Jenny softly answers.

"I bought the stuff that we'll need to wear for a disguise while we sneak off of the truck tomorrow night." "Tony will park as close to the hanger as he possibility can."

"You talk to your dad?" Jenny asks.

"This morning!" "He's enjoying himself, stayed up late a few nights to see some shows." "Gambled until two in the morning." Gibbs laughs.

"All paid by his loving son." Jenny smiles.

"We need to get this room in order." Gibbs answers and gets up from the table and begins to clean up.

"I have my stuff packed; I didn't have much since I only came with a carry-on bag with a few things."

"What you had packed was enough to tease the hell out of me." Gibbs snarls.

"Not just you." Jenny giggles and gets up from the table.

"Was DiNozzo checking you out?" Gibbs barks.

"He was surprised that a woman of my age is in excellent shape." Jenny sweetly answers and bats her eyelashes at him.

"He wouldn't know what to do with you in bed." Gibbs snorts and begins to put the files on their investigation into a box.

"Like you did." Jenny teases him.

"Jen, obviously I did, because you would claw my back up." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny stumped, decides to change the subject. "Ray watching your house?"

"Yes and you just changed the subject." Gibbs laughs.

"I had nothing to add to it Jethro." Jenny sighs and closes up Ziva's laptop.

"For once I got the last word in." Gibbs grins in triumph.

At the bar, McGee is munching on some onion rings at the bar, Tony returns from the bathroom. "What do you think their doing alone?" Tony winks.

"Nothing, grandpa may walk in at any moment." McGee reminds him.

"Right!"

"So we stay here until midnight?" McGee shrugs.

"We could always go back to grandpas and watch TV." Tony suggests.

"Now that's an idea, what procedural drama is on TV tonight?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"I don't keep track of it, same show different night." "There's a cop show on Tuesday nights at eight with a hit spin off that follows it at nine." "As I stated same thing." "I know one channel that airs the Magnum repeats."

"Tony isn't Magnum a chick show?" McGee laughs.

"Bite your tongue Probie." Tony scolds him.

Eleven forty-five, Gibbs and Jenny have finished packing up Jenny's belongings. Jenny tired flops down in a chair at the table. "Tony and McGee can carry the stuff down." Jenny mutters and begins to favor her right shoulder. Gibbs comes up from behind her and begins to rub Jenny's shoulders. Jenny getting turned on by his hands, pulls away from him and gets up from the chair. "Jethro do you mind?" She hisses in protest.

"Your shoulder was bothering you." Gibbs shrugs.

"You just wanted an excuse to touch me." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"What did you expect wearing a get up like that?" Gibbs growls and glances down at her midriff.

"Control your urges." Jenny mutters and walks away from him.

"You kissed me last week." Gibbs whines and approaches her from behind.

"An affectionate kiss on the mouth." "I thought I was leaving the next morning."

"It beats a Dear John letter." Gibbs snarls and then remembers the partial 'Dear Jethro' letter that was found on top of Jenny's desk in the study. "Which I would have gotten a second one; I found part of one on top of your desk in your study, just before Slvetlana walked in."

Jenny turns and faces him. "That's low!"

"I call it as I see it." Gibbs snaps.

"Like you are any better at words than I am Jethro." "I heard all about the reason why you left Margarita Safari from Mike inside the diner." "You couldn't tell me to my face." Jenny screams at him.

"You were dating my doctor and freelancing with DiNozzo on the Frog." Gibbs shouts.

"You were screwing the Colonel Mann to make me jealous." Jenny shouts back. "And it only worked for a few days, once I felt your erection up against me when I slammed you up against the window down in the Squad Room." "I knew the blonde wasn't satisfying you in bed." Jenny laughs and turns and is about to walk away when Gibbs pulls her towards him

"Like Todd was doing anything in bed for you." Gibbs smirks.

"I had dumped Todd long before you started dating Hollis, so get over yourself Leroy." Jenny smirks back.

"Don't every call me Leroy again." Gibbs angrily warns her.

"Why what are you going to do about it boss?" Jenny taunts him.

"Something that I should have done six years ago in MTAC." Gibbs answers and pulls Jenny's face up and kisses her on the mouth. Eleven years of pent up energy explodes. Savagely they kiss one another, their tongues fighting for dominancy. As Gibbs deepens his kiss he guides Jenny over towards the bed and falls backwards pulling her on top of him.

Jenny leaves his mouth and moves over to his neck and nips along his pulse line up to his ear, sucking along his earlobe. "I told you nobody would ever satisfy you in bed after me." Jenny seductively purrs. Gibbs grabs a hold of Jenny's face and kisses her on the mouth; he flips Jenny on to her back, Jenny in pain with his weight on top of her winces.

"You're not ready!" Gibbs sighs in sexual frustration and gets some of his weight off of her.

Jenny feeling his harden length up against her thigh. "I'm sorry!" Jenny frowns in disappointment.

"Don't be!" Gibbs gently smiles down at her. His hands venture under Jenny's Cami top and feels up her breasts. Jenny moans out with pleasure and begins to tremble at the feel of his calloused fingers circling her harden peaks. "I still have the same effect on you." "Keep that in mind." Gibbs smirks and decides to get even with her for the love bite that she put on the side of his neck. Gibbs nips along the side of Jenny's neck, before getting off of her; he passionately kisses her on the mouth on last time. "I'm in need of a cold shower." Gibbs whines and rushes out of the room.

Downstairs at Ducky's, Tony's burn phone rings. "DiNozzo!" He answers.

Up on the second floor of Ducky's house. "I'm heading out!" Gibbs grimaces as his erection rubs against the side of his pants.

"Having a problem boss?" Tony asks.

"No, I'll see you at headquarters tomorrow." Gibbs barks and hangs up.

"Problem!" McGee shrugs.

"Gibbs is going home." Tony answers and gets up from the couch and walks over to the doorway, on the stairs he notices that Gibbs is sexually flushed. He flashes back to the bullpen after Jenny had slammed Gibbs up against the window and the exchange that they had when Gibbs had walked off for the men's room to take care of his little problem. "Make a hard copy of that and forward it to my office."

"Do you think he'll forgive us?" Tony asks and looks up at Jenny who's staring off in the direction that Gibbs had walked off to; Jenny shakes her head and walks off for the stairs. "Hard copy, I think so to." Tony smirks.

Present Time

"Make that a hard copy." Tony laughs.

"I don't get it."

"You wouldn't you had to be there Probie." Tony grins.

At Gibbs' house fifteen minutes later, Gibbs is up in the bathroom taking a cold shower. "Damn her!" He growls and stares down at his erection. "In another three weeks you are going to be screaming." He whines in protest.

*Author's Note*

Since Gibbs does not believe in coicendences.

'Blowback' aired on the USA Network tonight.


	27. They Both Got One

First light, Jenny restlessly lies in bed, she glances up at the ceiling reliving every steamy moment over and over in her mind from the night before. "Damn it!" She hisses in sexual frustration at the timing. "Why couldn't he wait a few more weeks?" She sighs and sits up in bed. Her thoughts go back to the feel of his tongue inside of her mouth. The feel of Jethro's hard calloused hands teasing the nipples on her breasts. Suddenly her burn phone begins to ring. "I bet that's him." Jenny mutters and reaches over and grabs her phone from the nightstand and finds 'Leroy' on the caller ID. "You got the last word in last night you bastard." Jenny chastises him.

Gibbs down in his basement shakes his head and begins to laugh. "Just curious if you're having flashbacks in your head." Gibbs smirks.

"Yes!" Jenny grumbles and gets up from the bed.

"Which one?" Gibbs snickers.

"Your hands feeling up my chest." Jenny groans in sexual torture.

"As I recall that was my favorite part of your anatomy." Gibbs grins.

"Notice I kept my hands off of my favorite part of your anatomy."

"There was nothing stopping you from satisfying me orally you know?"

"Yes there was." "I didn't want Tony, McGee, and Ducky having that visual when they walked into the room." Jenny scolds him.

"Right I forgot about them." Gibbs growls.

"And besides, if I have to suffer so do you." Jenny sensually answers.

Gibbs aroused quickly changes the subject. "Ziva should call me at my desk around 1300 hours to make the phone call about my dad's so called fall in Vegas."

Jenny glances over at the alarm clock on the nightstand. "0630 hours!" Jenny sighs in anticipation.

"By this time tomorrow we'll be in Germany and on our way to France." "I just want you to concentrate on getting your strength back and the two of us concentrating on each other." "From here on out, no more secrets between us." "I want a life with you, I told you that eleven years ago in Paris and I'm not getting cheated out of it now."

"You got cheated out of kids." Jenny frowns.

"Kids would have been great, but in the end all that matters to me in a month or so, is you waking up beside me in my bed."

"Not in your boat for a change." Jenny giggles.

"I finished my boat two years ago." "Next spring we'll spend some weekends on her, I built a small sleeping area below deck." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"What did you name her?" Jenny curiously asks.

"You'll see!" Gibbs smirks.

"Jethro!"

Gibbs glances down at his watch. "I better head on into work." "I need to stop at Starbucks." "If I can shake Cruz off from his surveillance detail, I should be over at Ducky's by 2000 hours."

"I'll be cleaning my room and bathroom today, so that there won't be any evidence that I was here just in case." Jenny answers.

"Abby will take down the plastered wall on the Swartz's side of the house where the walk in closet is and will drywall it tonight, after we leave." "Once the drywall sets up she'll put up the wallpaper, she has a friend who can make a duplicate copy of the old wallpaper that's in the closet."

"I didn't know they could do that." Jenny sheepishly asks.

"It's amazing what a computer can do now a days." Gibbs shrugs and gets up from his stool. "Over the weekend she'll take down the door that's on Ducky's side of the walk in closet and put up drywall and paint the closet and then put up a shelf."

Tony knocks on the door. "Anybody decent!" He calls in.

"Yes Tony!" Jenny mutters and shakes her head.

"DiNozzo!"

"He wanted to know if I was decent." Jenny laughs.

Tony and McGee walk into the room. "We took the boxes over to the Self Storage Garage that Leyla has her personal stuff in from Mexico." Tony shouts over so that Gibbs can hear him.

"Everything is going into place." Gibbs sighs with relief. "See you tonight."

"Goodbye Jethro!" Jenny answers and hangs up.

Tony noting the hickey on the side of Jenny's neck. "Looks like somebody got lucky last night." Tony laughs.

"Why jealous because people of our age can act like love struck teenagers Tony?" Jenny baits him.

"Is that a hickey?" McGee says with surprise.

"Duh McDofus!" Tony grumbles and head slaps McGee on the back of the head.

"Ow!" McGee grimaces and rubs the back of his head.

"The question is whether Gibbs has one or not." Tony ponders.

"I guess you'll have to find out." Jenny smirks and walks out of the bedroom.

Tony and McGee look at each other. "He's got one!" They answer at the same time and run out of the room.

At headquarters a half an hour later. Tony and McGee step out of the elevator. Tony glances over towards Gibbs' desk. "He's not in yet." Tony answers as him and McGee walk over towards their section. Unknown to Tony, Gibbs coffee in hand was lurking around the corner from the elevator and approaches them from behind.

"You think he's-" Before McGee can answer Gibbs' hand slaps him on the back of the head. "Ow!" He grimaces.

"I'm right behind you." Gibbs growls and then slaps Tony for good measure as he walks past him.

"What's that for?" Tony winces and rubs the back of his head.

"For having your eyes in an area that it shouldn't have been at last night and you know damn well what I'm talking about." Gibbs barks and turns and faces Tony.

"Boss I'm not use to-" Gibbs quickly interrupts Tony by giving him a glare of warning. "Ok the next time I'll focus my eyes on something else." Tony answers and then takes a quick peak and spots the hickey on the right side of Gibbs' neck.

"There won't be a next time am I making myself clear." Gibbs warns him and walks over to his desk and puts his coffee down.

"Crystal boss!" Tony gulps.

"I'm heading down to Ducky's." Gibbs calls over his shoulder and walks off for the elevator.

"Let me know when he's over at the elevator." Tony snickers and rushes over to his desk and clicks open the icon for his IM.

McGee noting that Gibbs is standing in front of the elevator door. "Now!"

Tony presses in Abby's username. In the IM window he types in. 'Hickey!'

'What?' Abby replies back.

'You heard me.' Tony types back.

'Where?' Abby types back.

'Right side of his neck.' Tony types and begins to laugh.

'I'm on my way up.' Abby types back.

'He's on his way down to Ducky's.' Tony types back.

*Zip!* Abby types back.

"I bet you Abby beats Gibbs down to Ducky's by using the stairs." Tony laughs.

Down in Autopsy, Ducky and Palmer are eating a bagel and drinking their respective drinks of choice. Ducky a cup of Earl Grey, Palmer a cup of coffee. Abby breathlessly sprints into the room. "Is there a problem Abigail?" Ducky curiously asks.

"You'll see in a minute." Abby giggles and approaches Ducky and Palmer.

Gibbs walks in and finds Abby with Ducky and Palmer. "Abs I wasn't expecting to see you down here." Gibbs says with surprise.

"Just catching up with Ducky and Jimmy." Abby innocently answers and checks out Gibbs neck and spots the love bite on the side of his neck.

Palmer chokes on his bagel when he spots the hickey on the side of Gibbs' neck. Ducky pats him on the back. "Mr. Palmer are you alright?" He asks with concern.

"Fine!" Palmer chokes and gets up from his chair. "I need some water, would you excuse me." Palmer nods and walks off for the door.

Ducky is about to take a sip from his cup of tea when he notices the love bite on the side of Gibbs neck. "Abigail can I have a moment alone with Jethro?" Ducky mutters in annoyance.

"I'll see if Jimmy is alright." Abby giggles and walks off for the door.

Ducky waits for Abby to leave the room. "Jethro I see that the two of you are resorting to where you left off from eleven years ago." Ducky chastises him and hands Gibbs a mirror.

Gibbs looks down at the fresh love bite on the side of his neck. "We got into an argument last night." Gibbs growls in sexual frustration and flops down in Palmer's chair.

"And with your raging hormones, one thing led to another I presume." Ducky snorts.

"To a point, she's not ready." Gibbs sighs and buries his face into his hands.

"She won't be ready for a few weeks." Ducky answers and rubs the side of Gibbs fore arm.

"It's going to be torture the next two weeks in Paris knowing full well that I have to bide my time." Gibbs grumbles.

"It will be torture, but in the end, it will be well worth the wait Jethro." Ducky reassures him. "What time are you coming over tonight?"

"If Ray isn't following me, 2000 hours."

"Abby should be over around seven to start drywalling next door."

"Drywall is getting delivered today?" Gibbs shrugs.

"Yes, I told Maggie I was donating it to a charity in need to leave it downstairs in the living room."

"Her answer?" Gibbs answers.

"Deliver it to the charity instead of your place." Ducky chuckles.

Gibbs gets up from the chair. "I want this to be over with so that Jenny and I can get on with our lives." Gibbs groans in protest.

"One step at a time Jethro." Ducky smiles.

"That's all I can do." Gibbs answers and walks off.

Outside in the hallway Abby and Palmer are gossiping about Gibbs' hickey, Gibbs walks out and head slaps the two of them as he walks by. "Ow!" Palmer grimaces.

"Hey!" Abby whines and rubs the back of her head. "I'm your favorite!"

The elevator doors open, Gibbs steps in. "Blame DiNozzo since he alerted you about my hickey." Gibbs growls over his shoulder.

The elevator doors close. "How does he always know?" Abby pouts.

After lunch, inside the Squad Room Gibbs discretely talking on his desk phone with Ziva via speakerphone. "McGee is down in the parking garage waiting for Vance to return, soon as he gets inside the elevator, he'll text me." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda Naval Hospital

"Then I will call your cell phone." Ziva answers.

Gibbs' cell phone rings for an incoming text message; he takes his glasses from the inside of his jacket and puts them on. Opening up his phone he reads McGee's text message. "TKO is inside the elevator."

Ziva using her hospital phone calls Gibbs' cell phone. "I'm calling your cell phone now."

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers and glances over towards the elevator. On cue the bell for the elevator rings and Vance steps out. "I'll be on the next flight out." Gibbs shouts and hangs up.

"Boss is there something wrong?" Tony asks with concern and walks over to his desk. Vance over hearing Gibbs and Tony walks into Gibbs' section.

"My dad fell and broke his hip out in Vegas." Gibbs frowns and gets up from his chair. "I don't know how bad his injury is."

"Take the time you need." Vance nods over at him.

"Boss I can handle things for a few weeks." Tony reassures him.

McGee having taking the stairs from the parking garage approaches. "What's up?"

"Dad fell and broke his hip in Vegas." "I just got a phone call from the hospital." Gibbs answers.

"How bad is it?" McGee frantically asks.

"I won't know until I get there McGee." "DiNozzo will be in charge for a few weeks." "I'm going home to pack and to talk to Leyla and Amira."

"Isn't Amira in school?" McGee shrugs.

"She has morning kindergarten glasses." Gibbs answers and walks off for the elevator.

"I'll assign a Probationary Status Agent to your team until Gibbs gets back." Vance informs Tony and walks off for the stairs.

Tony watches Vance walk up the stairs over the catwalk up the next flight of stairs. His assistant Tom Watters is waiting for him at the top of the stairs. "He bought it hook line and sinker." Tony grins and winks over at McGee.

Half an hour later at Gibbs' house, Gibbs is sitting on the living room couch with Amira on his lap. Leyla sits on a chair across from him. "I don't know how long I'll be." Gibbs frowns and kisses the top of Amira's head.

"Your father needs you, go to him." Leyla softly says to him.

"We're all we have." Gibbs answers.

"Depending on your father's injury, we were hoping to meet him at Christmas." Leyla smiles.

"Knowing my dad, he'll make a quick recovery." Gibbs chuckles and gets up from the couch carrying Amira in his arms. "My flight isn't until midnight." "That was the quickest one I could get out of Dulles." "I'm going to spend some quality time with my goddaughter between now and then." Gibbs smiles at her and walks off towards the kitchen.

Around seven, Gibbs steps out of the front door carrying an carry-on bag and finds Ray Cruz's car across the street. "Damn it!" He inwardly says to himself and walks over to his Dodge Challenger, once inside the car Gibbs leans over in the car so that Ray can't see him and speaks into his COM. "Plan two, I repeat plan two Tony and McGee." Gibbs instructs them.

Several blocks away, Tony and McGee are parked. "Want us to follow Ray." Tony asks.

"Yes, we'll create a diversion once I get inside of Dulles." Gibbs answers.

"And it involves Ziva." Tony laughs.

"It's possible that Ray will be thinking with his groin." Gibbs laughs and sits up inside of his car and puts the key inside the ignition and starts up his car and pulls away.

Cruz starts up his car and follows Gibbs; they pass Tony and McGee a few blocks away. "He sucks at tailing people." Tony laughs and starts up his car and waits for Cruz to get several car lengths ahead of him before pulling out.

"No wonder Ziva dumped him." McGee laughs.

Half an hour later, Gibbs walks inside of the airport, Cruz follows keeping his distance. "He's right behind you boss."

"I know, I know!" Gibbs grumbles and continues walking, locating the men's room where he steps inside. Cruz is about to go in when his cell phone begins to ring. He picks up his phone from his pocket and finds Ziva's name on the caller ID. "Ziva!" He answers with surprise.

Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda Naval Hospital

"I'm angry with you." Ziva warns him.

Cruz walks over towards the window. "Ziva don't make me go to Director Vance."

"And he'll do what?" Ziva laughs.

Tony a safe distance away watches. "Now boss!" Tony instructs him. Gibbs bolts out of the bathroom and runs down the corridor.

"Your right!" Cruz frowns.

"You have no proof on your allegations."

"I'll get it."

"And then what?" "The driver from the SUV is still out there Ray."

Cruz knowing that Ziva is right. "I'll back off for the time being."

"I didn't need that scene in the hospital the other day; the stress set back my rehab for another week." Ziva lies.

"I'm sorry!" Cruz frowns.

"I've instructed security and my Protection Detail to make sure that you do not come into my room again."

"I won't see you until you are recovered." "Then I will take up where we left off."

"Ray let it go." Ziva begs him.

"I can't and you know it Ziva." Cruz answers and hangs up. He walks over to the men's room and steps inside, noting that there is only one other person inside the bathroom at the urinal. "Was there a silver haired man in here with cropped hair?" Cruz asks.

"I just walked in here a second ago." The man shrugs.

Cruz realizing that Ziva had duped him. "Damn her!" Cruz snaps and rushes out of the bathroom.

Out in the parking lot, Cruz finds Gibbs' yellow and black Dodge Challenger parked. "He's still here!" Cruz ponders and glances around the parking lot.

Unknown to Cruz, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee are on their way over to Ducky's to drop Gibbs off. "We'll meet you on the next block over at 2100 hours." Gibbs instructs them.

"I bet Ray is cursing you out boss." Tony laughs.

"Just make sure that he doesn't spot you tonight when you fly out to Vegas." Gibbs growls.

"He won't!" Tony grins.

At Ducky's, Jenny restlessly paces inside of his study. "Would you settle down, you're going to burn a hole into my carpet?" Ducky mutters from behind his desk.

"I want this to be over with." Jenny frowns.

"If all goes to plan, you will get your life back Jenny, the life that you and Jethro deserve together."

"There was a time when I didn't think that was possible." Jenny sadly answers and takes a seat in a chair in front of Ducky's desk.

"Jenny all things are possible, you just have to reach out there and grab it and that includes love." Ducky affectionately says to his dysfunctional daughter.

Abby walks in wearing her overalls. "I just got a text from Timmy, they had to go to plan two, because CI Ray was tailing them, luckily for them Ziva distracted Ray so that Gibbs could get away from him at the airport." Abby sighs with relief.

Ducky glances over at the clock on the wall. "Jethro should be here in about twenty minutes."

Abby noting how anxious Jenny is. "You nervous?"

"No anxious!" Jenny answers.

"Well this time tomorrow you won't be cooped up inside a house all day long." Abby smiles at her.

"For most of the day I'll be cooped up inside a box car Abby." Jenny laughs.

"On your way to the City of Love." Abby affectionately winks at her.

Twenty minutes later, Gibbs walks through the kitchen door. "Duck!" He shouts out to him.

"We're in the study Jethro." Ducky shouts back to him.

Gibbs walks out of the kitchen, through the dining room and makes his way over to the study. "I'll give you a hand carrying the drywall upstairs Abs." Gibbs nods over at her and then glances down over at Jenny, noting that her hickey is bigger than his. "At least mine is bigger." Gibbs smirks and walks out of the room.

"Yours was done on purpose." Jenny hisses at him.

"You bit me first." Gibbs shouts from the hallway.

Abby bursts out laughing. "Were they like this the first time around?" Abby giggles.

"Unfortunately yes!" Ducky mutters.

"Love the playfulness between the two of you." Abby smiles and walks out of the room.

"Really Ducky!" Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"Remember I've seen some of your and Jethro's war wounds when I use to treat the two of you for injuries back in the day."

"Right, but as I recall, Jethro's war wounds were a lot worse than mine." Jenny laughs and gets up from the chair and leaves the room.

"That's because his were front and back my dear." Ducky snorts.

2050 Hours

Gibbs, Jenny, Abby, and Ducky are saying goodbye to one another inside the kitchen by the back door. "Be careful!" Ducky cautions them and affectionately hugs Gibbs and Jenny goodbye.

"It's going to be a long month." Abby tearfully says to Gibbs and Jenny and affectionately attacks her dysfunctional parents at the same time.

"Abs I can't breathe!" Jenny chokes.

"To bad!" Abby sniffs and buries her face up against Gibbs' shoulder. "I want details when I get back."

"You ain't going to get any, because you'll just blab them to DiNozzo." Gibbs whispers against her ear. Tenderly Gibbs pulls Abby's face up and affectionately kisses her on the cheek. "Caff-Pow's are on me."

Gibbs smiles and pulls away from Abby. "We'll text you just as soon as we're safely inside the box car." Gibbs nods over at them and picks up Jenny's carry-on bag from the floor.

"I'll check to make sure that nobody is out in the alley." Ducky says and walks out the back door.

"I have work to do next door." Abby tearfully says and rushes out of the kitchen.

"You ready!" Gibbs asks looking into the depths of Jenny's green eyes.

"To get my life back, hell yes." Jenny answers determination.

"It's all clear Jethro." Ducky calls out to him from the back door. Gibbs opens the back door, Jenny steps outside, looking up into the clear sky; it's been weeks since she's been allowed to out of the house. Gibbs follows Jenny. "Tony has the truck parked on the corner." Ducky informs them.

"Two more hours and we'll be off to Europe." Gibbs smiles and puts his hand on the small on Jenny's back and leads her down the alley.

"Safe journey my friends." Ducky smiles.

Around the corner, Tony and McGee are inside the Major Case Response Team's truck. "I disabled all of the cameras near Hanger 15." "Gibbs and Jenny shouldn't be seen leaving the truck." McGee smoothly says to Tony.

The back door to the truck opens, Gibbs and Jenny get inside. "Let's roll!" Gibbs barks over at Tony and closes the door behind him. "You change into your uniform first." Gibbs nods over at Jenny and heads for the front of the truck.

Tony pulls away from the curb. "Any reason why you're blocking the entranceway to the back of the truck boss." Tony smirks.

"DiNozzo don't make me head slap you while you're driving." Gibbs growls.

Langley, Virginia

Langley Air Force Base

2130 Hours

Tony pulls up to the main gate. The MP approaches his open window. Tony hands him his ID. "Special Agents DiNozzo and McGee of NCIS."

"Nature of your business." Airman Dwyer asks.

"We need to ask a few questions involving a case we worked on last week." Tony answers.

"I thought that case was solved." Dwyer shrugs.

"It is, but I forgot to have one of my witness' sign something." "You know how stingy your boss is when there's a mistake on a case report." Tony grumbles.

"I know my Sergeant can be a pain in the ass at times." Dwyer chuckles and waves for the MP inside to open up the gate.

"We should only be about an hour or so." Tony nods and pulls away.

"Just do what Gibbs does with his boss Tony." Jenny calls out from the back.

"What's that?" Tony grins.

"Kiss ass!" Jenny sarcastically answers.

"Jen!" Gibbs growls from the back.

Five minutes later, Tony is backing the truck up as far as he can get it near the entrance of Hanger 15. Trevor walks out and approaches the truck. Gibbs opens the back door and climbs out. "The crate was just inspected." "There should be no problem getting you and your-"Trevor stops in mid-sentence when Jenny steps out from the back of the van. "Jethro that isn't who I think it is?"

"Trevor as I said to you last week, what I'm doing is need to know only." Gibbs advises him. "We need to safely get into Europe without being seen."

McGee with Gibbs and Jenny's carry-on bags exits from the back of the truck. "I have your satellite laptop and phone inside this bag." McGee nods over at Jenny and holds up the carry-on bag from his left hand.

Tony carrying two backpacks approaches Gibbs and Jenny and hands it over to them. "The basics, food, water, ammo and a full sized sleeping bag just encase." Tony winks.

Gibbs head slaps Tony on the back of the head. Tony winces and pain. "You've been begging for it and I won't be able to do it for the next month." Gibbs smirks and takes the lighter backpack and hands it over to Jenny.

"Keep safe!" McGee frowns over at them.

"Hold down the fort." Gibbs answers.

"I will, piece of cake boss." Tony smiles and hands Gibbs the other backpack. Gibbs along with Trevor take the two carry-on bags from McGee. "Harriett look after the boss."

"Don't worry Tony; the boss doesn't need anybody looking after him." Jenny smiles and walks inside the hanger.

"If anything DiNozzo it's the other way around." Gibbs smiles and looks over at Tony and McGee one last time. "Twenty minutes and I want the two of you out of here." Gibbs orders them and walks inside the hanger with Trevor following him from behind.

"From this moment on things will be different." McGee answers.

"Different in a good way Probie." Tony smiles.

Inside the hanger, Gibbs and Trevor are packing up Gibbs and Jenny's belongings inside the crate. "I drilled some holes inside of the crate, there should be plenty of ventilation, but just encase one of you have to go to the bathroom the back side panel of the crate comes on and off." Trevor informs them.

"What time will your crate be put on board the airplane?" Gibbs asks.

"Fifteen minutes!" Trevor shrugs.

"We better make a bathroom run before you seal up the crate." Gibbs answers.

"Bathrooms are over there." Trevor points to the back wall.

Fifteen minutes later the crate is on a forklift leaving the hanger. Inside the crate, Gibbs and Jenny are huddled close together. "If this were DiNozzo or McGee they would be panicking with the movement." Gibbs whispers.

"Unlike DiNozzo and McGee I'm not a cry baby on an assignment." Jenny whispers.

"Yeah, you never whined about getting paper cuts when you had to check out old case logs." Gibbs grumbles.

Dulles International Airport

2230 Hours

Tony dressed up in a Prince Valiant wig, glasses and in a monk costume walks past Ray Cruz as he sits in a waiting area near the front door. After he distances himself away from Cruz, Tony goes inside the men's room and calls McGee up. "I told you he wouldn't recognize me." Tony laughs.

"How long are you going to wear that get up?" McGee laughs from his car out in the parking lot.

"Until I get to Vegas." Tony grins and remembers something. "I left an old case file on top of my desk, before we left headquarters with the truck." "I' e-mailed Vance and I told him that we got a tip on a suspect in regards to an old case." "I told him that you and I would be staking him out in a town in Pennsylvania, Waynesboro." "That should buy us for a few days." "I'll fly back Friday morning."

"A few days of R and R that we both need." McGee sighs.

Half an hour late back at Langley Air Force Base, Gibbs and Jenny are on board the plane, the engine on the plane revs up. "Eight hours!" Jenny breathes out from inside the crate.

"To the end Operation Lodestone!" Gibbs says with determination inside of his voice, part one of their journey to Europe will be a healing process for Jenny and for them to rediscover their passion from eleven years ago. Part two will be to take out Trent Kort, Julien Benoit, EJ Barrett, Phillip Davenport, Leon Vance|Tyler Keith Owens, and lastly Kosmo Galanos aka Jasper Shepard.


	28. Stowaways

Spangdahlem, Germany

Spangdahlem Air Base

0700 Hours CEST

The crate is loaded on to a truck. Inside the crate the two stowaways nervously sit inside. "Jethro I've been cooped up in this-" Before Jenny can finish Gibbs puts his hand across the top of her mouth.

"Quiet!" He growls as he hears somebody entering the back of the truck.

"Jethro, we should be off the base in another hour." "I'll text your cell phone when I'm approaching Trier." "That should give the time for you to open up the crate and get out." "There's a convenience store near the freight line." "I'll tell the driver that I'm in desperate need of caffeine and we'll pull inside."

"You're in desperate need of caffeine!" Gibbs snarls.

Trevor shakes his head and begins to laugh. "The freight line should lead you into Perl which borders France."

"Then we're home free." Gibbs answers.

"Good luck!" Trevor calls out to him and taps the top of the crate.

"The drive over to Trier shouldn't take that long." "We'll be out of here in another twenty minutes." Gibbs reassures her.

Trier, Germany

0730 Hours CEST

Gibbs after receiving a text message from Trevor, he removes the back panel of the crate. "You go first!" He whispers.

"Thank god!" Jenny mutters and gets out of the confines of the crate.

"You are turning into DiNozzo and McGee on me." Gibbs grumbles and gathers their belongings.

"I don't understand why their allowed to get away with whining and I wasn't when I worked for you eleven years ago." Jenny hisses in protest.

"Because you're different." Gibbs smirks and gets out of the crate. "I wouldn't allow it from my Probie." Gibbs laughs and tosses Jenny one of the backpacks.

"Very funny!" Jenny snaps.

"I thought it was." Gibbs snorts.

Ten minutes later, the truck pulls into a convenience store parking lot. Trevor and the driver get out of the truck and head inside the store. "We wait five minutes!" Gibbs instructs Jenny.

Five minutes later, Gibbs gets out of the back of the truck; he glances around and makes sure that nobody is outside the store. "Come on!" He nods and pulls Jenny out of the truck. Gibbs gathers their carry-on bags and backpacks from inside the truck. Across the street Gibbs notices the freight yard and a small restaurant. "How's your German?"

"Fine!" Jenny answers.

"I need you to order breakfast and to find out which of the freight lines is headed into France."

"Why is it that I have to be your translator?" Jenny sighs and takes a backpack from Gibbs. "The only two languages that you seemed to pick up are Spanish and Russian."

"I didn't see the use of learning the others, besides that was your job anyways." Gibbs teases her and hands Jenny the lighter of the two carry-on bags.

"You're beginning to piss me off." Jenny angrily warns him.

"Good paybacks for the three years you threw my rules that I taught you in my face." Gibbs smirks and walks off for the restaurant.

"Paybacks are a bitch." Jenny mentally notes to herself and follows Gibbs over to the restaurant.

Forty minutes later inside the restaurant Gibbs and Jenny are enjoying a quiet breakfast at a corner table away from the other customers. "What did you say this was?" Gibbs asks between bites of his ham and cheese strudel.

"Ham and cheese strudel." Jenny answers and takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

"You make anything out from the train engineer and his crew when you walked past their table on your way to and from the bathroom?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes, we have a clear path to Paris." "The train over on track four is heading out in about a half an hour."

Gibbs glances down at his watch. "Depending on how many stops, we should be in Paris by late this afternoon." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Then I will finally be free to walk around and come and go as I please." Jenny sighs with relief. Gibbs narrows his eyes over at her from across the table. "I'm not going anywhere Jethro." Jenny smiles and squeezes his hand on top of the table. "You do not know what it's been like for me to be cooped up inside of Ducky's and the Swartz's for the past few weeks." "Now I'm able to walk outside without worrying about my father or Kort."

"Do not let your guard down for a moment." "Remember rule number 36?"

"I've been following rule number 36 for the past three years Jethro." Jenny frowns and gets up from the table. "I'm going to pay for our bill and order two coffees' to go." Jenny nods at him and walks off for the counter.

Gibbs with a watchful eye on Jenny. "I'm glad one of my agents has all fifty of my rules memorized."

After paying for breakfast, Gibbs and Jenny leave the restaurant and walk over to the freight yard. Gibbs points out to several box cars fifteen cars away from the engine. "We'll hide in the bushes until after those cars are inspected for stowaways." "Then we'll make our move and jump inside."

"You make it sound so easy Jethro." Jenny laughs.

"It will be a piece of cake Jen." Gibbs smirks.

"Let's see if you can manage to jump inside the box car without spilling you coffee." Jenny teases him.

"Your ass will be inside the box car before mine." Gibbs snickers and slowly they make their way over to track number four. Gibbs noting that security is arriving to check out the box cars for stowaways, grabs Jenny by the elbow and leads her over to the bushes. Ducking down so that the guards can't see them. The guards inspect each car one at a time. "A snail moves faster than these rent a cops." Gibbs grumbles.

The guards approach the box car that Gibbs and Jenny are going to hide in. One of the guards climbs inside and notices that the car is empty inside and hops out. "All clear!" He shouts out in German.

"The rate that they're going, we'll be in Paris by the end of the month." Gibbs impatiently growls.

"Jethro!" Jenny sighs at his constant whining.

Ten cars down one of the guards find four teenagers inside one of the box cars. "Four guards a piece, with four stowaways." "That means the guards will have to leave the train unattended for a few minutes." Gibbs nods over at Jenny. The guards haul away the teens, Gibbs and Jenny make a break for the box car. Jenny climbs up inside the box car with Gibbs shoving her on the back of the butt for good measure.

"Jethro!" She snaps at him.

"It got you in faster." Gibbs smirks and hands Jenny their coffees'.

"You just needed a reason to touch my ass." Jenny hisses.

Gibbs handing Jenny one of the carry-on bags. "Since when do I need a reason?" Gibbs chuckles and hands Jenny the other bags. Carrying his coffee in one hand, Gibbs quickly climbs inside, before the guards return. "There's a crate in the corner, we'll hide behind there until the train leaves."

Jenny gathering up one of the backpacks and her coffee walks over to the crate and sits down. Gibbs with a backpack on his shoulder puts his cup of coffee on top of the crate. "You're not that helpless." Gibbs grumbles and walks over to the opening of the box car and retrieves the two carry-on bags.

"I'm recovering from a gunshot wound." Jenny sweetly answers.

Gibbs slowly walks over to her and gives Jenny a mock glare of warning. "That gunshot wound is what's keeping me from ravishing you all over; you've been a major tease." Gibbs playfully warns her. He puts the two carry-on bags next to the crate, grabs his cup of coffee and sits down beside Jenny. Jenny shivers next to him in the cold morning air. Gibbs pulls over one of the backpacks and removes the sleeping bag that Tony had attached to it. "When the train pulls out I want you to get some sleep, you were up all-night."

"I won't sleep until I get to Paris." Jenny softly answers.

Gibbs unzips the sleeping bag and wraps it around Jenny. "You use to say that when we would work on stake outs." "With in twenty minutes you would be sound to sleep." Gibbs laughs.

"I'm not falling asleep." Jenny protests.

Twenty minutes later the train begins to move. Gibbs takes in a deep breath of relief; they're on their way to France. "We should be inside of France soon enough."

Bening, France

0930 Hours CEST

Gibbs grinning down over at Jenny as she has her head up against his shoulder sleeping soundly. "Took you forty minutes, but you gave in." Gibbs smirks, suddenly the train stops moving. Stiff from sitting down for over an hour Gibbs gently disengages himself from Jenny and slowly approaches the opening of the box car and takes in his surroundings. The sounds of the French language invades his ears. "We're in France alright, but where." Gibbs asks and hops out of the box car and wanders over to some trees to relief himself. "The train should be on standby for about a half an hour." Gibbs notes to himself. After relieving himself, Gibbs slowly makes his way over to a nearby train station. Several passengers line the platform. "Does anybody speak English?" Gibbs asks.

"Yank!" Ronald Chesterfield cheerfully calls over to him.

"Yes!" Gibbs laughs and walks over to him. "Curious as to what town my wife dragged me into last night." "I was too tired to notice when I flopped into bed last night." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Bening!" Ronald answers.

Gibbs mentally noting that they just crossed the border into France. "Thanks!" Gibbs smiles and walks the length of the train platform. Discretely he makes his way back over to box car without being seen and climbs inside the car. Glancing over at Jenny as she sleeps. "I use to hold you when you slept during our stake outs." Gibbs smiles and quietly goes down on the floor and pulls Jenny on to his lap. In her sleep Jenny snuggles up against Gibbs' ribcage. Tenderly he strokes Jenny's hair in her sleep. "Few more weeks you will fall asleep willingly in my arms." "It won't be forced." Gibbs whispers and kisses the top of her head.

Half an hour later the train pulls out of Bening. If everything goes to plan, Gibbs and Jenny should be in Paris by late afternoon.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

0700 Hours EDT

Vance walks out of his office with Probationary Status Agent Allison Shaffer. "What do you mean Special Agent's DiNozzo and McGee are not in." Vance answers and walks past Tom Watters desk with Allison following him from behind. Vance steps outside the door, he glances down at Gibbs' section and finds Tony and McGee's desks vacant. "Watters!" Vance calls out to him.

Watters walks out from his outer office. "Yes Director!" He nods over at Vance.

"Where are Agent's DiNozzo and McGee?"

"I don't know sir?" Watters shrugs.

"Find them!" Vance orders him and storms off for the stairs with Allison following him from behind. Vance walks over to Tony's desk and finds a copy of a case file from 2006, when Tony was Team Leader of the Major Case Response Team while Gibbs was retired down in Mexico. "You'll find an empty desk at the end of the aisle." Vance informs Allison. He picks up the file and walks off for the stairs.

Ten minutes later up in his office, Vance comes across the e-mail that Tony had sent him from the night before.

Director,

I came up with a lead on a suspect involving a case from 2006 when I was Team Leader. McGee and I drove up to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania around 2100 hours last night." "I didn't want to wait until morning to make the drive up; I know you had planned on assigning a Probationary Status Agent on our team until Gibbs gets back from Las Vegas. McGee and I will be in contact with you sometime tomorrow morning.

Regards,

Agent DiNozzo

Vance leans over his desk and pushes in the intercom button. "Watters get me Agent DiNozzo ASAP!"

Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

Days Inn

Room 18

McGee is lying on his bed watching TV. "This is great." "Tony is living it up in Vegas for twenty-four hours and I'm stuck at a dive motel in the middle of nowhere." McGee angrily snaps. Tony's cell phone begins to ring. "And I bet that's Director Vance." McGee sighs and picks up Tony's cell phone and notices Tom Watters name on the caller ID. "Right on cue!" McGee mumbles and waits for the phone to go into voice mail. McGee flips open the phone and under settings, sets Tony's phone so that it won't ring for an incoming phone call. "There peace and quiet." McGee smiles and tosses the phone on top of the nightstand.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, Abby and Ducky are down in Abby's Lab talking in the backroom. "I got a text from Gibbs about an hour ago." "They're a few hours away from Paris." Abby smiles.

"I know I spoke with Jethro this morning before I left for work." "Jenny's body gave in and she finally fell asleep once they safely got on their way inside the box car."

"Gibbs get any sleep?" Abby sheepishly asks.

"He won't go to sleep until they are safely inside of Jenny's apartment." "Emotionally Jethro needs some downtime as well." "The two weeks should do the both of them some good." Ducky muses.

Vance walks into the lab. "Miss Scuito!" Vance calls out to her.

"Great!" Abby sighs and gets up from her desk and walks over to her workstation. "Director Vance, what can I do for you?" She cheerfully says to him.

"Do a GPS trace on DiNozzo and McGee's cell phones." Vance orders her.

"Can't you just call them?" Abby asks.

"They aren't responding to my calls." Vance snaps.

Abby types in both McGee and Tony's cell phones and on the plasma screen both of their phones appear at the same location. "Waynesboro, Pennsylvania sir."

"Why aren't they answering?" Vance grumbles.

"Some areas of Pennsylvania are rural; cell phone service was horrible up in Stillwater." Abby answers.

"The next time I'm instructing my agents to use satellite phones when they go into rural areas." Vance grunts and stalks out of the lab.

Abby waits for Vance to get inside of the elevator. "Satellite phone won't work when they have the ringer turned off." Abby laughs.

Montmirail, France

1500 Hours CEST

Jenny awakens in Gibbs' arms. Gibbs smiles as she blinks open her sleepy green eyes. "Took you forty minutes Gibbs laughs and touches Jenny's face. Jenny realizing where she's at disengages herself from Gibbs arms and walks over to the opening of the box car. Gibbs upset that Jenny had pulled away from him like that gets up and approaches Jenny from behind. "I've been holding you all day long."

"Jethro-"

Gibbs quickly interrupts Jenny and pulls her around to face him. "I know you're not ready to make love to me." "But it doesn't mean that we still can't express how we feel about one another." Gibbs says to her and crushes Jenny up against him. "I love you." "It's been eleven damn years since I've said those words to you Jenny."

Jenny bursts into tears up against his chest. "Jethro!" She sobs.

Gibbs pulls Jenny's face up and passionately kisses her on the mouth. As he deepens his kiss, Gibbs guides them down on to the floor. Breathlessly Jenny breaks away from his kiss and buries her face up against his chest, trembling with desire. "When you're ready I'll know." Gibbs whispers against her ear. Silently they cling to one another, Jenny listening to the beat of Jethro's heart. Gibbs stares out the opening of the box car watching off into the distance. Paris awaits them within the hour.

Paris, France

1615 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny hop out of the box car and quickly run to the side of an old freight building. "Doesn't look like Paris to me." Gibbs answers and takes in his surroundings.

"Trust me we're in Paris, not in the greatest neighborhood, but we're in Paris." Jenny smiles and walks off towards the street with Gibbs following behind her.

Gibbs spots a bar with a taxi parked out front waiting for a customer. "We're not going to a bar." Gibbs barks.

"I'm not interested in the bar Gibbs." "There's a taxi outside." Jenny mutters and makes her way over towards the taxi. Speaking in French. "I need you to take us to Montmartre." Jenny sweetly says to the driver.

"I can get you there in ten minutes if you double the tip." He answers back in French.

"You got a deal." Jenny winks.

"What did you say to him?" Gibbs whispers and opens up the door to the taxi.

"You don't want to know, his driving may be worse than Ziva's." Jenny laughs and gets inside.

"Impossible!" Gibbs snorts and gets inside the cab.

Ten minutes later the cab arrives in Montmartre a block away from Jenny's studio apartment. Jenny pays the driver. Gibbs gingerly gets out of the taxi. "Told ya!" Jenny giggles and gets out of the car and closes the door behind her.

"I left my stomach twenty blocks back." Gibbs barks.

"Come on!" Jenny laughs and begins to walk off for her apartment. Gibbs takes in the café's, bakeries, local butcher shop, and the small grocery store on the corner. He follows Jenny over to a coffee shop; she approaches a side door and unlocks the door with her key.

"Figures you would have your apartment above a coffee shop." Gibbs laughs.

"Think I'm that stupid Jethro." Jenny mutters and steps inside. They ascend the stairs to Jenny's apartment up on the third floor. Jenny unlocks the door and pushes the door open. "Home sweet home." Jenny smiles and walks inside her apartment. As she approaches the living room she turns on a light. "Jethro you get the first shower and go straight to bed." Jenny instructs him.

"How many bedrooms do you have?"

"One, but we'll alternate between the bed and the couch for the time being." "You get the bed to catch up on your sleep."

"I'm taking you out to dinner after I wake up."

"Deal and when we go to bed tonight, I get the bed you get the couch." "Tomorrow night we'll reverse the process."

"Jenny the couch is fine with me."

"Gibbs don't argue with me." Jenny answers and points towards the direction of the bathroom. "Bathroom is over there, there's a small closet inside with some fresh towels and a wash cloth."

An hour later, Gibbs is sleeping soundly on Jenny's bed. Jenny silently sits on edge of the bed and watches over him. "You don't know how many nights I dreamed of the two of us in this bed." Jenny whispers softly. Slowly she gets up from the bed and approaches Gibbs. Jenny leans over and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. "I love you." She whispers and quietly walks out of the room.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Sahara Hotel & Casino

Room 254

After getting a shower in the room he's sharing with Jack, Tony is lounging on his bed with his right elbow propped behind his head. "I'm in paradise Probie." Tony smirks.

Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

1430 Hours

"Gibbs and Jenny are in Paris, you and Jack are in Vegas and I'm in the sticks getting bombarded with phone calls from Director Vance, which I keep ignoring." McGee whines in protest.

"Sucks to be you." Tony laughs.

Jack walks out of the bathroom. "Who are you talking to?"

"McCry baby!" Tony grins.

"I gather Leroy hasn't called yet." Jack curiously asks and walks over to his bed and sits down.

"You got to be kidding me Jack." Tony laughs and shakes his head. "He's with a hot attractive red head in Paris."

"You keep forgetting that she's recovering from a gunshot wound DiNozzo." McGee reminds him.

"That hole will soon be healed up." "Jenny can't fend off Gibbs forever." Tony smirks.

"I can't wait for this to get over with so I can finally meet Leroy's Jenny." "He told me about her when I visited him in Washington our first Christmas together."

"I've heard the stories from Ducky of their adventures together in Europe" Tony says with a smile.

"I heard some from Callen when Gibbs and I were out in LA a few years ago." McGee answers.

Tony gets back to the subject at hand. "My plane lands in Harrisburg tomorrow at noon."

"I'll be there to pick you up."

"Then we're off to Carlisle Airport to drop off Jenny's carry-on bag with her satellite phone and Harriett Jones' ID, on to one of the planes." Tony nods.

"I have just the plane in mind." "I hacked into the airport's computer and found a fight leaving at 1330 Hours headed for Cancun, Mexico." McGee smiles.

"Perfect, Kort and daddy will think that Jenny is headed for Mexico." Tony grins.

"It's a Cessna 560XL owned by Clark and Kitty Woodland."

"Kort will send Ray down to Mexico on a wild goose chase for a few days."

"To bad we couldn't have done the same thing with Vance." McGee grumbles.

"Probie we're doing this for Gibbs and Jenny." "Since she's returned to the land of the living, Gibbs has a smile on his face every day in the bullpen; he doesn't realize he's doing it." "Jenny put it there."

"I have to keep saying this over and over again." "We're doing this for Gibbs."

"By the end of the month the bad guys will be put away and Gibbs and Jenny can move forward with their lives." Tony smiles.

Paris, France

Jenny's Apartment

2145 Hours CEST

Gibbs awakens in Jenny's bed; he bolts up and takes in his unfamiliar surroundings. "Jenny!" He calls out.

"I'm out in the kitchen Jethro." Jenny calls out to him.

Gibbs throws the blankets back; half asleep he walks out of the room and enters the living room. "What time is it?" He yawns and walks into the kitchen.

"Quarter to ten." Jenny softly answers.

"I slept that long." Gibbs says with surprise.

"There's a fresh pot of coffee on the counter."

"It wanted to take you out to dinner."

"There's always tomorrow night Jethro." "While you were sleeping I bought Chinese take-out."

"Figures you would go shopping." Gibbs snorts and walks over to the counter and pours himself a cup of coffee.

"Just the basics." Jenny smiles and takes in the sight of him in his t-shirt and gray sweatpants.

"Quit checking out my ass." Gibbs growls.

"Nothing to check out since your sweats is too baggy." Jenny sighs and gets up from her chair and grabs a plate from the dish drain.

"You got cable TV." "I want to check out the sports scores."

"Yes and you can eat out in the living room while you're watching TV." Jenny answers and takes out the food containers from the refrigerator. She walks over and puts the containers down on top of the counter. "I'm heading for bed." "It's been a long day." "Night Jethro!" Jenny softly says to him and walks away.

Around midnight, Gibbs turns off the TV out in the living room; he gets up from the couch and walks over to the doorway to Jenny's bedroom. He finds Jenny lying in bed sleeping soundly on her left side. "You never had that expression on your face while you slept at Ducky's and the Swartz's." Gibbs whispers to himself. Quietly he backs away from the doorway and walks over to the front window. Glancing down on the busy streets below. "Like New York this city never sleeps." Gibbs laughs.


	29. In The Moment

Paris, France

Jenny's Apartment

0900 Hours CEST

Jenny awakens in bed. "I'm in Paris." She answers and sits up in bed taking in the surroundings of her apartment bedroom.

Out in the kitchen, Gibbs is glaring down at the newspaper that he bought. "Can't they have a newspaper in English?" He growls in annoyance.

Over hearing him as she walks into the kitchen. "If you would learn the language Jethro, you wouldn't be whining about not being able to read the newspaper." She teases him and walks over to the coffee pot.

Gibbs takes in the sight of Jenny in her silk peach robe. "I went to the bakery and bought some croissants, their over on the counter."

Jenny pouring herself a cup of coffee. "How far did you get walking around the neighborhood this morning?" Jenny curiously asks and grabs a croissant from the counter and begins to put some strawberry preserves on it.

"Just to the bakery." "I figure you would show me around after you woke up." Gibbs smiles.

Jenny picks up her coffee and croissant and approaches the table and sits down. "It's perfect Jethro." "I fell in love with the area."

"For the next week I want the op we're working in the back burner." "We'll concentrate on it during the second week." "We both need some down time."

"When's the last time you had any down time?" Jenny curiously asks and takes a bite from her croissant.

"Just before the 'Port to Port, Serial Killer' investigation." "End of May." Gibbs shrugs and takes a sip from his cup of coffee. "I went fishing out in the Chesapeake Bay on my boat for a four day weekend."

"How long are you going to keep boat number three's name a secret?" Jenny sheepishly asks.

"Spring time!" Gibbs smirks.

"Hopefully you didn't name her after Stephanie." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs knowing that Jenny is trying to bait him to give her the name of his boat. "It suits her, trust me." Gibbs grins.

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Carlisle Airport

1400 Hours

With the security cameras hacked into and turned off, Tony is dressed up as a baggage handler, slips Jenny's carry-on bag inside the cargo hold of the Woodland's Cessna containing Harriet Jones' satellite phone, passport, clothing, credit cards and her photo ID. Discreetly he walks off of the plane unnoticed and leaves the airport. McGee is waiting out front in the parking lot. "Piece of cake Probie." Tony smiles and gets into the driver's side of the car.

"Piece of cake for the moment." "You still have to deal with Director Vance." McGee sighs and shakes his head. "Soon as we're a few miles away from here I'll turn the airport security camera's back on."

"We'll be sending Cruz on a wild goose chase to Cancun, Mexico." Tony laughs.

While Tony and McGee are driving back to Washington, Gibbs and Jenny are wandering the streets of Jenny's neighborhood. Gibbs finds interest in an outdoor market. "I'm cooking you dinner next week." Gibbs smiles and begins to glance around at the breads and produce.

"You use to lose yourself in the outdoor markets eleven years ago." Jenny softly recalls.

"Just like you would lose yourself in the boutiques and bookstores." Gibbs smirks.

"And I'm going to lose myself in a boutique and bookstore while we're here so shut up."

Gibbs shakes his head and begins to laugh. "So glad that nothing about you changes." Gibbs smiles and affectionately takes Jenny's right hand in his left hand and begins to walk along the sidewalk.

Jenny noting that Gibbs has not held her hand in public since they went their separate ways in Paris. "Jethro!" She softly calls out to him.

"Hum!" He answers roughly and continues to walk along the sidewalk. Jenny squeezes on to his calloused hand. "I'm just letting these French bastards know your mine and to back off." "And note that nobody ever laid their eyes on you when I made it quite clear that you were with me eleven years ago."

"I've forgotten how territorial you got over me." Jenny laughs.

"Damn straight I am." "Besides my first wife, you were the only woman I got possessive with." Gibbs smirks and hails an oncoming taxi. Jenny surprised at Gibbs' admission, that he would put her up on the same level as Shannon, she begins to tremble. Gibbs feeling Jenny's hand trembling. "You cold?" He asks with concern and pulls Jenny close up against him.

"No!" Jenny smiles just as the taxi approaches the curb. "I'm trembling because I'm caught up in the moment."

"What moment are we having?" Gibbs says in awe.

"An I love you Jethro moment." Jenny sensuously answers and opens up the door to the taxi and gets inside. Gibbs thunderstruck and caught off guard at Jenny's timing at telling him that she loved him.

"Where to?" The driver says in French.

"Café le Zazir!" Jenny says to the driver in French. She glances up at Gibbs who's still staring off into the distance. "Jethro!" She softly calls out to him.

Gibbs stares down at her before getting into the cab. "You got the last word in again." He playfully growls and gets inside and closes the door.

Jenny leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. "Few more weeks and I'll show you what moment I would like us to be caught up in." She purrs to him.

"Two more weeks of hell." Gibbs grumbles and sucks in his teeth.

Unknown to Gibbs and Jenny the taxi driver understands English and has listened in on their entire conversation. "Crazy Americans!" He snorts in French and pulls away from the curb.

Later that evening, Tony and McGee are facing the music up in Director Vance's Office. "I don't care, the next time you leave out of town I want to know what you're up to." Vance angrily shouts at them from the head of the conference table. "I had a confused Probationary Status Agent standing around Thursday morning looking for you DiNozzo."

"I sent you an e-mail Director telling you where McGee and I were going." Tony snaps.

"Do not talk to me in that tone of voice or I will have you suspended for a few days." Vance warns him and gets up from his chair. "You were on a stake out for two days wasting taxpayer's money."

"I was given a lead." Tony answers.

"Follow up on it better the next time."

"Sir in Tony's defense, the cell phone connection up in that area is horrendous." McGee answers.

"There's a thing called a land line phone Agent McGee." "You could have used it." Vance fumes.

"So what are you going to do with the both of us?" Tony curiously asks.

"You're working the next two weekends."

"I have a comic book convention that I need to go to next weekend." McGee whines.

"Tough!" Vance barks and walks over to his desk and grabs his portfolio. "I'm needed in MTAC; the two of you are dismissed."

Tony and McGee quickly get up from their seats and rush out of the office, through Watters outer office out on to the balcony and down the stairs. "Great Tony!" McGee sighs.

"Shut up Probie!" Tony grumbles and walks along the catwalk, Abby and Ducky are waiting at the bottom of the stairs. "Later!" He shouts down to them with McGee following behind him. Vance walks out of his office and glares down at Tony and McGee as they make their way over to their desks. For several seconds Vance lingers in front of the balcony making sure that Tony and McGee are sitting at their desks working, satisfied Vance walks over to the eyes scanner and scans himself inside of MTAC.

Abby slithers over to Tony's desk. "All clear!"

"Abby as I said not now." "We'll meet over at Ducky's after work."

"I'll be over at the Swartz's working on my project."

"I'll text you when we get there."

Around midnight, Gibbs and Jenny walk through the front door of the apartment. "I haven't had a duck dinner like that in years." Gibbs smiles.

"I know there are five star French restaurants in DC, but the real thing is in France." Jenny softly answers and kicks off her heels. "I'm getting ready for bed." Jenny yawns and walks off for the bedroom.

"I thought you said I got the bed tonight."

"You are I have to change for bed."

"Same peach night gown as last night." Gibbs drools.

"How did-" Jenny stops and pops her head out of the bedroom door. "You were watching me while I slept last night.

"For a few minutes." Gibbs shrugs and flops down in chair next to the couch.

"No it's not going to be my peach night gown." Jenny answers and pops her head back into the bedroom.

"You use to wear nothing to bed." Gibbs smirks.

"That was eleven years ago Jethro." Jenny sighs from inside of the bedroom.

"So what's it going to be?"

"I'll surprise you."

"Tease!" Gibbs grumbles.

Ten minutes later, Jenny walks out of the bedroom wearing a pink tank top and white and pink Capri lounging pajama bottoms. Gibbs rolls his eyes in disappointment. "Expecting something else." Jenny asks and raises a questioning eyebrow.

"Something that showed off more cleavage and your thighs." Gibbs grins and gets up. "Night Jen!" Gibbs nods at her and heads off for the bedroom.

"Good night Jethro, sweet dreams."

"Yeah right, kind of hard to do that when I'll be smelling your scent in bed." Gibbs growls in sexual frustration.

Jenny finding an extra pair of reading glasses that she has on the end table. "You could always get a cold shower before you go to bed." Jenny laughs.

"Been there done that and it doesn't work anymore."

Jenny turns on the light and sits down on the edge of the couch. "There's always your hand." Jenny giggles and shakes her head; she grabs her book on the end table. "My body is still on DC time." She sighs and puts on her glasses and opens up her book.

Back in Washington after nine o'clock Tony, McGee, Ducky, and Abby are sitting in Ducky's kitchen eating pizza. "I've been looking forward to that convention for months." McGee grumbles.

"I had plans also." Tony snaps.

"Big deal you had a classic car show that you're missing out on." McGee sighs.

"You think they're on to Jenny's satellite phone by now." Abby curiously asks.

"Oh yeah!" McGee smirks.

Nice, France

0300 Hours CEST

"Has your plane landed in Cancun yet?" Kort asks as he steps out of his taxi at the airport.

"I'm somewhere in the middle of Oklahoma." Cruz answers from inside of the bathroom of his airplane.

"I'm taking a flight from Madrid to Athens." Kort lies.

"I'll call you after I brief the baggage handlers at the airport in Cancun."

"Boss man wants some answers." "You bloody well come up with them Ray." Kort snaps.

"He'll get them, seems that Jenny may have slipped across the border into Mexico."

"Mexican authorities have been alerted about Harriett Jones illegally entering their country, soon as she's apprehended they will take her into custody." Kort nods.

"Then the CIA will take over from there." Cruz adds.

"You mean her father will take over from there."

"What's he going to do to her?" Cruz curiously asks.

"Let me put it to you this way." "She'll never ever leave Kalymnos unsupervised again."

"Shepard gave her way to much freedom."

"Old man was too trusting; he thought that he was dealing with his precious Jenny." "Little does Shepard know that his daughter was trained by the best at NCIS, she played him like a fool?"

Suddenly Cruz hears a knock on the bathroom door. "I have to go."

"So do I my flight leaves for Athens in a few hours, talk to you sometime tomorrow."

"Goodbye Kort." Cruz answers and hangs up.

"The CIA won't take over from there, Julien Benoit will." Kort grins and walks inside the airport.

Paris, France

0800 Hours CEST

Jenny awakens on the couch and stretches. "I over did it yesterday." Jenny yawns and gets up off of the couch. Smelling the fresh pot of coffee out in the kitchen. "I bet Jethro got up at the crack of dawn." Jenny laughs and walks off for the bathroom. Inside the bathroom, Gibbs shirtless at the sink rinsing off the shaving cream from his neck. Jenny walks in and takes in the sight of Gibbs shirtless wearing his brown cargo shorts.

Gibbs smirks over at her. "You going to stand in the middle of the doorway checking me out or are you going to walk in." Gibbs teases her in his little boy voice.

"What I need to do, I don't need an audience." Jenny sighs.

Gibbs grabs a towel and wipes off his neck. "I'll leave if you admit that you were checking me out."

"I think it's hypocritical that you're allowed to check me out, but I'm not allowed to check you out." Jenny mutters in protest.

"It's what guys do." Gibbs grins and wraps his towel around his neck.

"Women do it also Jethro; it's just that we're more discrete about it."

"Bullshit I caught you every single time up on the balcony checking out my ass." Gibbs laughs.

"That's because you were sticking out your ass on purpose." "You would see me up at the balcony working, get up from your desk and walk over to either Tony or McGee's desk and go to the back of their shoulder and strategically stick out your ass." Jenny hisses.

"It got your mind off of work." Gibbs chuckles.

Jenny pointing towards the direction of the living room. "Out!"

"Just curious at which rated X flashback that you were having at the time." Gibbs teases her getting in the final word as he leaves the bathroom.

Jenny slams the bathroom door behind him. "Son of a bitch!"

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

0730 Hours

Tony and McGee are the only agents working inside of the Squad Room. McGee is busy monitoring Ray Cruz's GPS coordinates from his cell phone. "Ray's plane landed about an hour ago."

Tony gets up from his desk and approaches McGee from behind. "Cancun International Airport!" Tony grins.

"Been there?"

"Wanting to?" Tony smirks.

"I have my eye set on Jamaica myself."

"Now there's a place to go." Tony smiles at the memory of spending a week in Jamaica with some of his college roommates.

"I wonder if he's been given Harriett's bag yet."

Cancun, Mexico

Cancun, Mexico

0630 Hours CDT

Ray Cruz is inside of customs questioning Clark and Kitty Woodland. "We do not know anything about a woman named Harriet Jones." Clark angrily seethes at Cruz. "We've never met the woman in a day of our life."

"Like I would be caught dead carrying around a canvas carry-on bag." Kitty answers in disgust.

"I want to check out your story further before I let you go." Cruz nods over at them and leaves the room. He approaches Mexican Customs Agent Jose Escobar. "I need to see the video surveillance shortly after the plane landed." Cruz asks.

"This way Senor!" Escobar nods and walks off with Cruz following him from behind.

An hour later inside an office, Cruz is on the phone with Kort from his Athens hotel room. "Wild goose chase, she wasn't on the plane." Cruz sighs.

Athens, Greece

Marriot Hotel

Room 209

1530 Hours EEST

"Somebody is going to great lengths to distract us." Kort snaps from his couch.

"Julien Benoit?" Cruz curiously asks.

"Maybe!" Kort grumbles.

"I hate wasting my time."

"Kosmo hates his time getting wasted." Kort sighs in annoyance at the prospects of yet another frustrating confrontation with him. "He wants to see the both of us."

"I have things that I need to take care of on my end first."

"Your end is and always will be Lodestone first, than whatever side operation that you are working on." "Meet me at my usual hotel in Athens by tomorrow night." Kort orders him and hangs up.

Cruz angrily flips his phone closed. "I'm so close to finding Jenny and going to Kalymnos is going to delay it longer."

Back at NCIS Headquarters hiding down in Abby's Lab, McGee secretly is monitoring Kort and Cruz's interaction via cell phone. "Kort's in Athens!" McGee announces to Tony on his burn phone, whose up in the lounge munching on a Bear Claw.

"And I bet his next phone call is to Kosmo." Tony smirks.

"You are so right." McGee laughs as he notices that Kort is now talking to Kosmo Galanos. "I wonder if daddy is pissed off."

"I'd say he is." "Little does he know that Jenny is hiding away in Paris living it up with Gibbs?" Tony smiles.

Paris, France

Gibbs and Jenny are wandering through yet another one of their old haunts, Rue du Télégraphe an outdoor market near the Belleville Cemetery. Gibbs browses through the various cheese vendors, while Jenny wanders over to a nearby candle vendor. Gibbs' burn phone begins to ring, he distances himself away from the vendor and pulls out his phone and notices McGee on the caller ID. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

"Boss, Ray Cruz is in Cancun and just got off the phone with Trent Kort who's in Nice, France." McGee informs him.

"Good they took the bait." Gibbs smirks.

"After Kort hung up with Cruz, his next call was to-"

"Daddy!" Gibbs quickly answers.

"They were on the phone for a long time."

"I'm hoping that Kosmo orders Cruz back to Kalymnos, so that we can have some breathing room."

"What if he tells Jenny's father about meeting Ziva in the parking garage." McGee sheepishly asks.

"It's a chance that we'll have to take." Gibbs growls in annoyance.

"What are the two of you doing?" McGee shrugs out of curiosity.

"Venturing out to our old haunts." Gibbs smiles and glances over at Jenny whose purchasing some candles.

"Is Jenny more relaxed?"

"Hell yeah, since she's not cooped up inside of a house." Gibbs laughs.

"And the fact that the two of you can wander the streets and not look over your shoulders." McGee smoothly answers.

"Don't worry McGee I'm looking over the both of our shoulders at all times."

Later in the evening at Jenny's apartment out in the living room after dinner, Gibbs notices that Jenny is fighting to keep her eyes open. "We're not going out tomorrow." "You need to slow it down a bit."

"I was about to suggest the same thing." Jenny answers and turns on the TV.

ZNN comes on screen and footage from the 9|11 terror attacks is being shown. "Where were you during September 11th 2001?" Gibbs asks and pulls Jenny's feet on to his lap.

"I was undercover in Tripoli." "I couldn't believe what was happening; we were under attack on our own soil."

"Burley and I were at our desks in the bullpen." "After the Pentagon was hit, the Director was in lock down inside of MTAC until late afternoon when the all clear was given."

"A month later I was promoted to Team Leader of the 9|11 Anti-Terrorism Response Team in Europe and my base of operations moved from Naples to London."

"When did you first meet Ziva?" Gibbs sheepishly asks.

"January of 2002, Director Morrow felt that we needed to reestablish our relations with Mossad." "Ziva trained me on the skills I that I felt that I was lacking as agent."

"Assassin training!" Gibbs answers and sucks in his teeth.

Jenny pulls her feet away from him and gets off from the couch. "There are some things that you cannot observe Jethro." "And tell me something, if you ordered Tony or McGee on a sanctioned hit, would either of them have the stomach to do it." Jenny angrily asks Gibbs. Hurt that Gibbs would bring up her lack of killer instinct when he ordered her to take out Slvetlana, Jenny storms into her bedroom and slams the door behind her.

"I really stuck my foot in my mouth this time." Gibbs sighs and sinks down on to the couch.

On a flight to Athens, Cruz is on the phone with his good buddy Darren Wong, whose back at his desk at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. "Ray It's a Saturday you owe me big time." Wong grumbles in protest.

"I need the video surveillance from Carlisle Airport, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania."

"That should take me several hours." Wong answers.

"I have the time; I'm on my way to Athens." Cruz sighs in annoyance.

"Europe again?" Wong says with surprise.

"Yes it's an op that I've been working on for the past three years."

"Does this involve the video footage from the airport?" Wong curiously asks.

"Yes I just need to see who was getting on a Cessna 560XL owned by Clark Woodland." "His flight took him to Cancun, Mexico."

"How many passengers besides Woodland?" Wong asks and writes down the information that Cruz has given him on a note pad.

"Just him and his wife and possibly a mystery stowaway that the CIA is looking for." "It's an operative that's been missing for several weeks." "We were tipped off by the signal to her satellite phone on board Woodland's plane."

"Somebody may have put her phone on the plane to trip up the CIA." Wong smoothly answers.

"Besides the phone her carry-on bag with her passport, credit cards, and identification were found on board the plane." "My boss in Kalymnos wants quick results on this."

"Like I said it's going to take several hours." "I finished up that other favor that you requested; I got the call log records for the NCIS Agents, Doctor Mallard, and Abby Scuito that you had inquired about the other day."

"Leave them on my desk and I'll look them over just as soon as I return headquarters, I'm hoping to be back my Monday the earliest."

"I got their cell, home and office extension call logs." "I really do not see anything suspicious." Wong answers and glances down over at Ducky's cell phone call log for the month of August, he flips through the pages and on page two, Harriett Jones' phone call to Ducky appears from August 21st at 0100 Hours.

Paris, France

The next morning, Gibbs awakens on the couch. "I usually can sleep anywhere, but this couch is killing me Jen." Gibbs growls and slowly sits up. Smelling the coffee from the kitchen. "I wonder if it's safe to venture out into the kitchen." He snorts and gets up from the couch and walks into the kitchen. He finds Jenny absorbed into one of her books. "Good morning!" He addresses her and approaches the coffee pot. Taking in Jenny's silence. "Ok how long am I going to get the cold shoulder from you?" Gibbs sighs and pours himself a cup of coffee.

Jenny slams her book down on top of the table. "You hurt my feelings last night and you have the gall to ask me on how long I'm going to give you the cold shoulder." Jenny angrily screams at him.

"Jen I'm-"

"Apologizing is a sign of weakness Gibbs." Jenny sarcastically reminds him and takes off her glasses.

"Do not throw one of my unwritten rules back in my face Probie." Gibbs barks and flops down in a chair across from her.

"I can throw any rules that I want in your face, this is my apartment." Jenny snaps and gets up from the table.

"But at this moment I'm still your boss." Gibbs angrily reminds her.

"For the next two weeks you are my boss Jethro, keep in mind that I'm now a CIA Operative and we are working on a mission together with you being the lead agent in charge, that's it."

"Jenny I said I was sorry." Gibbs frowns and gets up from the table and approaches Jenny from behind.

"I have to live with my failure in Paris Jethro." "It cost Decker and Sasha's lives; they are dead because of me." "And I do not need you throwing it in my face on how I could not bring myself to take out Slvetlana." Jenny answers with tears streaming down her face.

Gibbs encircles his arms from behind her waist. "Sometimes I see so much of me in you." Gibbs whispers behind her ear.

"But I'm not you."

"Back then you weren't, but you are now." Gibbs answers and kisses the back of Jenny's head. "You are my equal in every sense of the word."

"I can't take out a target from a thousand feet away." Jenny laughs and turns and faces him.

"And I can't speak or understand French, so I guess we're both even." Gibbs smiles and reaches for Jenny's hand. "Pax!"

"Pax!" Jenny smiles, and instead of shaking Gibbs' hand to end their stalemate, she leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. "I'm getting a shower while you're making breakfast." Jenny seductively purrs to him and walks off for the bathroom.

Gibbs with his jaw dropped. "Your suppose to shake my hand after a pax, just like the Guns Donovan and Amelia Dedham did in 'Donovan's Reef'." Gibbs groans in sexual frustration. "I'm the one who needs the shower after that kiss."

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

0800 Hours

McGee and Tony are down in Abby's Lab in the backroom. "Ray had called a Darren Wong at CIA Headquarters, from the GPS location of his phone; it looked like he was on an airplane."

"Info on Darren Wong?" Tony asks.

"He an agent and works in the cyber division."

"I bet Ray was having Wong look into the video surveillance at Carlisle Airport." Tony grins.

"There's nothing for Wong to see." McGee smirks.

Athens, Greece

Athens International Airport

1700 Hours EEST

Ray Cruz's cell phone begins to ring, he takes his phone out of his pocket and spots Wong's name on the caller ID. "Wong what do you have for me?" Cruz answers.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

1000 Hours EDT

"Somebody had shut off the video cameras off at the airport from 1100 hours to 1400 hours."

"Was their computer system hacked into?" Cruz asks and finds a seat near a window and sits down.

"Yes, I traced the hack to an apartment complex in Carlisle." "I can't get an identify who hacked into the airport, because he or she used a-"

"False identity!" Cruz interrupts him and sighs in frustration.

"Around 1400 hours the cameras were turned back on." "From what I can make out from the trace, he or she was five miles away from the airport."

"I'm sorry that I wasted your entire weekend for this Darren." Cruz frowns.

"Ray it was important, like you wouldn't have dropped everything for me." Wong smiles.

"You're damn straight I would." Cruz smiles and glances down at his watch. "I need to meet up with a contact of mine."

"You said you should be back by tomorrow." Wong shrugs.

"If everything goes to plan I don't see why not." "I'll see you tomorrow." Cruz answers and hangs up. "Gibbs is definitely involved with this Ziva." Cruz angrily snaps and gets up from his seat. "Hopefully by tonight I'll be on a flight back to Washington and I'll deal with you then."

An hour later, Cruz is inside of Kort's hotel room briefing him. "Who the hell turned off the video cameras?" Kort snarls.

"According to Darren Wong he doesn't know."

"This is great!" Kort angrily seethes. "The old man doesn't want to hear this."

"What if it's Benoit?"

"The old man will send his body out for shark food." Kort cryptically answers.

Meanwhile in Paris, Gibbs is wandering the sidewalk with his burn phone pressed up against his ear. "So we're still one step ahead of them McGee I don't see what the problem is." Gibbs grunts.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

"The problem is Cruz is now in Athens with Kort." "I'm wondering if their heading over to Kalymnos to brief Jenny's father."

"They still do not have anything that connects to us at this time."

"You're confident of that?" McGee shrugs.

"My gut is confident on that." Gibbs smirks and approaches a flower stand.

McGee changes the subject at hand. "You and Jenny exploring Paris." McGee curiously asks.

"No, we over did it on Friday and Saturday." "I want Jenny resting today; she's up in her apartment reading."

"Alone!"

"McGee, we need our space from time to time." Gibbs smiles and picks out a dozen red roses.

"15 Euro'; monsieur de s." The woman at the flower stand nods over to Gibbs.

"Was that Jenny?" McGee laughs.

"No!" Gibbs grumbles and pays the woman and begins to walk off towards Jenny's apartment.

"It's just that I heard a woman speaking French in the background."

"I was buying something McGee." Gibbs growls in annoyance. "Is there anything else that I should know about?"

"No!"

"Get back to me only if Kort and Cruz report back to El jefe."

"I see you have something romantically planned out for Jenny." McGee snickers.

Gibbs abruptly hangs up on McGee. "Just as bad as DiNozzo." Gibbs mumbles and walks over to the door for Jenny's apartment. Inside the apartment, Jenny is sleeping on her couch, Gibbs walks in with a big smile on his face. "The only time that you can be called an innocent Jen is when you're sleeping." Gibb laughs and walks into the living room. He puts the roses down on top of the coffee table so that Jenny can see them when she first wakes up, quietly Gibbs walks out into the kitchen. "Time to make a fresh pot of coffee."

An hour later, Jenny awakens to the smell of fresh roses. Sitting up on the couch she spots the red roses that Gibbs had bought her while he was off exploring the neighborhood to give them the needed space that they would need from one another. "Actually Jethro is the one who needs the space, it keeps his mind off of throwing me over his shoulder and hauling my ass into the bedroom." Jenny mentally notes.

Gibbs steps out from the kitchen. "How long have you been asleep?" He asks and approaches the coffee table.

Jenny blinks over at the clock on the wall and notes that its five o'clock Paris time. "Two hours!" Jenny yawns and leans over and picks up the roses from on top of the coffee table.

Gibbs sits in a chair across from the couch. "Kort and Cruz are in Athens together." Gibbs informs her.

"I would like to be a fly on the wall in my father's study when he chews their asses out." Jenny laughs and gets up from the table.

"Cruz maybe briefing your father about your meet up with Ziva at the Ritz Carlton parking garage."

"Even if he does inform my father, they won't go to NCIS about it." Jenny answers and walks off for the kitchen with her roses.

Gibbs gets up and follows her. "What makes you so sure?"

"Davenport and Vance tipped Benoit off about Bernardo Suárez." "My dad lost about twenty million dollars on that deal."

"So a business deal is more important than his daughter." Gibbs says in disgust.

"The money that I've made dear old dad the past three years, he could buy Greece if he wanted too." "He only wants me back for one reason alone and that's to top off the next business transaction."

"So basically he's pimping his own daughter." Gibbs snaps and walks over to the refrigerator and retrieves a bottle of beer.

"Like I told you Jethro, I never slept with any of my dad's would be clients." "Date drugs work just as easily on men as they do on women."

"It would be easy for you, show off enough of your chest." Gibbs chuckles and takes the roses from Jenny. "Where to you keep your vases at?"

"Under the sink." Jenny smiles.

Gibbs approaches the sink and puts his bottle of beer on top of the counter. "We need to have a talk about something."

"What's that?" Jenny answers and pulls out a chair from the kitchen table.

Gibbs turns and at Jenny. "I didn't have to use anything when we were together the first time around, because you were using birth control pills."

Jenny surprised at Gibbs' at the conversation she's having with him when they haven't had sexual relations yet. "Jethro!" Jenny doubles over in her chair and bursts out laughing.

"You find this funny." Gibbs shrugs and bends over and opens up the cabinet door.

"Actually amusing!" Jenny laughs.

Gibbs retrieves the glass vase from under the sink. "It's something that we need to talk about."

"I had my tubes tied two years ago." Jenny answers.

"Why did you have that done?" Gibbs curiously asks and fills the vase up with water.

"I was lonely and I started seeing a pilot that would fly my father to some of his business dealings." "The both of us were lonely, Jason's wife Katarina had been in a coma for about five years."

"Are you still seeing him?" Gibbs asks.

"No, my dad felt that Jason was distracting me from the job at hand." Jenny frowns.

"He killed Jason."

"Car bombing in Venice." Jenny answers with her voice trembling with emotion.

"You saw the car blowing up." Gibbs asks and turns off the water. Gibbs approaches Jenny and goes down on his knees in front of her.

"It was a message from dad." "Do not get to close to anybody."

"Were you on an op in Venice?"

"No a romantic weekend away with Jason." Jenny smiles and flashes back to kissing Jason goodbye out on the sidewalk in front of a boutique. Jason walked across the street and gets inside of his white Lancia. Jenny walks over to the door to the boutique as she's about to go inside she glances over at Jason just as the bomb goes off. From the force of the explosion Jenny is thrown down on to the sidewalk, glass from the boutique shatters across her body.

Gibbs grabs Jenny by the arms. "Were you hurt?" Gibbs angrily snarls.

"I had cuts everywhere from the glass." "Three broken ribs and a punctured lung." "I think my dad wanted Jason out of the way, but I also think Kort was also trying to take me out as well." Jenny chokes.

"The next time I will not hesitate on taking out Kort when I have my Sig pointed towards his direction." "He's just as responsible for taking your life away from you."

"No I'm responsible for taking my life away." "I'm the one who failed on taking out Slvetlana." "I'm the one who chose to kill La Grenouille." "I put myself into the position I'm in now." Jenny screams and gets up from the chair and brushes past Gibbs.

"And your now choosing to take your life back Jen." "With my help we'll get even with all of those bastards one by one, starting with your father." Gibbs shouts at her.

"You still haven't figured out what you're going to say to him when your confront him." Jenny smirks and walks over to the sink and begins to unwrap her roses.

"Let's say it won't be a pleasant experience for Kosmo Galanos." Gibbs grins and takes his bottle of beer from on top of the sink and opens it.

"Do you have to drink that in front of me?" Jenny sighs in protest.

"You have another week before you can drink again." Gibbs shrugs and approaches the refrigerator.

"So what's for dinner?" Jenny asks and begins to arrange her roses inside the vase.

"A surprise!" Gibbs smiles.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Kosmo Galanos Villa

"Kort where are you?" Iris whines in sexual frustration in her bedroom.

"Up in the air you trollop in heat." Kort mutters in exasperation from inside the bathroom inside Shepard's private plane.

"When can I bump off the old man?" Irks purrs in anticipation.

"When the boss man gives me the all clear."

"Kort!"

"Patients!" Kort grins.

"I have none." Iris pouts.

"Well start having them." Kort snaps.

"I want him out of the way so I can begin my new life with you." Iris seductively says to him.

"And you will have your new life; it's just going to take a little bit longer." Kort answers and glances down at his watch. "The plane should be landing in a half an hour."

"I'll be waiting." Iris smiles.

"As Kosmo's loyal tramp-assistant." "Keep in mind Cruz is coming along with me and he's on to us."

"Since when?" Iris asks with surprise.

"Since you make yourself so obvious whenever you're off of Kalymnos." "Cruz has been on to us for years."

"I guess he's one more take out to add to our list." Iris wickedly snickers.

"Cruz is the least of my worries." Kort sighs in annoyance. "I've been in the head long enough." "I'll see you in about forty minutes."

"I'll be counting the minute's sugar." Iris sensuously answers and hangs up.

"You'll have your new life, but it won't be with me." Kort smirks and flips his phone over and walks out of the bathroom. On the sofa Cruz is sleeping. "When you become a worry I'll eliminate you myself."

An hour and a half later inside of Jenny's apartment, Gibbs is walking Jenny into the kitchen covering up her eyes. "Jethro!" Jenny chastises him.

Gibbs slowly walks Jenny over to the table and pulls his hands away from her eyes. Jenny stares down at the table in amazement. "Yes its Steak au Poivre, Foie Gras Salad, and asparagus." Gibbs grins and shoves Jenny down into a chair.

"You use to treat me this in my office twice a year." Jenny smiles and puts her napkin on her lap.

"I haven't eaten it since-" Gibbs stops himself.

"I died!" Jenny softly says out loud.

Gibbs picks up a bottle of burgundy wine and pops the cork. "A few glasses of wine won't kill ya." Gibbs smirks and pours Jenny a glass of wine.

Gibbs pours himself a glass and then sits down at the table across from Jenny. "This is my first attempt at making Steak au Poivre." "The salad I bought at the market down on the corner." Gibbs smoothly answers and begins to cut his steak up.

Jenny whose already dug into her steak. "You out did yourself on your first attempt." Jenny answers in between bites of her steak.

Gibbs takes a bite out of his steak. "It ain't a five star restaurant's Steak au Poivre, but I can say with pride that I can cook it." Gibbs smiles.

"If you hadn't become an NCIS Special Agent, you would have been a good chef Jethro." Jenny teases him.

"Nah, I think I would have been a carpenter, I love working with my hands." Gibbs smoothly answers and takes a sip from his glass of wine.

"My career of choice would be shopping on M street." Jenny giggles and takes a sip from her glass of wine.

"I don't get it." "How much clothe does one woman need." Gibbs growls.

"There are things about men that women can say the same thing about Jethro." Jenny sighs.

"Like what?" Gibbs shrugs.

"How hard is it to keep up the toilet seat?"

"How hard is it for women to push it down before they sit down?"

"Typical man's answer and besides, doesn't DiNozzo shop until he drops at all the fancy stores." Jenny bitterly reminds him.

"I guess it's a money thing that both you and DiNozzo share."

"It's a habit that I'm going to have to break if we're going to be living together in your house after this is over with." Jenny winks over at him.

"It's taking me eleven long years to get you back into my bed." Gibbs smiles.

"This should be a new experience for me since I'm use to sleeping inside of the hull of your boat." Jenny smirks and takes a bite out of her asparagus.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Kosmo Galanos' Villa

Inside the study, Jasper Shepard is screaming at Kort and Cruz. "I want Benoit eliminated." "Nobody plays head games with me." Shepard shouts.

"Benoit keeps moving from place to place sir; it's going to be hard to eliminate him." Kort shrugs.

"I didn't ask you how hard it's going to be Kort, I want the bastard dead." Shepard snaps and gets up from his chair. "Find him!"

Kort nods over at him and leaves the room. "I have some contacts in Washington." Cruz answers and is about to step out of the room.

"Not so fast Ray." Shepard calls out to him. Cruz stops and turns and faces Shepard. "Somebody has to fill in for Jenny while she's away."

"Sir it looks like Jenny is dead, you have to-"

Shepard quickly interrupts him. "My daughter is alive."

"She's alive, then where is she hiding at?"

"Keep in mind Jenny is quite resourceful." "She can blend in."

"You think she's starting a new life somewhere in the US?" Cruz curiously asks.

"No, just lying low." "She knows better." "In time when things have settled down, Jenny will make her appearance again." "I have something of hers and Kort has some vital information on her ex-lover." "She will reappear again." Shepard reassures him and grabs a file from his desk and walks over to Cruz. "There's an arms dealer I want you to meet in Bangkok, Thailand." "His name is Jaturun Yodsuwan." "Inside this file is a photo of him and a complete background check." "I want you to lie low in Bangkok for a week and get a feel of our prospective client." "If all goes well, I should expect more business with him in the future."

"A week!" Cruz sighs in disappointment.

"What every business dealings that you're taking care of back in Langley can wait." "Operation Lodestone is your first priority Ray."

"I'll take a fight out to Bangkok first thing tomorrow morning." Cruz nods and walks out of the room.

Unknown to Shepard and Cruz, Kort was out in the hallway eavesdropping in on their conversation. "From here on out I'm going to have Cruz followed by one of Benoit's men." "He's up to something." Kort answers and walks over towards the balcony door. Out on the balcony, Cruz is leaning up against the railing lost in thought staring out into the Aegean Sea.

An hour later, Jenny is washing dishes at the sink, Gibbs getting turned out at the sight of Jenny in her low cut shorts walks over to her from behind. "Jethro!" She sighs and shoves him back.

"You're making me crazy." Gibbs growls in sexual frustration and begins to nibble on the back of her neck.

"You know what they say Jethro, all good things come to those who wait." Jenny seductively answers. Gibbs turns Jenny over and has her pressed up against the sink, he's about to kiss her when his burn phone begins to ring.

Gibbs pulls away from Jenny and takes his phone out of his pocket. "Yeah Gibbs!" He snarls.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

"Did I interrupt something boss?" Tony smirks from Abby's desk.

"You're begging for a head slap when I get back." Gibbs barks.

"El jefe, Kort, and Cruz just had their little pow wow in Kalymnos."

"Like we didn't know that was going to happen DiNozzo." Gibbs snaps and glances over at Jenny whose finishing up the dishes.

"So you think they're on to us?" Tony shrugs.

"We'll soon find out." Gibbs mumbles in annoyance.

"Tony, Kort is now on the phone with Benoit?" McGee informs him from a desk on the other side of the room.

"Boss, McGee has traced a phone call between Kort and Benoit."

"Where's Benoit's location?" Gibbs asks.

"McGee, Gibbs wants to know Benoit's location."

"Rio de Janeiro!"

"Ah he's having a tryst with EJ." Tony smirks.

"From what I can make out from the GPS trace it's along the beach."

"Boss, Benoit's in Rio with Barrett." "McGee said from the GPS trace from Benoit's cell phone that it's along the beach."

"So Barrett bought a house along the beach with her bribe money." Gibbs growls in disgust.

Jenny dries her hands off at the sink. "I'm going to slip into something that will keep you from being over heated Jethro." Jenny hisses and stalks out of the kitchen.

"Somebody sounds like their pissed off at you." Tony laughs.

"Mind your own business DiNozzo." Gibbs barks and glares off towards the direction that Jenny walked out into. "Keep me posted if anything important develops preferably morning time, it's getting late here."

"Not that late boss." Tony grins.

"Late enough for me." Gibbs snaps and glances over at the clock. "There should be some late football games that I can watch on the tube."

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

EJ Barrett's Beach House

From Barrett's bedroom, Benoit is packing as he's talking to Kort on his cell phone via his Bluetooth. "Somebody is playing head games with the CIA and us Kort."

Kort walking along the beach, with Iris walking beside him. "I don't know whose bloody doing it." "Shepard cannot disable the video feed in an airport without help." Kort grumbles.

"How can three people vanish from the face of the Earth and not leave a trace behind." Benoit snaps and slams his suitcase closed.

"I don't trust my partner Ray Cruz, do you think you can send some men to follow him in Bangkok." "He'll be taking a flight from Athens to Bangkok tomorrow morning."

"You think that he's helping out Shepard." Benoit sheepishly asks.

"No he's just as baffled by her disappearance as the rest of us." "But I do think that he's keeping things from me about Operation Lodestone."

"I'll have Regine send two of my best men over to Athens tonight."

"Good!" Kort smiles and then glances over at Iris as she's beginning to undress for a dip in the ocean. "When are you headed back to Nice?"

"I'm on my way to the airport now."

"I should be there sometime tomorrow afternoon, since the old man thinks that I'm working in on the inside with you."

"Kosmo should have gotten out of the game five years ago." Benoit laughs.

"He's only gotten richer because of his daughter whoring herself for him."

"That whore will have a slow death when I get through with her." Benoit angrily seethes.

"Soon as she's found I'll bring her right to you." "With her and her father out of the way, there will be nothing to stop you."

"Us!" Iris purrs and jumps into the water.

"Soon as I give you the all clear, have Kosmo's tramp eliminate him."

"That should be easy, Iris will have him on his back straddling his waist, and he won't expect it from her." Kort smirks.

EJ walks into the room. "Limo is out front."

"Kort I have to go, the limo has arrived."

"I have things that I need to tend to as well." Kort answers and hangs up. "At least nobody will hear you're screaming from down here." Kort mischievously grins and puts his cell phone in his pants pocket and begins to undress.

Back at Barrett's in Rio de Janeiro, EJ walks over to Benoit and encircles her arms behind his waist from behind. "It's going to be a long two weeks." EJ pouts.

"I have some business dealings that I need to take care of." Benoit sighs and turns and faces EJ. "I can't wait to show you off to my new associates at a dinner party in my new house in Palm Springs." Benoit smiles.

"Mexican drug lords and arms dealers."

"I supply them what they need."

"But its drug dealers Julien." EJ frowns.

"It's still money going into my pocket." "Once I eliminate Kosmo Galanos and my father's murderer, I will be number one in the arms dealing business."

Paris, France

0125 Hours CEST

After watching one of the late football games on the TV out in the living room, Gibbs turns off the TV. He glances over at Jenny who's sleeping on the couch. After their Jenny had stormed out of the kitchen, she had changed into a pair of lavender colored sweatpants and one of his white t-shirts. Gibbs gets up from the chair and walks over to the couch. Just before Jenny had fallen asleep she once again had requested that Gibbs slowdown in regards to resuming their physical relationship. "I can barely walk the streets of Paris without exerting myself."

"I just got caught up tonight after dinner." Gibbs apologizes.

"No you had way too many glasses of wine, in between the bottles of beer." Jenny sighs.

"I'll slow it down." Gibbs promises her. "And when you're ready to make love to me, I'll know."

"The problem is I don't know when I'll know." Jenny frowns and turns off the light next to couch and closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep.

"When you're ready I'll see it in your eyes." Gibbs smiles and leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. "I love you." He whispers and walks off for the bedroom.


	30. Tormenting Jethro

September 17th 2011

Paris, France

Noon

Gibbs sitting on the living room couch talking with Ducky on his burn phone. "Off shopping!" Gibbs grumbles.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Autopsy

0600 Hours EDT

Ducky dressed in his scrubs with his feet propped up on the top of his desk. "Jethro its Paris, what do you expect her to do." Ducky sighs and takes in Gibbs silence on the other end of the phone. "Something other than sex."

"How did you-" Gibbs quickly stops himself. "Never mind!" Gibbs sighs in sexual frustration and gets up from the couch and quickly changes the subject. "I'm taking her out to dinner tonight."

"Where to?" Ducky sheepishly asks.

"Le Jules Verne!"

"Jethro I thought that you said that you were going to avoid tourist areas."

"Duck I couldn't resist." "I made reservations last week." Gibbs smiles.

"One last romantic adventure before the two of you get back to work on Monday."

"We still have another week." Gibbs smoothly answers and hears the door opening. "She's back!"

"How many bags?" Ducky laughs.

Gibbs leans over and watches as Jenny walks through the front door. "Four!"

"Who are you talking to?" Jenny curiously asks as she closes the door behind her and makes her way over to the bedroom.

"Ducky!" Gibbs shouts over to her. "So Ziva reports back to work on Monday?"

"On desk duty." Ducky answers.

"That will drive her insane." Gibbs laughs.

"I know, desk work with Tony driving her nuts." Ducky chuckles.

"I called Vance yesterday, I told him maybe another week." Gibbs shrugs.

"He still isn't on to you." Ducky sighs with relief.

"I'm hoping by the end of the week for the time table to confront Jenny's father."

"Be careful!" Ducky warns him.

"We will!" Gibbs smiles…. "Goodbye Duck!" Gibbs answers and hangs up.

Jenny walks out of the bedroom. "What's Ducky doing up so early?" Jenny asks as she walks into the kitchen.

"He had an early morning autopsy to do." Gibbs answers and follows her. "Remember I'm taking you out to dinner tonight and you have to get dressed for it."

"I know you've told me twenty times since yesterday." Jenny laughs and pours herself a cup of coffee. "I'll have to remember to take an umbrella it looks like it's going to rain."

"We use to walk in the rain in London." Gibbs smiles.

"That's because it was an excuse to get me to freeze my ass off." Jenny hisses.

"You warmed up pretty fast in our flat as I recall." Gibbs smirks.

"Freezing one minute and your sweaty body on top of me the next." Jenny mutters and walks over to the table and sits down.

"So what did you buy?"

"A dress for tonight." Jenny answers and takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

"What color?"

"I'll surprise you later on." Jenny teases him.

"Since your back I'm going to take a walk down the block." "I found a place that sells newspapers in English." Gibbs answers and walks out of the room.

"I still don't get you at times." "Russian is a lot harder to learn than French and you speak that fluently." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

Outside ten minutes a block away, Gibbs steps out of the dry cleaners, carrying a brown jacket, gray dress pants, and a burgundy colored dress shirt that he bought from a second hand boutique the other day while Jenny was off on one of her shopping sprees alone. "Why pay full price for something that I may only wear once." Gibbs shrugs and approaches a newsstand that sells a newspaper in English. "Thank god for the Herald Tribune or I would be pulling out my hair." Gibbs growls and pays for his paper. Across the street, he spots a favorite coffee shop hang out to go too when Jenny is off shopping.

Back at the apartment Jenny is in her bedroom talking to Ziva on her burn phone. "He's plotting something I can feel it." Jenny grumbles and flops backwards on to her bed.

Washington, DC

Ziva's Apartment

0700 Hours EDT

"Jenny he's making up for lost time, leave him be." Ziva softly says to her and walks over to the refrigerator; she opens up the door and takes out a bottle of spring water.

"I get the last laugh on him." "I bought a rose colored cocktail dress that will have his eyes popping out of his head." Jenny giggles.

"How much cleavage will it show?" Ziva giggles.

"Heart shaped bust!" Jenny wickedly answers.

"With your chest." Ziva laughs and walks out into the living room and sits on the recliner.

"I was nice; the length of the dress comes up to my knees."

"How much is you're back exposed?"

"I have a 'Y' shaped strap trimmed in white glitter."

"Are you going to wear a shawl with it?"

"White satin shawl and I do have matching stiletto heels to with it." Jenny smirks.

"You're bad!" Ziva snickers.

"I like to torment Jethro." "It's like having candy up on a high shelf that a child can't reach."

"How much longer are you going to keep him waiting?" Ziva curiously asks.

"When I know I'm ready." Jenny answers with a troubled expression on her face.

At NCIS Headquarters, Tony and McGee are down in Abby's Lab, tormenting Abby. "At least you have to work with us this weekend." Tony grins.

"I can't wait for Ziva to get back to work on Monday so you can start picking on her." Abby whines in protest.

Probationary Status Agent Allison Shaffer is standing around watching them goofing off on the job. "Shouldn't we be working Agent DiNozzo?" Allison sheepishly asks.

"We are working." Tony smirks….."It's called let's pick on Abby."

"Director Vance isn't going to like this." Allison sighs.

"Director Vance is on a four day weekend out in San Diego with his family."

"Why doesn't he just stay out there?" Abby mutters.

"You don't like Director Vance." Allison frowns.

"He's just the Director, Allison, that's it." Abby sadly answers.

"Yeah the first day we met him, he referred to himself as upper management in a business and we're just the employees that work for him." "He doesn't get into personal relations." Tony bitterly snaps.

"That's the way it should be." Allison shrugs.

"We were close to the late Director Shepard." "Once a long time ago, Director Shepard was a young Probationary Status Agent like you." "Gibbs was her boss and trained Director Shepard." "The two of them had an extra ordinary relationship that's rare in partners." "The ability to know your partner inside and out and to have a gut instinct when they're in trouble." Tony smiles in awe.

"I didn't know that Agent Gibbs trained Director Shepard." Allison smiles.

"Yep, she's his Probie, just like McGee is mine." Tony laughs and shakes his head. "Due to their close relationship, Director Shepard became part of our tight knit dysfunctional work family."

"The Gibblets!" Abby smiles.

"We became closer with her after Gibbs' near death experience from a coma." "He retired and left for Mexico." "We were stunned that Gibbs would walk away like that without a word." McGee frowns.

"I was a mess for the first month." Abby answers with her lip quivering from emotion.

"We all were." Tony sighs and remembers how Jenny and Ducky got them through it. "Director Shepard and Doctor Mallard got us through it." "Ducky took over the role of patriarch of our dysfunctional family and Jenny took me under her wing when I became Team Leader." "With her responsibilities as Director of NCIS she didn't have to do that." Tony fondly answers.

"Jenny!" Allison says with surprise.

"After that moment to us she wasn't the Director." Tony smiles.

"In work she was." McGee corrects him.

"Title only!" Tony nods.

"I still called her Director Shepard." Abby sighs and folds her arms.

"No you called her mommy behind her back." Tony laughs.

"It slipped out the one time." Abby giggles and flashes back to the time that Jenny and Abby were gossiping in her lab.

October 25th 2006

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

2035 Hours EDT

Jenny is sitting at Abby's workstation gossiping with Abby about her date with Marty from the other night. Gibbs storms into the lab glaring over at Jenny for making him chase her around the building. "Hey, I've been looking all over the building for you." Gibbs growls in annoyance.

"Well, since we're low on agents, I thought I would give Abby a hand." Jenny nods up at him.

Giving Jenny the Gibbs stare. "The only reason we're low on agents is because you sent DiNozzo home." Gibbs snaps.

Jenny rolls her eyes at him. "There's no sense in getting us all sick." Jenny mutters sucking in her teeth.

Abby quickly interrupts her bickering parents. [As Gibbs] "Next time you send one of my team home, you clear it with me first, Director!" [_As Jenny_]"Oh, I didn't know I needed your permission to manage my own personnel, Agent Gibbs!" [_As Gibbs_] "Your personnel?"[_As Jenny_] "Last time I checked, it said Director on *my* door, not yours!"…Abby looking at down at mommy and then over to daddy. "The kids don't like it when mommy and daddy fight." Abby playfully chastises them.

Present Time

"The look on the Director's face." Abby giggles and doubles over. "Then idiot McGee spoiled the moment, when he called his sister Sarah's cell phone."

"Why were you working on his sister's phone?"

"At the time she was a suspect in a murder investigation that we were working on." "Thankfully Abby solved it for us." McGee smiles and affectionately squeezes Abby's hand.

Paris, France

1900 Hours CEST

Gibbs dressed in his brown jacket, burgundy dress shirt, gray dress pants, and casual dress shoes that he threw into his carry-on bag. Anxiously he paces out in the living room. "Why does it take her forever to get dressed?" Gibbs growls.

Unknown to Gibbs, Jenny is standing in the doorway to her bedroom, dressed in her rose colored cocktail dress, with a heart shaped cut out in the front, her white satin shawl positioned over the middle of the back of her shoulders so that Gibbs can get the full view of her cleavage. "That's what women do Jethro; deliberately take their time getting ready to go out for dinner." Jenny seductively purrs to him. Gibbs turns and his eyes pop out of his head at the amount of cleavage that she's exposing. "Down boy!" She teases him and adjusts her shawl to her shoulders.

"How?" Gibbs drools.

"Because you won't make it out the door to take me out to dinner." Jenny sweetly says to him. "I forgot my purse." She nods over at him and steps back inside the bedroom.

"Damn!" Gibbs grins and is about to chase after her, when Jenny steps out of the bedroom. "Don't forget my umbrella." Jenny reminds him and walks off for the door.

Gibbs checking out the back of Jenny's butt as she walks away. "Thank god it's not a short dress." Gibbs inwardly says to himself with a mischievous grin on his face.

Outside a taxi is waiting. Gibbs with hand on the small of Jenny's back guides her over to the taxi. He opens the door, Jenny gets inside and slides over behind the driver, Gibbs follows her and closes the door behind him. "Eiffel Tower!" Gibbs instructs him.

"Gibbs!" Jenny chastises him and leans up against his left ear. "I thought we agreed to no tourists areas of the city." Jenny whispers.

"For once I'm letting our guard down for one evening Jen." Gibbs whispers and tenderly kisses Jenny on the cheek.

Fifteen minutes later the taxi drops them off near the tower. "I thought we were going out for dinner." Jenny asks.

Gibbs looping his arm around Jenny's. "We are going out to dinner." Gibbs smiles and walks Jenny over towards the direction of the tower.

Ten minutes later they step out of the private elevator that takes them over to Le Jules Verne. "I figure since we're fifteen minutes early that maybe we can sit at the bar until our table is ready."

"Remember I'm not suppose to be drinking." Jenny reminds him.

"You can have a coke can't ya?" Gibbs grumbles and approaches the Maître' D. "We have a seven-thirty reservation for Tibbs." "I know we're a bit early."

"You're in luck monsieur; there have been a few cancelations tonight." The Maître' D smiles at him and leads Gibbs and Jenny over to their table.

The Maître' D is about to pull Jenny's chair out. "I'll do that." Gibbs nods over at him.

"Very well monsieur your waiter will be over shortly to take your order." The Maître' D nods over at him and walks away.

Gibbs pulls Jenny's chair out. "How territorial of you Jethro?" Jenny sighs.

Gibbs pushes Jenny's chair in. "He was checking you out." Gibbs growls.

"He's married." Jenny giggles.

Gibbs pulls his chair out and sits across from Jenny. "He still was checking you out."

Their waiter approaches the table. "My name is Fredrick, I'm your server." "Can I get you anything from the bar?"

"I'll have a bottle of Budweiser." Gibbs answers.

"Ginger ale!" Jenny answers and watches as the waiter writes down their drinks.

Gibbs picks up the menu and notes that it's in French and English "Thank god!"

"Monsieur!" Fredrick nods over at Gibbs.

"Nothing!" Gibbs grunts.

The waiter walks off towards the bar. Jenny picks up her menu and opens it up. "Decisions, decisions, decisions." Jenny smiles.

"Everything is on me tonight." Gibbs smiles and picks up Jenny's hand from on top of the table and kisses it.

Five minutes later Fredrick returns with their drinks. "Can I start with some entrée's from the menu?"

"I'll have the Escargots Hélixbernn and for dinner I'll have the stuffed and roasted Bresse Chicken with the seasonal vegetables." Jenny smiles up at him.

Fredrick writes down Jenny's order and then glances over at Gibbs. "Monsieur!"

"Chaud-froil of Brittany lobster for my entrée and for dinner I'll have the Medallion of Veal with blanquette-style seasonal vegetables." Gibbs nods over at him and hands Fredrick his menu and Jenny's. "With dinner we'll have a bottle of burgundy."

Fredrick walks away from the table. "Remember what happened the last time you had one glasses to many of burgundy." Jenny reminds him.

"Lucky for you DiNozzo interrupted what I was about to do to you." Gibbs smirks.

Forty minutes later after finishing up their meal Gibbs and Jenny are eating desert, they both settle on Tower bolt, dark chocolate praliné, hazelnut ice cream. "The pounds I'm going to be putting on because of this meal." Jenny giggles and takes in Gibbs' mischievous smirk. "You're just as bad as your son."

"Difference between DiNozzo and I, is I know what to do with you in bed." "Tony wouldn't have the stamina to last two minutes." Gibbs laughs.

"He keeps contemplating with Ziva." "He wouldn't last two seconds with her." Jenny snickers.

"After what happened with Barrett I highly doubt that DiNozzo will break rule number twelve again." Gibbs answers.

"Tony was always a sucker for an attractive blonde Gibbs."

"He's a sucker for an attractive anything with legs." Gibbs snorts.

After dinner, Gibbs and Jenny take the elevator to the top of the tower. Gibbs pulls Jenny close to him as they look over the skyline. "The rain has stopped for the moment." Gibbs says and kisses the top of Jenny's head.

"Just in time for us." Jenny softly answers and looks up into the depths of Gibbs intense blue eyes, she leans up and passionately kisses him on the mouth.

Gibbs hearing the elevator doors opening breaks away from her kiss. "You want to go home."

Jenny glancing off into the skyline notes the lightning strikes off in the distance. "Yes before another storm rolls in."

Fifteen minutes later the taxi pulls into Jenny's neighborhood. The lights are out. "Wonder if a car crashed into a utility pole." Gibbs shrugs.

"Could be from the storm." Jenny answers as the taxi pulls up to the curb outside of her apartment. Suddenly it begins to pour, Jenny takes off her heels. "We'll have to make a run for it." Jenny nods over at him and gets out of the taxi and takes off for the door. Gibbs pays the driver and makes a run for it towards the door. They make their way up to Jenny's apartment through the dark stairs.

"I should have invented a rule to carry a lighter." Gibbs growls as they feel their way over to door for Jenny's apartment.

Jenny unlocks the door and opens the door. "Those candles that I bought last weekend should come in handy." Jenny says as she walks through the door.

"You got a flashlight?"

"In the kitchen." "I'll get it since I know where it's at."

A minute later, Jenny with a lit flashlight in hand walks into the living room. "Stuffy in here with the air conditioner not running." Jenny sighs.

"Of all nights to lose power." Gibbs groans at the prospects of sleeping in a sweltering bedroom. "With the rain we can't open up the windows."

"It's not uncommon to have hot weather in Paris in the middle of September Jethro." Jenny mutters and locates the candles that she purchased along with some matches.

"I'll do that, why don't you get out of your wet clothes." Gibbs nods and takes the flash light, candles and matches from Jenny.

Jenny walks into the bedroom. Maneuvering around the room in the darkness she finds a small flashlight on top of the nightstand. "I'm getting into something that's comfortable to sleep in and Jethro better behave himself." Jenny snaps.

Five minutes later, Jenny walks out of the bedroom and finds the room lit up with candles. Gibbs steps out of the kitchen with a bottle of water in his hand, noting the short cream colored satin robe that Jenny is wearing. "I swear she does that on purpose." Gibbs inwardly groans.

"Since there's nothing to do, I'm going to go to sleep." Jenny sighs in boredom and walks over to the couch.

Gibbs glances down at his watch. "It's after eleven." Gibbs shrugs.

"Got a better idea."

Gibbs wanting to take Jenny to her bedroom. "Since I don't have any hand tools that are nearby, none that I can think of."

"That's what I thought." Jenny laughs and lies down on the couch.

Gibbs turns on the flashlight and walks into the bedroom. "I thought after that kiss we shared tonight that you would be joining me in bed tonight." Gibbs frowns.

0200 Hours

Gibbs sweaty and miserable is shirtless in his boxers lying on top of Jenny's bed on his stomach with the pillow over his head. "I'm horny, I'm hot!" Gibbs groans and rolls on to his back.

Out in the living room, Jenny is sleeping in her satin cream colored night gown with the covers off. A bolt of lightning hits a building down the street. Jenny sits up on the couch, clutching against her knees she shakes in fear as the storm intensifies outside. "It's the one thing from my childhood that I cannot overcome is my fear of thunderstorms." Jenny says with her voice trembling. A flash of lightning lights up her apartment, followed by a loud clash of thunder that shakes the room. Frightened Jenny runs into her bedroom and throws herself on top of Gibbs.

Gibbs feeling Jenny shaking on top of him. "You're safe!" He tenderly reassures her and reaches down on the edge of the bed and pulls the sheet over the top of Jenny's head. "Close your eyes." He whispers and lovingly strokes Jenny's hair.

Jenny clutches on to the side of his arms as a clash of thunder shakes the bedroom. "Hold me!" She begs him in fear.

"Jenny I'll hold you, just close your eyes and listen to the beat of my heart." "Remember that's how I use to get you to fall asleep at night when you were frightened from a storm in the middle of the night." Gibbs smiles and begins to rub her back. Jenny closes her eyes, the sound of Gibbs' heart beating against her ear lulls Jenny into a calming sense of security. Feeling safe, Jenny slowly drifts off to sleep. Gibbs feeling the slow rise and fall of Jenny's chest against him pulls the sheet back. "I don't get it, you kick the shit out of men who look at you inappropriately, but are scared to death of thunderstorms." Gibbs laughs and shakes his head.

Around dawn, Gibbs wakes up to find Jenny looking up at him still in his arms. Noting the look in her eyes, dark with arousal from feeling his morning erection up against her stomach. "You're ready!" He smirks and reaches down and touches Jenny's face.

"Feeling you up against me is the reason why I woke up." Jenny seductively says to him and leans over and kisses him on the mouth. Aggressively she kisses him on the mouth, catching Gibbs off guard, with Gibbs out of breath, Jenny slowly and methodically works her way down to his chest, exploring each of his nipples with her mouth and tongue. Gibbs moans out with pleasure as her tongue teases his left nipple and slowly works her way down to his stomach, where she nibbles her way over to his right hip. Her hands venture over to the fly of his boxers.

"Oh god!" Gibbs cries out as Jenny begins to stroke on his swollen shaft.

"I'm so tempted into taking you inside of my mouth." Jenny purrs continues to tease him.

"Jenny!" He begs her in a hoarse tone of voice.

"But I have needs to be fulfilled as well and I want you inside of me first." Jenny smiles up at him and withdrawals her hands from inside of his boxers, she sits on top of him and straddles Gibbs on his waist, slowly she pulls her cream satin nightgown over her head. Gibbs in shock lies motionless on his back.

"This wasn't the reaction I was expecting from you." Jenny laughs and pulls Gibbs up into a sitting position.

"I wasn't expecting you to seduce me at the crack of dawn."

"Like I said I didn't plan it." "Just feeling you up against me woke me up and I flashed back to our first morning that we woke up together in each other's arms in Marseille after the first time we made love."

Gibbs flashes back and remembers the feel of Jenny's hands on his erection. "I hadn't had an erection like that at crack of dawn since Shannon." He inwardly says and then remembers what he did to Jenny as she continued to tease him. Gibbs shoves Jenny on to her back. "Memory serves me right this is what I did to you." He smirks and leans over Jenny and passionately kisses her on the mouth. Hot kisses are being exchanged by them, as Gibbs' kisses become more demanding, Jenny breaks away to catch her breath.

Gibbs decides to turn the tables on her, by reacquainting himself with her body, still knowing her secret places. Jenny clutches on to the back of his head as Gibbs circles his tongue around her right nipple. "You're making me crazy." She moans out with pleasure.

Gibbs works his way over to Jenny's left breast and teases her. Getting off at her moans of pleasure, he flicks his tongue over and over on her harden peak. "In a minute I'm going to be having you screaming for being a major tease for the past month and for putting up Madame Director's no off the job rule." Gibbs inwardly growls and descends down to her stomach, his right hand ventures down through the elastic of her panties finding her centre.

Jenny begins to buck against him. "Jethro!" She cries out.

"You want it bad." Gibbs smiles and pulls off her panties with his left hand. "How many guys get you wet like this?" He grins and continues to stroke on her arousal drawing her out.

"Just you!" Jenny moans and begins to arch up against him.

"That's what I thought." Gibbs smirks and begins to work his way up back her body, he stops at the bullet wound on her right side and tenderly kisses it, and then he makes his way up to the scar on Jenny's right shoulder from her bullet wound from the diner.

Jenny with her patients running out pulls down his boxers and runs her hands up against the back of his muscled thighs, not many men of Jethro's age are built like him. "You going to take me or what?" Jenny impatiently asks him and arches her hips up to him.

Gibbs making eye contact with Jenny just before he enters her. "You sure you're ready?"

Jenny arching up to the tip of his shaft. "I more than sure." She purrs.

Gibbs thrusts deep inside of her, Jenny cries out with pleasure as he slips deeper inside of her, her hips tip up to him so that he can take her fully. Gently Gibbs begins to make love to her, taking his time with her body. "It's been eleven damn years and I want to prolong our first time as long as I can." He inwardly says to himself.

Jenny digs her nails into his back as he slows the pace of his thrusts. "I won't break Jethro." Jenny sighs in frustration and aggressively begins to move under him.

"Damn it Jen!" Gibbs moans out as he feels Jenny wildly arching her hips under him. "Pace yourself!" He growls as the pace of their love making becomes aggressive. They buck and collide together in perfect rhythm.

Jenny at the feel of the wave of her first orgasm screams out with pleasure. "Don't stop!" She screams out and clutches on to the back of his hair. To stifle out an oncoming cry, she leans up and kisses him on the mouth.

"Between you touching me before we made love and your sudden aggressiveness I'm not going to be able to hold out as long as I wanted to." Gibbs inwardly grumbles. "For crying out loud Jen." Gibbs cries out as her hips moved against him in hot, wet, abandonment.

Seeking out their release at the same time, Gibbs and Jenny begin to slow down the pace of their love making, Jenny presses her heels up against Gibbs' lower back to urge on his release, her muscles convulsing around his harden shaft. "Damn it Jethro I'm recovering from a bullet wound." She begs him.

Gibbs with a final thrust explodes inside of her, his body shudders in a fiery release. Exhausted from holding back from her, Gibbs slumps on top of Jenny with his face pressed up against her left shoulder soaked with sweat. "I love you." He says between breaths.

Jenny with her orgasm contracting around his length still buried deep inside of her. "I love you Jethro." She whispers and begins to tremble from the after affects from their love making.

Gibbs after coming down from his release, tenderly kisses Jenny on the face, knowing full well that it will take Jenny several minutes to recover from her orgasm. Getting his weight off of her, Gibbs touches his lover. "Now that I have your permission again." He inwardly smirks and begins to feel up Jenny's breasts with his hands.

Jenny lies motionlessly on the bed, the feel of his calloused hands feeling up her breasts. "You look like a kid in a candy store." Jenny teases him.

"Try a toy store." Gibbs grins and works his hands down the length of her body. "After you get a hot bath I'm giving you a rub down, your body is a train wreck."

"I bet yours is also Jethro."

"The women I dated after you didn't have your hands." Gibbs smiles and sits up on the bed. "And I know damn well the guys you dated after me didn't have my hands." Gibbs laughs and pulls Jenny up from the bed. "I've given you five minutes to recover."

Jenny straddling her legs around his waist. "I recovered two minutes ago." She seductively answers and leans up and kisses him on the mouth. Gibbs deepens her kiss, his tongue parts the inside of her lips making swirling motions inside of her mouth. His hands go down to Jenny's waist and pulls Jenny up against his throbbing shaft. Jenny breaks away from his kiss and cries out with pleasure as he buries himself deep inside of her. "You could have given me enough warning." She moans out.

With his hot flesh inside of her, Gibbs goes down on to his back. "I want your first time on top of me slow." Gibbs smiles up at her. Jenny takes a hold of her lover's hands. Slowly she begins to move against him in slow subtle circles. Gibbs tightens his grip on her hands as Jenny moved her hips slowly and provocatively meeting his upward thrusts. "That's it Jenny I lose yourself in me I want to see it in your eyes when you're coming undone on top of me."

"It could be the other way."

"I doubt it." Gibbs smirks and raises his hips from off of the mattress.

"You bastard!" Jenny screams out with pleasure as his hips surge upwardly repeatedly. "You better not prolong you're release." Jenny moans out.

"That's the general idea since I have more stamina than you do at the moment." Gibbs laughs as he watches Jenny lose herself in their love making.

"Keep throwing that in my-" Jenny screams out in midsentence as the first wave of her orgasm hits her.

Gibbs rocks inside of her over and over again as her muscles convulse around him. "I'm in big trouble in a few weeks when she does regain her stamina." Gibbs inwardly laughs.

"Yes!" She screams out as her body presses down to meet his every upward thrust.

Gibbs looking up into the depths of Jenny's green eyes, with a final thrust, he climaxes inside of her. Jenny exhausted drops on top of his chest heaving with exertion. Gibbs pulls the sheet over and covers their sweat soaked bodies. "Jenny you take my breath away every time I look into your eyes just before I climax inside of you." Gibbs tenderly says and kisses the top of her head. Jenny trembling from the after affects from her orgasm silently lies with her face pressed up against his chest listening to the sound of her lover's heartbeat. "You with me?" Gibbs snorts.

"Recovering, you wore the hell out of me."

"You want to get some sleep?"

"No!" Jenny wickedly answers and looks up into his intense blue eyes. "I want to spend the morning in bed with you that does not involve sleeping." Jenny seductively says to him and leans up and kisses him on the mouth. Throughout the morning Gibbs and Jenny make love, each taking a turn at being the dominant lover.

0915 Hours

"I'm begging you!" Jenny screams out, as Gibbs once again is on his back getting off at watching Jenny fall apart on top of him.

"You're begging me." Gibbs smirks.

"Yes!" She moans out.

Gibbs waiting for the right moment so that he can have his release on top of her flips Jenny on to her back. As he quickens his strokes, Jenny scratches along his back, urging on his release. Gibbs thrusts against her with soul shattering intensity, his body explodes into ecstasy. Gasping for completion, Gibbs begins to tremble against his lover. "Jethro get some sleep." Jenny whispers against his ear.

"I was way ahead of you Jen." Gibbs yawns and leans up and kisses Jenny on the mouth. "For a change you're going to hold me for a change." Gibbs smiles and buries his face in between her breasts.

Jenny exhausted glances over at the battery operated clock on top of the nightstand. "0920 hours!" She inwardly says, realizing that that they have spent the past three and a half hours making love. "With the work out you gave me Jethro, I'll be asleep until two o'clock this afternoon." Jenny giggles and strokes the back of his hair. When Gibbs doesn't answer, Jenny glances down and finds him sleeping in her arms. "That's something I'll throw in your face later on." "You fell asleep first." Jenny laughs and closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep.


	31. Peaches N Cream

Gibbs and Jenny have slept into the afternoon, around noon the power had been restored. During the course of their morning love making workout, the majority of the pillows, blankets, sheet, and bedspread had fallen on to the floor. With the chill of the air conditioner blowing on to his lower back, Gibbs shivers and reaches in his sleep for a blanket. "What the hell?" He growls in annoyance and cracks open an eye and finds himself with his face pressed on top of Jenny's left breast. "It wasn't a dream." He smiles with relief.

Jenny feeling Gibbs stirring on top of her. "Go back to sleep." She mumbles.

Gibbs glances over at the clock and notices the time on the clock is blinking. "The power came back on." Gibbs yawns and then notices the current time on the battery operated clock beside the alarm clock. "Jen it's almost two thirty."

"So!" She whines in protest and rolls on to her side and tries to go back to sleep.

"I'm starving!"

"Then go out and make yourself something to eat." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"I wanted to go out to eat."

"I'm not stopping you."

"With you with me."

"You just want an excuse to attack me in the shower."

"True!" Gibbs smirks and leans over and nuzzles the back of Jenny's neck from behind. "I could attack you from behind.

"I don't think I have the stamina for that at this time." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. "I can't wait to be doing this for real in my bed in a few weeks." "Waking up with you beside me in my bed." Gibbs smiles.

"How will that look with Leyla and Amira living in the house?" Jenny curiously asks.

Gibbs rolls on to his back. "I forgot about them." Gibbs sighs.

"I wouldn't feel comfortable living with you with a child in the house, knowing that we're not married."

"And I promised Mike that I would take care of Leyla and Amira." "I can't go back on my word."

"Semper Fi!" Jenny softly says to him and gets out of bed.

Gibbs admiring the view in front of him. "I may have you for a late lunch instead." Gibbs drools and gets out of bed and approaches Jenny.

Jenny glances down at his length. "I was thinking the same thing." Jenny seductively smirks and rushes off for the bathroom.

"I don't think so." Gibbs barks and chases after her.

Five minutes later inside of the shower, Jenny is screaming with pleasure as Gibbs has her pressed up against the wall thrusting up against her. "Don't stop!" She begs him.

"Watch your nails on my ass." Gibbs growls.

"What am I suppose to grab on to?" Jenny moans back.

With a final thrust, Gibbs climaxes inside of her. Gently he puts Jenny down on to her feet. "You could grab me without using your nails." Gibbs grunts between breaths.

Jenny with her arms wrapped around her lover's neck. "It's going to take me two hours to recover from that one." Jenny mumbles up against his chest.

Gibbs shakes his head and begins to laugh. "It seems that we've picked up where we left off from eleven years ago, with the slight difference there is more mileage on our bodies." Gibbs chuckles.

Jenny looks up into the depths of Gibbs blue eyes. "Mileage on your body old man." "You're the one with all silver hair now." Jenny smirks and pulls away from him.

"This old man had you howling your brains out, keep that in mind." Gibbs laughs and reaches for the bottle of shampoo.

"Keep in mind old man, I'm filing things away from when I'm at one hundred percent and I'll know when it's coming." Jenny sensuously warns him.

"Sort of like the peanut butter thing you did to me back in your bedroom in Georgetown." Gibbs shrugs and begins to shampoo Jenny's hair.

"When you least expect it Jethro." Jenny snickers.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

0900 Hours

Tony and Abby are in the back room hiding with nothing to do. "I sent McGee and Allison out to question a witness." Tony shrugs.

"So boring!" Abby sighs.

"I envy Jack." Tony grumbles.

"Gibbs and Jenny go back to work tomorrow."

"They're still in Paris Abs, keep that in mind."

"McGee told me that our usual suspects have been quiet the past week." Abby nods.

"Daddy is on his Greek Island, Kort and Benoit are in Nice, and Ray is still in Bangkok doing god knows what." Tony answers.

"I think McGee had said that Jenny thought it might be possible that her dad sent Ray over to Bangkok for an arms deal." "Somebody has to fill in for her."

"A blessing in disguise, I don't know how much longer we could have put Ray off." Tony answers with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Ziva thinks that Ray won't say anything to Vance about Jenny being her contact in the hotel parking garage." "If he did, that means Ziva gets in trouble for going against Vance's direct order."

"At the time when Ziva had bumped into Jenny, she didn't work for NCIS." Tony reminds her.

"But she did work for NCIS when Jenny got in touch with her." "They were not suppose to speak to one another."

"Does it really matter Abs." Tony smiles and squeezes Abby's hand on top of the table.

"No, because it brought our mommy and daddy back together again." Abby giggles.

Paris, France

1550 Hours

After a quick bite at a local bistro, Jenny and Gibbs are walking hand in hand towards the door that leads to her apartment. Jenny unlocks the door and opens the door and steps inside with Gibbs following behind her. Gibbs slams the door behind him and grabs Jenny. "If I don't get you upstairs and fast." He impatiently growls, he leans down and kisses Jenny on the mouth. Jenny deepens his kiss and slowly backing up towards the stairs, their mouths never separating as they make their way up the stairs, just as they reach the top. Gibbs breathlessly breaks away from his kiss. "Figures you would have your apartment on the third flood just like your bedroom in your house."

"Shut up!" Jenny purrs to him and leans up and kisses him on the mouth.

They stagger along the hallway, hungrily kissing one another. Gibbs as he nears the stairs pulls Jenny's shirt from her waistline of her skirt. They trip up the stairs and make their way over towards Jenny's apartment door. Gibbs momentarily pulls himself away from Jenny so that she can unlock the door, once they enter the apartment; Gibbs flips Jenny over his shoulder. "I'm not in the mood for foreplay." He impatiently barks and carries Jenny into the bedroom.

Once inside the bedroom Gibbs throws Jenny down on the bed. "You have exactly two minutes to get out of your clothes." Gibbs smirks down at her.

"If you think you're ruining a new pair of nylons Jethro, you're out of your mind." Jenny hisses in protest and begins to undress.

Within two minutes, Jenny lies naked on top of the bed; impatiently she wraps her ankles around Gibbs butt and pulls him down on top of her on the bed. Touching his harden length below. "I see this will take less than ten minutes." She seductively says to him and begins to nip along his jawline.

"You keep touching me like that and it will be under five minutes." Gibbs groans.

"Well do something about it." Jenny wickedly whispers up against his ear and releases her hold on his throbbing shaft.

With Jenny's legs securely wrapped around his waist, Gibbs enters her fully with a deep driving thrust. Jenny digs her nails into his back as her muscles take him in. Gibbs locks eyes with his lover. "I love having sex with you in the afternoon sunlight."

"Quit talking!" She impatiently demands and aggressively moves her body underneath of him.

"Damn it Jen!" He growls and begins to move his body in return. For eight minutes they battle out on who was going to give in to their passion first, their bodies arch and collide together in perfect unison. Nearing his release, Gibbs rolls on to his back and pulls Jenny on top of him.

"Oh god!" Jenny moans out with pleasure.

Gibbs moves his rough calloused hands over on to Jenny's waist pulling her down on top of him. Getting off at watching Jenny falling apart on top of him, he moves his hips up against her in fine subtle circular movements. "I know how to get her to give into me." He mischievously smirks and leans up and masters Jenny's right breast with his mouth and tongue.

"That's cheating!" She screams out with pleasure.

"It's working, because you're submitting to me." Gibbs laughs and finds Jenny's mouth to stifle on an oncoming cry.

Jenny lost in her orgasm. "Jethro come on!" She begs him.

Gibbs battle weary and exhausted from holding back his release, arches his hips up one final time, Jenny soaked with sweat collapses on top of his chest panting for breath. Gibbs glances over at the clock on the nightstand and notices the time. "I was right, ten minutes." Gibbs grins and pulls a sheet over them. "Jen are you with me?"

"You have to be kidding me." She mumbles against his chest and closes her eyes and is about to doze off.

"Come on it was only one time." Gibbs laughs.

"The rush up the stairs with our mouths connected wore me the hell out." Jenny yawns and leans up and tenderly kisses Gibbs on the mouth. "Besides I wanted to sleep in earlier." Jenny softly reminds him and rolls over to her right side.

Gibbs cuddles up to Jenny from behind and encircles his arms around her waist. "I should have carried you up the stairs." Gibbs snorts.

1900 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are having a romantic spaghetti dinner in bed. "This was the first meal I cooked you." Gibbs smirks at her.

"As I recall you served it to me in bed also." Jenny laughs and takes a bite from her pasta.

"We needed fuel." Gibbs grins.

"Don't remind me, you had me up all-night long." Jenny mutters.

"All-night in various positions." Gibbs snickers.

"Some that I am not that flexible to get into anymore, keep in mind my body is eleven years older."

"Maybe you should try yoga."

"The question is can you get in some of those positions." Jenny laughs.

Before Gibbs can answer her, his burn phone begins to ring. "If that's DiNozzo I'm going to throttle him." "This is two weekends in a row that he's interrupted us." Gibbs grumbles and reaches for his phone on the nightstand and finds Tony's name on the caller ID. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

1300 Hours EDT

"Somebody sounds testy." Tony smirks.

"Something important DiNozzo." Gibbs growls and takes a bite from his pasta.

"Nope just that we haven't spoken to you since Thursday." Tony shrugs.

"I was going to call you at 1200 hours your time tomorrow."

"So quiet our usual suspects are in the same location."

"Just as long as Kosmo stays put." "We're dealing with him first." Gibbs barks.

"Then on to Kort." "Still trying to figure out how we're going to get to Barrett and Davenport since there in Rio."

"One at a time."

"What's Jenny's doing?" Tony curiously asks and winks over at Abby.

"Eating dinner?" Gibbs answers and smirks over at Jenny's bare thigh that is exposed from her robe.

"Right it's after seven Paris time." "I was talking to your dad last night." "He seems that he's getting restless." "How you get restless in Vegas I have no clue." Tony laughs.

"That's because the nightlife and gambling go so far when you're my dad's age." "He's use to keeping himself occupied, that's the reason why he isn't retired and still runs his store back in Stillwater."

"Don't tell that to my dad." Tony grumbles.

"You and your dad are similar in many ways, your both stuck on fifteen years old." Gibbs grins.

"Don't compare me to my dad." Tony whines.

"It's true, ask Ziva." Gibbs chuckles.

Tony quickly changes the subject on to Ziva. "Can't wait to have her back in the office tomorrow." Tony sighs with relief.

"Few more weeks our team will be back as a unit with a new Director."

"Who do you think it's going to be?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"No clue as long as it's not a female." Gibbs growls and glares over at Jenny who's smirking over at him.

"You think the current SecNav would reinstate Jenny as Director."

Gibbs rolls his eyes at the prospects of Jenny being his boss again and throwing his rules in his face. "I don't know."

"And the subject is taboo because she's in the room." Tony laughs.

"That's affirmative."

Jenny knowing that they were talking about her. "My days at NCIS are over and done with." Jenny shouts towards the direction of the phone.

"How did she know we were talking about her boss?" Tony asks with surprise.

"It's called women's intuition." Gibbs snarls.

Abby's burn phone goes off for an incoming text message from McGee. "McGee's back!"

"I have to head back up to the Squad Room, McGee is back from questioning a witness with our Probie loan agent."

"I'll be in touch tomorrow at noon." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"So he called you with nothing." Jenny laughs.

"He called up to be a pain in the ass." Gibbs groans and finishes up his spaghetti.

"At least he didn't interrupt anything important this time around." Jenny snickers.

Gibbs gets up from the bed and takes Jenny's plate from her; he puts his plate and Jenny's plate on top of the dresser and approaches the bed. "If I was in the middle of screwing your brains out when my phone rang, I would have let it go to voice mail." Gibbs smirks and joins Jenny in bed.

"Could have been the other way around." She purrs and leans up and kisses Gibbs on the mouth.

0200 Hours

Gibbs shirtless and in his boxers and half asleep walks out into the kitchen and finds Jenny finishing up a bowl of ice cream. "How long have you been awake?" Gibbs yawns.

"About an hour." Jenny shrugs and gets up from the table and walks over to the sink.

Gibbs approaches Jenny from behind and begins to ravish the back of her neck. Smelling the peach flavored bath oil on her. "You got a bath."

Jenny quivering at the feel of his breath on the back of her neck. "I soaked for about a half an hour."

Gibbs turns Jenny around. "You use to deliberately get a bath after we would get into a fight."

"It was a reminder on something that you couldn't have." Jenny seductively answers.

"And now?"

"I wanted a bath."

"In the middle of the night."

"What's wrong with that?" Jenny shrugs.

"You've never gotten a bath in the middle of the night before."

"That's because I was doing other activities with you."

"Which was the reason why I woke up?" Gibbs answers and leans down and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth. He backs Jenny over towards the table, as he deepens his kiss, from the corner of his eye Gibbs spots a can of Reddi Whip Cream on top of the table and quickly gets an idea. Gibbs pulls the sash from Jenny's robe and opens it up. He drops Jenny's robe on to the floor, with Jenny distracted by his kiss, Gibbs grabs the can of Reddi Whip and sprays Jenny in the chest.

"Jethro!" Jenny hisses in surprise.

"You had your middle of the night snack, I'm having mine." Gibbs grins and empties the contents of the can on to Jenny's chest. He tosses the can on to the floor and begins to lick the whip cream from Jenny's chest.

"You bastard!" She moans with pleasure as his tongue flicks around her nipples.

Gibbs after licking off the whip cream from her chest, works his mouth down to her belly and over to her hip. His hand ventures down in between Jenny's legs. "This was the reason for the bath."

"Oh god!" Jenny cries out with pleasure as he draws out her centre and begins to stroke on it.

"You have been begging for this and I'm not just talking about the past month over at Ducky's." "The tight turtlenecks, short skirts and that get up you wore that time when Zach was helping me out with my boat down in my basement." "There was always a price to be paid when you teased me in the past Jen." Gibbs mischievously says to her and lowers his mouth in between her legs.

Jenny grabbing on to the side of the table as Gibbs flicks his tongue on her arousal. "Yes!" She moans out and arches up into him.

Jenny's moans of pleasure are music to Gibbs ears, her muscles begin to convulse around his mouth and tongue as his mouth and tongue explore her over and over again. As Jenny's orgasm builds, her hands move to the back of his head. "I want you screaming." He inwardly growls and he continues to assault Jenny between her legs.

Jenny at the peak of her orgasm. "Don't stop!" She begs him.

"I'm not stopping here, trust me." He inwardly laughs.

Jenny thrashes on the table. "Jethro!" She screams out. Gibbs with his erection throbbing up against the inside of his boxers drops his boxers down on to the floor; he enters her with a driving thrust. "Can't I come down from my orgasm first?" She screams out as he buries himself deep inside of her.

"Hell no, not with the hard on that I have." Gibbs growls and aggressively begins to make love to her on top of the table. "Besides I thought that women could have multiple orgasms." Gibbs smirks.

"Not when their recovering from a gunshot wound." Jenny whimpers and lifts her hips from on top of the table.

Gibbs continues to pound into her. He thrusts harder and faster against her. They buck and arch together in perfect harmony. Gibbs at the peak of his passion looks into the depths of his lovers eyes. "I love you." He cries out as he plungers over the edge. Gibbs exhausted slumps on top of Jenny on top of the table heaving.

"How am I going to have the energy to walk to the bathroom to get a shower after that?" Jenny asks between breaths.

"After I've recovered I'll carry you into the shower."

"Just a shower and keeps your hands off of the shower nozzle." Jenny warns him.

An hour later in Jenny's bedroom, Gibbs and Jenny are sleeping in bed together, Gibbs with his face pressed on Jenny's lower back in total contentment. The weight of the world is off of his shoulders now that he and Jenny have become lovers again. Starting tomorrow they'll begin phase two of their mission, to take on Kosmo Galanos, Trent Kort, Ray Cruz, Phillip Davenport, EJ Barrett, Julien Benoit, and lastly Tyler Keith Owens.

For hopesmom ;)


	32. When In Paris

The next afternoon around three, Gibbs is sitting outside of a coffee shop talking to his father on his burn phone. "Dad next week." Gibbs reassures him.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Sahara Hotel & Casino

Room 254

"Leroy I'm bored out of my mind." Jack sighs from his chair.

"I know you are." Gibbs frowns and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"So how's Paris?"

"Everything I hoped for and more." Gibbs smiles.

"There's a change in your tone of voice." Jack notes.

"Well our sleeping arrangements have changed; we're both sleeping in the same bed together." Gibbs smirks.

"I bet it ain't all sleeping." Jack laughs.

"No, been catching up on eleven years of non-sexual activity." Gibbs answers with a mischievous grin on his face.

"I can't wait to meet your little lady, because of the hassle I'm going through, you owe me a favor son."

"Name it!"

"You and your gal come up for Thanksgiving and we haven't went deer hunting since you left Stillwater."

"Sounds like a fair trade, depending on if my new Director gives me the time off." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"So what's Jenny up to?"

"Don't know she's busy working on trying to get us into Kalymnos without being seen."

Genoa, Italy

Zakar Shipping Enterprises

Tazara Zakar's Office

"Harriett I haven't heard from you in a while." Tazara affectionately says to her cherished American friend.

"Tazara please call me Jenny." Jenny groans in protest.

"I keep forgetting that you hate being called by your CIA operative name." Tazara giggles.

"I'm hoping by next week I won't be referred to as Harriett Jones ever again."

"You getting out of the CIA." Tazara says with surprise.

"You could say that." Jenny answers and gets down to business at hand. "I'm collecting on that favor from nine years ago."

"I told you when saved me from that explosion in Darfur I would do anything for you day or night." Tazara smiles.

"I was in the hospital for three months." Jenny swallows at the memory of being immobilized in a body cast.

"So what can I do for you?"

"I need to get into Kalymnos unnoticed by my boss."

"When?"

"I'll be leaving Paris with a companion on Wednesday evening by train; I just purchased the train tickets from Paris to Genoa's Genoa Brignole Station."

"You should get there by Thursday morning." Tazara answers.

"Early Friday morning I would like to take a flight out to Kalymnos." Jenny asks.

"I have several seaplanes at my site at Ponte dei Mille."

"Good, we'll get in without being spotted." Jenny smiles with relief.

"I'll fly the two of you in myself." Tazara nods.

"I don't want you to stick around, drop us off and head back to Italy."

"I have some business I need to attend to up in Istanbul." "I'll drop the two of you off and make my way up north."

"Perfect!" Jenny softly answers.

Ten minutes later Gibbs walks through the door carrying two coffees. Jenny is busy working over at her desk near the window with her eyes focused on her laptop. "Coffee break!" He smiles over at her.

Jenny takes off her glasses and rubs her temples with a migraine headache. "Good I could use one." She groans.

Gibbs hands Jenny her cup of coffee. "Café au lait!"

"I'm impressed that you actually bought me coffee with cream and sugar in it." Jenny laughs and takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

Gibbs finds a nearby chair and pulls it over and takes a seat. "How's it going?"

"I found a way into Kalymnos without us getting detected." Jenny answers.

"How?" Gibbs asks with surprise.

"I have a contact that use to work with the National Intelligence and Security Service, NISS in Sudan." "I met her through Ziva when we worked our 9|11 Counterterrorism Op's together." "In June of 2002 a suicide bomber had walked into an outdoor market in Darfur, I had spotted the bomber just before he detonated his bomb that he had strapped around his chest."

"And you had pushed your friend to safety." Gibbs finishes.

"Tazara to safety, I got caught in the explosion." "I had a broken pelvis and a broken leg." "Not to mention the shrapnel that was embedded into my body." "I was in a body cast for three months."

"Are those the scars on your back?" Gibbs swallows.

"Yes!" Jenny frowns.

"I keep forgetting the danger that you put yourself into once we went our separate ways."

"It was my job Jethro." Jenny answers and gets back to the subject at hand. "Her name is Tazara Zakar." "Tazara married a rich Italian businessman in Genoa, Italy after she quit NISS seven years ago." "Her idiot husband was cheating on her with a younger woman and Tazara caught him."

"Oh this is part of her divorce settlement I gather." Gibbs laughs.

"You bet since he didn't bother to have Tazara sign a prenuptial agreement before they got married." "Tazara got half of his money plus his shipping business."

"Shipping business?" Gibb asks.

"Yes by air, train, or by ship." "Her business is located in Ponte dei Mille, the main shipping port in Genoa."

"So we'll leave by boat?"

"No, by plane, Tazara owns several seaplanes." "She'll fly us out early Friday morning."

"Slight problem, how do we get to Genoa?"

"I bought the train tickets just before I called Tazara."

"How did you know that she would help you out?"

"Tazara has been smuggling me in and out of places for the past three years Jethro." "Because you're a second passenger, I called in for my special favor."

"We're really doing this." Gibbs smiles.

"By Friday morning, we'll be paying Kosmo an unexpected visit." Jenny grins and leans over and passionately kisses Gibbs on the mouth.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Kosmo Galanos' Villa

1630 Hours EEST

"The meeting will be on schedule for tomorrow night." Shepard says to Cruz on his satellite phone.

Bangkok, Thailand

The Peninsula Bangkok

Room 344

2030 Hours ICT

"In a restaurant, Sala Rim Naam." Cruz answers as he reads from his notes.

"Do not take a bid lower than twenty-five million." "I have to make up for what I lost on the Suárez deal." Shepard bitterly snaps.

"Like Jenny planned on losing you money sir."

"She got careless Ray." "I don't know what was going on in her head." "Carelessness cost me a fortune." "The Libyan Alliance depends on me to get them their weapons."

"Worried that they'll purchase weapons from Benoit."

"Not if he's dead, which Kort is suppose to take care of for me." Shepard smirks.

Nice, France

Julien Benoit's Mansion

1530 CEST

"Byron and Mortimer have been following Cruz's every move since he arrived in Bangkok last week and he hasn't done anything suspicious Kort." Benoit sighs in annoyance from behind his desk in his study.

"And other than contacting Darren Wong back at Langley several times, Ray has been fairly quiet."

"I'll continue the surveillance for another week."

"If he hasn't done anything by then, he won't." Kort shrugs and gets on to the subject at hand. "So when do we eliminate Kosmo Galanos."

"End of the week." "I want to make sure that I'm in Palm Springs when the hit occurs."

"Right the CIA can't pin you to it if you're in California." Kort nods.

"Iris can set up shop right here in Nice, I have an apartment set up for her already." Benoit answers.

"She'll be a wonderful asset, besides Galanos' daughter, Iris is the reason why the old man is almost a billionaire today."

"Any word on that bitch." Benoit angrily seethes.

"None!" Kort sighs in annoyance. "But when she surfaces, I'll have her on a plane to Palm Springs so that you can personally deal with her."

"I've been waiting for four years to deal with her." "She was judge and jury on my father."

"If she had known that her father was alive, Jenny would not have killed René."

"It doesn't excuse it Kort." "I want Jenny Shepard to have a slow and painful death." Benoit vows.

Washington, DC

Ducky's House

1220 Hours PDT

Team DiNozzo along with Ducky and Abby are gathered around the kitchen table with Tony's burn phone on speakerphone talking to Gibbs and Jenny. "So Wednesday evening you're headed to Genoa, Italy?" Tony says making sure he heard Gibbs correctly.

Paris, France

1820 Hours CEST

Gibbs and Jenny are lying in bed naked, with Gibbs' burn phone on speakerphone. "That's affirmative DiNozzo." "Jen has a contact in Genoa that will fly us out to Kalymnos early Friday morning." Gibbs answers.

"Tazara!" Ziva smiles as she recognizes the location.

"Right, remember Darfur." Jenny sadly reminds Ziva.

Ziva frowns at the memory of finding a wounded Jenny on the ground shielding Tazara's body from the explosion. "I was around the corner when I heard the explosion." Ziva chokes up.

"So what's the plan after you confront Kosmo?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"We don't have one; we'll play it by ear." Gibbs smoothly answers and brushes a lock of red hair from Jenny's face. Jenny deciding to get even with him for torturing her on top of the kitchen table earlier this morning begins to kiss his neck and slowly works her way down to his chest and nipple. "Damn it!" He growls as Jenny's tongue teases the tip of his right nipple.

"Problem boss!" Tony asks in confusion.

Gibbs aroused at the feel of her mouth on his chest. "You don't want to know." Gibbs barks and glares down at Jenny as her mouth descends lower down to his abs.

"When's our next briefing?" McGee asks.

"Tomorrow same time, I'll call Tony on his burn phone." Gibbs answers with is voice hitching from sexual excitement.

"So are you and Jenny going to continue to work or is it playtime." Tony smirks.

"None of your damn business." Gibbs snarls and pulls Jenny by the scruff of the hair just as she's about to put her mouth on him below. "Gibbs and Jones out." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "I don't think so." He warns her and pulls Jenny on top of him.

Jenny cries out with pleasure as Gibbs unexpectedly enters her. "For crying out loud you could have giving me some advanced noticed." Jenny moans out as his length penetrates deeper inside of her.

"You should have kept your tongue to yourself when I was talking to my team." Gibbs mischievously grins and leans up and kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Back at Ducky's Tony and the others are guessing at what Gibbs and Jenny are doing. "You think their doing it." Tony laughs and takes a bite of his shrimp roll.

"There in Paris and today is the 19th a month from Jenny's gunshot wound." McGee notes.

"If they are its none of our business." Ducky mutters and gets up from the table with his pint of Beef Lo Mein and walks out of the room.

"I can't believe it's almost been a month since Jenny and I got shot." Ziva says in disbelief.

"Her blood trail inside the parking lot is what brought Jenny back to Gibbs, that's how Gibbs found out that she was alive." Tony smiles.

Abby getting back to the subject that Ducky had tried to avoid. "Their definitely doing it." Abby giggles.

"When in Paris?" Tony grins and raises his bottle of soda to his lunch companions.

"The City of Love." Ziva smiles and taps Tony's bottle of soda with her Berry Mango Madness smoothie, Abby and McGee complete the toast by tapping their beverage of choice, Abby's Caff-Pow, McGee's bottle of Green Ice tea.

Back in Jenny's bedroom, Gibbs has flipped Jenny on to her back and is aggressively making love to her, as he thrusts harder and faster against her, Jenny presses her heels into his lower back to urge on his release. "Oh yes!" She screams out.

Gibbs to bites down on to her neck to stifle out an oncoming cry. At the same time they both achieve their release at the same time, crying out each other's name at the height of their passion. Gibbs exhausted, rolls on to his back and pulls Jenny on top of him. "How about a pizza tonight for dinner?" Gibbs asks between breaths. Jenny bursts out laughing at Gibbs timing. "What's so funny?"

"We're both coming down from our orgasms and your brain is on food." Jenny giggles.

"I've worked up an appetite because of you."

"I know a place that delivers." Jenny laughs and gets out of bed, grabbing Gibbs' t-shirt on her way out of the room.

"Good because I don't feel like putting my clothes on to get the damn thing." Gibbs smirks and puts his arms behind the back of his head. "One month since you've came back from the dead." "By the end of this week all of the conspirators will hopefully be rotting in prison or in your father's case hell." Gibbs vows.


	33. Cheap Shot In The Dark

September 21st 2011

Paris, France

0600 Hours CEST

In their final morning in Paris, Gibbs and Jenny passionately make love to one another. "I love you!" Gibbs breathes out as his body shudders on top of his lover. Jenny trembles from underneath of him from the after affects from their love making. "You ok?" Gibbs asks between breaths.

"I don't want to this to end." Jenny says with tears of happiness streaming down her face.

"It's not an ending." Gibbs tenderly reassures her and begins to rein kisses on her face and forehead. Rolling on to his back he pulls Jenny on top of him. "The past two weeks we've gotten to rediscover the love that we feel for one another." "Paris is where I wanted us to spend the rest of our lives together eleven years ago."

Jenny playing with the silver hairs on the top of Gibbs' chest. "And eleven years later we're getting that second chance to spend the rest of our lives together." Jenny smiles.

"There's no turning back from this once we leave Paris this evening." "It's you and I for better for worse, we're stuck with one another." Gibbs smirks.

"Since we packed everything yesterday, why don't we spend the day in bed together?"

"Why do you think I suggested that we pack our gear up yesterday?" Gibbs mischievously grins.

Jenny raising a seductive eyebrow at him. "So you had this planned?" She sensuously asks.

"Hell yeah!"

Jenny leans over him. "Was the plan to have me on top?"

"Multiple times!"

"As usual with me doing it all the work." Jenny purrs and begins to suck on his lower lip.

Gibbs with his hands going down to Jenny's butt. "You do it so well Agent Jones." He seductively answers capturing Jenny's mouth.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Kosmo Galanos' Villa

0800 Hours EEST

Ray Cruz is having breakfast out on the balcony with his boss. "Well done Ray." Shepard smiles at him and takes a sip from his cup of coffee. "I'll be having future business dealings with Jaturun Yodsuwan, because of you."

"He'll be in touch with you in the middle of November on another deal." Cruz nods.

"Hopefully by then Jenny will be back." Shepard says between bites of his Greek Omelet.

"I think I did pretty well on my own this time around without Jenny."

"Jenny would have gotten the price down to about twenty million." Shepard grunts.

"You enjoy whoring your daughter to arms dealers." Cruz asks in disgust.

"It's an asset that she excels at." "What's the difference if she whored herself for NCIS or the CIA?" "She's doing it for both agencies."

"NCIS she slept around to keep her country safe." "The CIA is to make her father wealthier." Cruz snaps.

"Ray you are pissing me the hell off." Shepard icily warns him. "Take the next two weeks off and get your head together."

"Is that a threat sir?" Cruz asks.

"I don't make threats, their either promises or messages."

Ray remembering that Shepard had targeted La Grenouille's daughter Jeanne, by putting a car bomb underneath of Tony's Mustang. "I'll have my head together by then, trust me." Cruz lies to him and walks off for the stairs leading down to the beach. "First thing I'm doing after I review some of the information that Wong has uncovered for me is I'm paying our Director a visit and putting an end to Operation Lodestone."

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

0900 Hours EDT

Ziva and Abby are in the backroom. "I see Ray was paying Kosmo a visit this morning." Ziva answers reading from a sheet of paper from McGee's notes.

Abby monitoring the GPS signal on Ray's cell phone. "He's at the airport in Athens."

"I wonder if he's heading back to Washington." Ziva sighs.

"You think he'll start looking into Jenny's where a bouts again?" Abby curiously asks.

"Most definitely!" Ziva grumbles.

Paris, France

1700 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny step outside of Jenny's apartment for the final time. Jenny taking in everything in as they walk over to their taxi. "Your lease is paid up until May right?" Gibbs asks and opens up the door to the taxi.

"Nope I bought my apartment last year." Jenny smiles and gets inside the taxi.

Gibbs getting inside of the taxi. "Maybe we can have long weekends away from Washington." Gibbs suggests.

"Would you really do that?" Jenny asks with surprise.

"Sure!" Gibbs smiles and pulls Jenny up against him.

"Where to?" The driver asks in English.

"Gare de Bercy!" Jenny says to the driver in French.

Gibbs leans up against Jenny's right ear. "Once we get over the border I want the English language from you." He growls.

"You keep forgetting Jethro, that I also can speak Italian." Jenny snickers as the driver pulls away from the curb.

Paris Bercy

1900 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny enter their sleeping compartment. Gibbs flips on the lights and notes the four berth couchettes, two on each side of the wall. "How the hell are we suppose to sleep together on these dinky bunk beds?" Gibbs growls and turns and glares over at Jenny.

Jenny closes the door behind them. "No you're pissed because you won't get laid tonight." "You can survive one night without sex." Jenny chastises him and tosses her carry-on bag on the top bunk bed.

"I've been having sex non-stop with you since Sunday morning and you expect me to go without tonight." Gibbs whines in protest.

"You don't have to go without sex tonight; I still have to get even with you for the stunt that you pulled on the kitchen table the other night." Jenny sensuously warns him.

"I had you howling and you enjoyed every torturous moment of it." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny getting aroused quickly changes the subject. "They'll be a stop at Milan at 0610 hours tomorrow morning."

"What time will we be in Genoa?" Gibbs shrugs and takes a seat on the bottom bunk bed.

"Around eight!" Jenny answers and takes a seat beside him. "Once the train gets moving, I'll leave a text for Tony that we're on our way to Milan."

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

1300 Hours EDT

Team DiNozzo returns to their desks, Tony feels his burn phone vibrating in his pocket. "I'll be right back." Tony nods over at Ziva and walks over to the elevator under the stairs.

"Something wrong?" Allison curiously asks.

"Nothing to be concerned about Allison." Ziva cautions her.

Inside the elevator between floors, Tony reads Jenny's text message. "On our way to Milan, Italy." "I'll text you when our train arrives at Milano Centrale tomorrow morning." Tony reads out loud.

Meanwhile Ray Cruz is on board a plane headed back to Washington; he has his laptop open and e-mails Darren Wong back at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Wong,

I'm on a flight back to Washington. I'll report to headquarters Thursday morning to review the call logs from the NCIS Major Case Response Team along with Medical Examiner Doctor Donald Mallard and Forensic Scientist Abby Scuito.

Regards,

Ray

That night Gibbs and Jenny are having a glass of wine in the dining car. "What hotel are we staying at in Genoa?"

"We're not staying at a hotel Jethro." "Remember we're suppose to meet Tazara at her shipping distribution center tomorrow tonight."

"Then what are we going to do in Genoa all day." Gibbs grumbles.

"Sight see like tourists." Jenny smirks up at him.

"That's easy for you to say."

"Unlike you my mind isn't below my waist twenty-four hours a day." Jenny teases him.

"It is when you're with me Jen." "And after the past four days-" Jenny kicks him in the shin under the table to shut him up. "Ow!" Gibbs howls in pain and begins to rub his leg.

"Baiting me is not going to get you to have your way Jethro." Jenny warns him and takes a sip from her glass of wine.

"It's worth a try." Gibbs laughs.

Washington, DC

2100 Hours EDT

Vance going home for the night walks past Tony's section and finds Tony and his team working at their desks. "I thought you and your team went home for the night." Vance says with surprise and walks over to the front of Tony's desk.

"Wrapping up a few things sir." "I sent Allison and Ziva home." Tony shrugs.

"Gibbs should be back by next week, his father is getting transferred to a nearby rehab center." Vance smoothly answers.

"Finally our team will back together." McGee sighs with relief from over at his desk.

"It will be good to get things back to normal." Vance answers and walks off for the elevator.

Tony waits for Vance to get inside the elevator, as the door closes. "It won't be normal around here again, until you're out of here Tyler." Tony snaps.

With the bullpen empty of the other agents, McGee turns on his GPS trace program and notices that Cruz's plane has landed at JFK. "Ray's in New York."

"So it begins again with distraction duty with CI Ray." Tony sighs in annoyance and turns off his computer. "Let's call it a night Probie." Tony nods over at him and gets up from his desk.

Somewhere on the train.

0400 Hours CEST

Gibbs restlessly lies on his back, glaring up towards the direction of the top bunk. "My pecker is throbbing." Gibbs groans.

Unknown to Gibbs, Jenny had taken a walk out in the corridor, the door opens, from the light out in the hallway, Jenny finds Gibbs awake in his lower bunk. "Did a wake you?" She softly asks.

"No, below my waist did." Gibbs sighs.

Jenny approaches his bunk bed and pulls the blanket back. Her hands go through the fly of his boxers. "You have a slight problem." Jenny giggles and begins to stroke him.

"That isn't helping matters much." Gibbs cries out with pleasure.

"Since I do not want to wake up the whole train from the both of us screaming while we're having sex." "The best solution is for me to satisfy your needs." Jenny purrs and runs her fingers on the back of his balls.

Gibbs is about to protest when he feels his boxers being pulled off of him. "Please don't drag it out." He begs as he feels Jenny's mouth and tongue on the tip of his swollen shaft.

"You got to be kidding me." Jenny laughs and runs the length of her tongue down his shaft.

Gibbs grabs a hold of the pillow and puts it over his head to stifle out an oncoming cry. The feel of her mouth and tongue taking it's time with him is making him insane with need. "Don't stop!" He moans with pleasure.

Jenny continues to slowly tease him, taking him in slowly, then working her way down his length with her mouth and tongue, and working her way back up. Sensing that he's about to have his release, Jenny takes him fully inside of her mouth.

Out in the corridor, Gibbs' moans of pleasure can be heard. A couple in their seventies walks past Gibbs and Jenny's sleeping compartment and stare towards the direction of the doorway. Speaking in Italian. "Somebody is getting lucky." The Lorenzo snickers and proceeds to walk down the corridor.

"You're just jealous of his stamina Lorenzo." Elena giggles in Italian and follows her husband.

Inside the cabin, Gibbs bucking up towards Jenny's mouth. "Yes!" He howls out with pleasure and throws the pillow on to the floor, losing control he plunges over the end, spilling inside of Jenny's mouth; she continues to suck on him swallowing his excess. Gibbs soaked with sweat, pants on top of the bed. "Damn!" He says between breaths.

"I could say the same thing Jethro." Jenny smirks and gets up from the bed.

"Keep in mind paybacks are a bitch Jen." Gibbs warns her.

Jenny walks over to the other bunk beds and retrieves a towel and washcloth and begins to freshen up. "I know!" Jenny laughs and wipes off her face with the washcloth, she reaches for a bottle of water and a small travel bag containing her toothpaste and toothbrush. "But I still have to get even with you for the little stunt you pulled after I had my first orgasm on top of the kitchen table the other night." Jenny seductively warns her lover and walks out of the room.

"How can she top this?" Gibbs asks in the darkness.


	34. Phoenix Has Arisen

Milan, Italy

0615 Hours CEST

Gibbs restless gets out of his lower bunk bed. Glaring over at his lover as she sleeps on the top bunk. "You better make sure that we have better sleeping arrangements the next time we travel by train." "They do have private sleeping cars." Gibbs inwardly growls at her. Retrieving his boxers and jeans from the floor, Gibbs slips into them. Noting that the train isn't moving. "I wonder if we're in Milan." Gibbs whispers.

Five minutes later out in a dining car, Gibbs glances out a window. "So this is Milano Centrale?" Gibbs asks out loud.

A dining-car attendant is working nearby and has over heard Gibbs. "Oui monsieur!" The attendant nods over at him.

"We're in Italy now can I not hear the French language." Gibbs grumbles in annoyance.

"Typical lazy Américain that's too lazy to learn the language." The attendant snickers at him.

"I'm not lazy to learn French that was my partner's job to speak and interoperate for me." Gibbs barks.

"Pity, I saw you're lady last night monsieur, the French men can talk about her without you understanding what their saying about her."

"No it's pity on them, because if they would make a move on her, they would not be moving for a week." Gibbs snaps and walks off towards the direction of the coach car.

Back in their sleeping compartment, Jenny awakens. "Jethro!" She yawns and begins to stretch on the bed. When Gibbs doesn't answer she leans her head over and glances down towards the bottom bunk. "He's most likely off somewhere sulking." Jenny mutters and swings her legs over on the bunk and jumps down. "Can't go for twenty-four hours without sex."

Five minutes later out in the dining car, Jenny sits down, the dining-car attendant that just insulted Gibbs approaches Jenny. "Coffee Madame!" He nods over at her.

"Oui!" Jenny answers and glances around the car. "Has a cranky Marine been in here by any chance?"

"Oui Madame, he stormed off like how we say a child towards the coach car, because he was annoyed at me for speaking in my native language."

"You must have handled him pretty good if he stormed out of the room." Jenny giggles and grabs a menu from the side of the table.

"I told him like it was a typical lazy Américain who refuses to learn and understand French." The attendant grins and walks off for the coffee pot.

Jenny glances down at her watch. "Jethro you better not wander off to far, because the train only holds over for five more minutes."

Five minutes later, Gibbs returns with a newspaper. "It's in English!" He smirks and sits across the table from Jenny. "The next time request a private sleeping car." Gibbs whines.

"I told you the private cars were booked up so get over yourself." Jenny hisses and takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

The dining-car attendant approaches the table with a coffee pot and pours Gibbs a cup of coffee, smirks over at Gibbs and walks away. "He better not be tangling with me again." Gibbs snarls.

"It's true Jethro you're too lazy to learn other languages." "I'm still trying to figure out how you learned Russian on your own." "And the only reason why you know Spanish is because Mike taught you over at Camp Pendleton, when you were observing him during your Probationary Status Training."

"He tell you that?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes, when I was down in Mexico watching Leyla and Amira."

"It's a shame that Bell had burned down his shack on the beach." "It was one of my fantasies to take you there." Gibbs smiles and squeezes Jenny's hand from on top of the table. "To make love to you on the beach in Mexico."

The dining-car attendant returns with their breakfast. "Enjoy!" He smiles at them and walks away.

Gibbs glances down at their croissants with a side of strawberry preserves. "We'll eat a real breakfast in Genoa." Jenny answers and begins to put some preserves on to her croissant. The attendant walks away. "I got one of my fantasies already Jethro." Jenny smiles up at him.

"What's that?" Gibbs shrugs.

"I got to make love to you in my Paris apartment bedroom." "You don't know how many nights I dreamed of the two of us making love on my bed and then I would wake up alone, crying calling out your name in the darkness." Jenny frowns.

"And I had that same dream about you in Mexico." "When I delivered 'The Kelly' to Amira nine months after you died, I could only stay for a few days." "I would have that same dream over and over again of making love to you on the beach with the waves crashing over us."

"Maybe when things settle down a bit over the winter months we can go down there on vacation." Jenny smiles at him.

"You mean that?" Gibbs smiles with surprise.

"I've had my fantasy come true already, why can't you have yours." Jenny answers and takes a bite out of her croissant.

Genoa, Italy

Stars Hotel President Genoa

La Corte Restaurant

0900 Hours CEST

"Why did you pick a five star hotel to go to for breakfast?" Gibbs sheepish asks and takes a bite from his sausage.

"There are not a lot of options for breakfast in some of the small local restaurants." "Here they have a hot and cold American Breakfast buffet." Jenny answers and takes a sip from her glass of orange juice.

"Since we're at a-"

"Forget about it, we're not checking into a hotel so that you can get laid." Jenny sighs in exasperation.

"It was just a suggestion." Gibbs innocently says to her.

"They don't have pay by the hour hotel rooms here." Jenny reminds him.

"So we'll be spending the day sightseeing." Gibbs grumbles.

"Yes, Tazara wraps up for the day around ten tonight." "We'll head on over to Ponte dei Mille around 2045 Hours."

Nice, France

Hotel Beau Rivage

Kort is on his cell phone talking to Iris back in Kalymnos. "Think you can take the old bastard out during the night." Kort asks.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Iris strolling the beach with her cell phone attached to her ear. "It will be my pleasure to rid myself from him." "I'll ask him if I can borrow his yacht for an outing to the French Rivera for tomorrow morning." Iris wickedly purrs.

"What does that have to do with bumping him off?" Kort curiously asks.

"He won't be getting any for a week or so." Iris grins.

"So while you're straddling on top of him, Kosmo will be getting an unexpected surprise." Kort smirks.

"One that's way overdue." "I'll take the yacht over to Greece at dawn." "His body won't be found for several hours, I'll have a head start out and they won't expect it to be me." Iris laughs.

"No you're the loyal assistant." Kort snorts.

"I'll take a flight from Athens to Nice and I'll meet you at your hotel room."

"No their will be a car waiting for you at the airport to take you over to your new boss' house, after the job is done and Benoit has proof that Galanos is dead, I'll give you the address to his house in Nice."

"I'm so glad that cell phones put cameras in, they come in handy." Iris snickers.

"When the job is done send me the photo?"

"And this time Jasper Shepard's death will not be faked by the CIA's FX Department, he'll be dead and rotting in hell." Iris vows.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

0830 Hours

Ray Cruz is at his desk working reviewing the call logs on everyone's phones from Gibbs and his team. Flipping the pages over on to Abby's call logs, he finds no evidence of Jenny contacting anyone. "She must have been using a burn phone to contact Ziva." Ray sighs in frustration and grabs Ducky's call log sheets, first with his work number extension, then his home phone number, finally Ray picks up Ducky's cell phone call long and reads page one, after reading page one, he flips page two over and pounds his fist down on top of his desk when he spots a generic prepaid phone under the name of Harriet Jones calling Ducky at 0100 hours on August 21st 2011. Cruz picks up his desk phone and calls Darren Wong. "Wong could you do me a favor." "Doctor Mallard's cell phone call log, on August 21st." "He got a phone call from Harriett Jones at 0100 hours could you get a call log from her phone." Ray answers and waits for Wong to respond. "Thanks!" He answers and hangs up.

Two hours later, Cruz is over at the cyber division reviewing Harriett Jones' cell phone call log. "There was no activity for up to a week from August 21st to the 28th, and then the phone calls began." Wong says and hands Cruz a sheet of paper. Cruz bursts out laughing at the names they were using. "You know these people?" Wong asks with surprise.

"Yes!" Cruz laughs and notes that the calls had stopped conveniently on the day he confronted Ziva. "They must be using new burn phones to communicate with one another." Cruz notes.

"All of Harriett Jones' phone calls came from this location in Georgetown." Wong mentions and points out to an arrow on top of his computer screen. "I have a location at Silver Springs." "Two other locations, plus the Navy Yard where NCIS is located at." "Is there an NCIS cover up or a leak?" Wong asks.

"All of the above and I'm putting an end to it." Cruz nods and walks out of the room.

Cruz takes the elevator back to his floor and steps out of the elevator." He finds CIA Director David Petraeus briefing one of his agents. "I have to brief him about this today." Cruz says with determination and walks over to his desk and grabs the folder on Operation Lodestone, noting that Petraeus is finished with his conversation, Cruz approaches him. "Sir I need to brief you sometime today, it's important."

"On regards?" Petraeus smoothly asks.

Cruz hands him a folder. "Something that Trent Kort has kept you out of the loop of sir." "You haven't been read into it."

"After I read this, I'll have my assistant call you." Petraeus nods and walks off towards an elevator leading towards his office.

Genoa, Italy

1900 Hours CEST

Gibbs and Jenny are standing outside a restaurant. Gibbs glances up at the sign on the restaurant. "La Botte?"

"Tazara and I would eat here whenever I came in to visit her." Jenny softly answers.

Gibbs burn phone rings. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

1300 Hours

Tony in the elevator between his floor and Abby's. "Cruz hasn't left CIA Headquarters today." Tony informs him.

"I'm not worried him." "My main concern is getting into Kalymnos without being seen." Gibbs grunts.

"Have you met Jenny's contact yet?" Tony curiously asks.

"Not for another two hours." "Jenny and I were about to have dinner and then head back to the train station to retrieve our bags from our lockers."

"Boss what if somebody broke into your lockers?"

"DiNozzo we're carrying what's important on us." Gibbs sighs in exasperation. "Like we'll give a rat's ass that they'll steal what little clothing we have inside of the bags."

"How's Jenny holding up?"

"Anxious!" Gibbs answers and squeezes Jenny's hand. "I'll call you tomorrow morning after we've confronted her father and we'll figure out what to do from there."

Tony's cell phone rings for an incoming text message. "Vance needs the elevator, McGee just texted me to warn me." Tony answers.

"Hang up then."

"I'll get off at Abby's floor and take the stairs back up to the Squad Room."

"Hopefully by Monday we won't have to do this anymore." "Goodnight Tony!" Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"Tony call about Ray?" Jenny asks.

"He's still at CIA Headquarters." "So maybe Cruz has backed off like Ziva requested." Gibbs shrugs.

"Knowing Ray, I highly doubt it." Jenny sighs.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

Director David Petraeus' Office

1500 Hours

Cruz is sitting at the conference table with Director Petraeus. "Where's Kort?" Petraeus snaps.

"Nice I believe, who knows." Cruz smoothly answers.

"Find him!"

"Sir that's not the reason why I asked for this briefing." Cruz answers.

"There's more going on than what you're telling me." Petraeus demands.

"Former Director of NCIS, Jenny Shepard was the daughter of Jasper Shepard."

"Director Shepard died three years ago in a fire inside of her home in Georgetown." Petraeus knowingly answers.

"That's what they wanted the public to belief." Cruz answers and gets up from his chair and installs a flash drive into Petraeus' computer. "CIA Operative Harriet Jones, Code Name Phoenix is none other than-" Cruz says and grabs the clicker from on top of Petraeus' desk and suddenly Jenny's photo appears onscreen. "Jenny Shepard!"

"I don't understand, you mean to tell me that the former NCIS Director Jenny Shepard has been working undercover for the CIA the past three years."

"Yes sir!" Cruz answers and hands Petraeus another file to read. "It was a mutual Navy-CIA cover up." "All to get Shepard out of her office and for Leon Vance to step in."

Thirty Minutes Later

"So Jasper Shepard has been whoring his daughter to arms dealers for profit?" Petraeus asks in disgust.

"It's a win win situation." "He saves US taxpayers by selling the weapons he buys to US Allies, Libyan Freedom Fighters, and Afghani Rebels that oppose the Taliban."

"A Robin Hood he is not." Petraeus snaps and gets up from his desk. "Is Jenny in Kalymnos?"

"Her where bouts have been unknown since August 10th that was the last time Jenny was seen alive." Cruz answers and begins to fill in Petraeus the events from the last month.

Fifteen minutes later, Petraeus is on the phone with the Secretary of the Navy. "I need a briefing with you tonight." Petraeus answers and waits for the SecNav to respond. "I've been given some information about NCIS that I cannot discuss over the phone."

Genoa, Italy

Zakar Shipping Enterprises

2100 Hours CEST

"Jenny!" Tazara warmly says to her and affectionately hugs her American friend. Glancing up at Gibbs. "This can't be Gibbs." Tazara laughs.

"How did you know?" Gibbs asks and narrows his eyes over at Jenny.

"You're all she ever talked about once she got drunk on bourbon." Tazara giggles and escorts Gibbs and Jenny into her office. "We'll fly out at 0300 Hours tomorrow morning."

"Perfect we'll arrive at first light and my boss won't suspect a thing." Jenny smirks and takes a seat on the couch.

"Have you two eaten anything?" Tazara curiously asks.

"Yes we ate at La Botte a few hours ago." Jenny softly answers.

"Took him to one our familiar haunts." Tazara winks at her.

"Since we won't talk strategy until we leave, I'm going to go for a walk along the pier." Gibbs nods and walks out of the room.

"What's with him?" Tazara asks.

"Girl talk!" Jenny laughs and puts her feet up on the couch.

"You look tired girlfriend, why don't you get some sleep."

"Way ahead of you." Jenny smiles and closes her eyes.

Out on the pier Gibbs sizes up several seaplanes that are out in the harbor. "Hopefully she can get us as close enough to the shoreline without being seen." Gibbs notes.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

1800 Hours

David Petraeus and the SecNav are reviewing the information on Operation Lodestone; the cover up of Jenny's shooting in the Mojave Desert, the illegal dealings that have been going on with former SecNav Phillip Davenport, NCIS Director Leon Vance, and former NCIS Special Agent Erica Jane Barrett. "So Vance gave Barrett information on a Columbian Drug and Arms Dealer Bernardo Suárez, which she sold to Julien Benoit." SecNav nods over at Cruz.

"Yes, both Trent Kort and I received e-mails from Jenny; she had photos of the transaction between Barrett and Benoit and followed Benoit to a meeting with Bernardo Suárez." "Somehow Jenny got spotted and they went after her." "Jenny took a flight to Miami on August 10th, spent the night at a motel I presume and then took a bus to Savannah, Georgia." "She rented a car from a Budget Rental and drove to Washington." "From the records at a Motel 6 on Route 29, Jenny checked in on August 12th and had paid for her room in advance." "From the information Harriett Jones' burn phone call log, she called NCIS Special Agent Ziva David on the morning of August 20th and several phone calls later that afternoon."

"Isn't that the day Agent David got shot?" SecNav cryptically asks noting the similarity of that date.

"Yes and I know I'll get punished for this sir, but I had Darren Wong hack into NCIS's computers and I read the report on Agent David's shooting." "She did not meet a contact from NIS as she stated." "She met Jenny in the parking garage at the Georgetown Ritz Carlton Hotel." "Benoit's men shot at Ziva and Jenny." "Jenny took a bullet and fled the scene." Cruz answers and opens up one of his folders and shows the SecNav Ducky's cell phone call log. "At 0100 Hours on August 21st, Doctor Mallard got a phone call from Jenny under her CIA alias Harriet Jones."

Putting two and two together. "Jenny needed medical attention." SecNav notes.

"Somehow through a DNA result from Jenny's blood at the crime scene, Special Agent Gibbs found out that Jenny was alive and with her past history with Doctor Mallard, he was like a father figure to her after Jasper Shepard had faked his death, figured out where she was staying at."

"Where is Agent Gibbs?"

"Las Vegas, from what I can make out from a GPS trace on his cell phone it's been inactive for about two weeks."

"So he's duping Director Vance and is in another location hiding Jenny." Petraeus sighs.

"Do you want me to bring in Special Agents DiNozzo and McGee?" Cruz curiously asks.

"No!" Petraeus answers and then remembering that he spotted Special Agent Fornell's name on a copy of René Benoit's murder investigation." "With Gibbs being away I want someone who will not be biased and focused on this investigation."

"Who?" Cruz and the SecNav answer at the same time.

"Special Agent Tobias Fornell!" Petraeus nods.

Two Hours Later

Fornell after getting briefed and reading into the files on the cover up on Jenny's death in California, her role with the CIA and her dad the past three years, Davenport, Vance, and Barrett's dirty dealings, and lastly the return of 'The Phoenix'. "The Phoenix' has arisen." Fornell snorts and closes the file.

"I want you to head this investigation." Petraeus asks.

"What will happen to Jenny when this is all said and done?" Fornell swallows and glances over at Petraeus and then over at the SecNav. "Jenny was more than Jethro's partner back in the day." "He had planned on marrying her when the Paris Op was done."

"According to the file, Kosmo Galanos has Jenny's missing Glock that killed René Benoit." SecNav mentions.

"Even if Jenny had killed Benoit, Kort signed a legal document that stated he killed him on a sanctioned hit per his Director's orders." Fornell reminds him.

"Kort had said that he was going to make that paper disappear." Cruz snaps.

"It could have disappeared, but I saw the paper and so did Agent Gibbs and Director Vance." Fornell smoothly answers.

Cruz remembering that Kort also had something on Gibbs also that Shepard kept over Jenny's head. "Kort also had something on Gibbs that connected him to the murder of a Mexican Drug lord by the name of Pedro Hernandez."

"Hernandez murdered his wife and daughter." Fornell nods.

"Is there any evidence linking Gibbs to Hernandez' death?" SecNav asks.

"A photo of the bullet casing that was left behind at the crime scene one thousand feet away from Hernandez's truck." "His daughter, Paloma Reynosa wore it around her neck." "If Jenny did not cooperate with her father, Kort had a contact with the Mexican Justice Department that would have reopened the investigation into Hernandez's murder; coincidentally Kort's contact was Alejandro Rivera, Hernandez's son."

"From what I understand from Jethro we won't be worrying about the two of them anymore." Fornell grins.

"First I've heard of this." Cruz says with surprise.

"Of course, it was Shepard and Kort's way of keeping Jenny in line." Fornell mutters and shakes his head. "Are you one hundred percent positive that Kort and her father are not on to you?"

"One hundred percent!" "As you read in my report I falsified some information on the where a bouts of Jenny's rental car." "They do not know that Gibbs and his team have been looking after her."

"So when do we bring in DiNozzo and McGee?" SecNav nods over at Petraeus.

"Tomorrow morning, call DiNozzo and McGee up around 0530 Hours and tell them that you will need extra security for an event that you are going to in Washington for the day, then notify Director Vance of your request." "Fornell and Cruz will be waiting in your Towne Car in the parking garage at NCIS Headquarters around 0800 Hours."

"Good idea!" SecNav answers and then glances over at Fornell. "Since your lead agent in charge of the investigation now, I want your cell phone to be on speakerphone when DiNozzo and McGee get inside of the car." "I'll give my direct orders to work under you."

"Jethro is going to love that with me being in charge." Fornell laughs and gets up from his chair.

"Agent Fornell can I have a private word with you before you leave." "I have an offer for you." SecNav requests.

Petraeus and Cruz gets up from their chairs and walk out of the room. "I wonder want the SecNav wants with Fornell?" Petraeus asks out loud.

"Beats me!" Cruz shrugs.

Genoa, Italy

Zakar Shipping Enterprises

Tazara's Office

0000 Hours

Jenny awakens on the couch and finds Gibbs watching over her in a chair beside Tazara's desk. "You were out when I came back." Gibb smiles.

"I wore myself out from walking all over today." Jenny yawns and sits up on the couch rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Gibbs gets up from the chair and takes a seat beside her on the couch. "The next three hours can't get here soon enough for me." Gibbs impatiently sighs.

"Arriving at my dad's villa can't get here soon enough for me." Jenny answers with a hint of determination in her voice.

"With that attitude you'll get your life back." Gibbs answers and leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Tazara walks in with a fresh carafe filled with coffee. "I don't see anything."

Jenny shakes her head and begins to laugh. "I'll be back." She nods and gets up and leaves the room.

"I haven't seen Jenny smile like that since I bumped into her in London back in 2005." Tazara answers with a smile on her face and puts the carafe on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"CIA can make anybody miserable." Gibbs snorts and reaches for the coffee carafe and pours himself a cup of coffee.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs with those intense blue eyes of yours, you could put a smile on any woman's face." Tazara winks at him.

0315 Hours

Gibbs, Jenny, and Tazara are inside the seaplane. Tazara sitting in the pilot's seat starts up the engine. Gibbs and Jenny sitting in the back of the plane with their seatbelts fastened. "Are we ready to roll?" Gibbs smirks over at his lover.

"Hell yeah!" Jenny smirks back, with that the plane begins to move along the water, several minutes later Tazara safely has the plane up in the air. They should be in Kalymnos within two hours.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Kosmo Galanos' Villa

0430 Hours

Inside Jasper Shepard's private bedroom suite, Iris is leaning on top of her lover making love to him. Unknown to Shepard under the comforter, Iris strategically placed a gun with a silencer on it. "Don't stop!" Shepard moans out with pleasure.

Iris slowly gets up on his waist and pulls Shepard into a sitting position. "Kosmo!" She wickedly purrs to him.

"Yes sugar!" Shepard cries as Iris moves her hips against him.

"Say good night!" Iris smirks and reaches under the comforter grabbing her gun, pulling the trigger, shooting Shepard in between the eyes killing him instantly.

Iris gets out of bed and grabs her cell phone from the nightstand and snaps a photo of Shepard and sends it to Kort, five minutes later Kort texts her back. "Our boss says well done."

Iris texts Kort back. "I'm on my way lover." Iris grins, she glances over at Shepard with a satisfied look on her face. "Five years long overdue you bastard." Iris laughs….. Grabbing her robe, Iris walks into the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Iris boards Shepard's private yacht. "I have some business to attend in Athens first before we head off for the French Riviera." Iris instructs the captain.

"Yes ma'am!" He nods over at her.


	35. He's Not My Father

Around first light, Tazara safely lands her plane along the shoreline right in front of Kosmo Galanos' villa, Jenny from the window glances up towards the house up on the hill, it's been a month since she walked out the door for the final time as CIA Operative Harriett Jones. "No more, I'm taking my life back." Jenny inwardly says.

Tazara climbs out of her seat and approaches Gibbs and Jenny in the back of the plane. "You sure you don't want me to stick around." Tazara asks.

"No, this is where we part ways." Jenny softly answers and gets up from her seat and affectionately hugs her friend.

"Good luck!" Tazara hugs her back.

"Thanks!" Jenny smiles and pulls away from her.

Tazara takes a hold of Gibbs' hand. "Take care of my girl."

"I will!" Gibbs smiles.

Tazara opens up the side door. "Damn I'm good!" She smirks as she notes that the plane is about knee deep depth wise along the shoreline. Gibbs and Jenny with their backpacks and carry-on bags exit the plane. "Call me if you need me, I'll high tail it back here." Tazara shouts out to them.

Gibbs and Jenny wave back at her. "We'll wait for Tazara to get in the air before we head up to your fathers." Gibbs nods over at her. Jenny glances over at the pier and notices that her father's yacht is missing. Gibbs taking in Jenny's facial expression. "What's the matter?"

"My dad's yacht is missing." Jenny answers.

"Great timing for him to take a pleasure cruise." Gibbs growls.

"Hopefully it's Iris going off on her own." "I'm not in the mood to deal with that tramp." "She's begging for an ass kicking." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

Tazara's plane begins to glide along the water. When Tazara's plane is safely up the air Gibbs takes a hold of Jenny's hand. "It's about time Kosmo and I have a face to face chat." Gibbs grins.

"This should be interesting." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs and Jenny start over for the stairs that leads up to the villa. They walk up the three flights of stairs. "What is it with your family and the three flights of stairs?" Gibbs whines.

"We do it just to piss you off." Jenny giggles as they reach the top of the stairs. Gibbs glances over at the large marble balcony with the view of the Aegean Sea in the background.

"What a view?" Gibbs says in awe and walks over to the balcony wall.

"He said it's the best view that money could buy." Jenny snaps in disgust.

Gibbs turns and looks over at his lover. "Where is your father?"

"Most likely in his study." "He usually goes there first thing in the morning."

"This ends now." Gibbs nods over at Jenny with a determination in his eyes.

Jenny leads Gibbs inside the house, inside the dining room; Cyrus walks out from the kitchen. "Miss Jenny!" He smiles at her. "Where have you been?"

"Away!" Jenny abruptly answers. "Is he awake?"

"You know your dad, more than likely he's in his study crunching some numbers around." Cyrus answers and walks off for the study with Gibbs and Jenny following him from behind. "Funny he's usually awake by now." Cyrus says with surprise.

Suddenly Adrianna's scream of horror fills the house. "Adrianna!" Jenny shouts over to Gibbs and draws her gun from her sidearm.

"Sounds like it came from upstairs!" Cyrus nods over at them.

"Stay down here!" Gibbs instructs him, drawing his Sig from his sidearm. Gibbs and Jenny rush out of the study. They find Adrianna screaming incoherently at the top of the stairs.

"What is she saying?" Gibbs asks and glances over at Cyrus.

"Mr. Galanos has been found dead upstairs in his bedroom."

"Cyrus could you take care of Adrianna?" Jenny asks.

A minute later, Gibbs and Jenny slowly enter the bedroom with their weapons drawn; Gibbs nods over towards the direction of the bathroom. Jenny with her weapon drawn slowly approaches the bathroom and enters inside, checking inside the shower stall. "Clear!" She yells.

Gibbs approaches the walk in closet with his weapon drawn; he opens the door and checks inside. "Clear!" He shouts back.

Jenny walks out of the bathroom and approaches her father's lifeless body. "This time it's not staged dad." Jenny angrily snaps.

"I'm sorry Jen." Gibbs swallows and walks over to Jenny from behind and begins to rub the back of her shoulders.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." Jenny bitterly answers. "This isn't my father." "My father went by the name of Colonel Jasper Shepard; he was a respected career Army Officer, the man I worshipped." "As far as I'm concerned my father died in 1995." "The man lying dead in bed I feel nothing for." Jenny angrily chokes.

Gibbs remembering Iris. "You said that your dad's yacht was gone?"

Jenny putting two and two together with her father's nude body lying on the bed. "She must have tricked him into a quickie during the middle of the night and slipped a gun in bed with her." "Then fled on his yacht."

"Soon as McGee arrives at work, I'll see if Iris made any recent calls to Kort." Gibbs says and pulls a sheet over Jasper Shepard's lifeless body. "I have a safe to break into."

"Right my gun." Jenny swallows.

Half an hour later down in Shepard's study, Gibbs successfully breaks into the safe on the wall behind the desk. Jenny's Glock 19 9mm is on a side shelf in the front of the safe. "At least he kept it within reach." Gibbs snorts and retrieves the gun from inside of the safe.

Jenny takes her gun from her lover. "He kept it within reach so that he could strategically hold it over my head." Jenny icily answers.

Cyrus walks into the study with a tray of coffee. "You sure you don't want me to call the police?" Cyrus asks.

"No!" Jenny answers and then glances over at Gibbs who already has an idea. "What do you have in mind?"

"Your townhouse in Georgetown."

"What about it?" Jenny shrugs.

"Mike and I set a fire to conceal Slvetlana's body."

"So!" Jenny shrugs again.

"Jen you said that Kosmo Galanos is not your father." "If this comes out in the open with the media."

"His real identity will come out." Jenny answers…. "I do not want that man buried next to my mother." Jenny viciously answers. "He was not the man she married."

"I don't understand." Cyrus frowns.

"You don't Cyrus." Jenny sadly answers. "You only know the man you've worked for the past sixteen years as Kosmo Galanos." "There was a time when he was known as Colonel Jasper Shepard a respected Army Officer, cherished husband and father." "After my mother died, my father began his journey into the dark side, running classified black ops with the CIA." "He became greedy and corrupt and the Pentagon caught on." "It was either going to prison disgracing him name or faking his death and continuing on the path he chose with the CIA, Operation Lodestone."

"He has a photo album that he brought with him from his past life." Cyrus nods and walks over to the desk and opens up a drawer and hands it over to Jenny.

Jenny opens up the album, turning the pages one at a time. "This is Colonel Jasper Shepard." Jenny smiles and takes in the photos of her parents from their wedding day.

Gibbs leans over Jenny from behind as she flips through age page. Gibbs' face softens when Jenny's baby photos appear. "Full set of red hair." Gibbs laughs.

"Just like my mom." Jenny laughs… "Cyrus these are the memories I will have of my father." "This is the man I loved."

Athens, Greece

Athens International Airport

Iris on her cell phone impatiently pacing near her boarding gate. "Kort I need you." She whines.

Nice, France

Hotel Beau Rivage

"Patients!" Kort sighs in annoyance from the hotel lobby.

"I don't understand why I have to go to work today." "Can't it wait until Monday." Iris demands.

"The boss says we work today, he's not like Kosmo where you bat your eyelashes and you get your own way."

"Kort-"

Kort quickly interrupts her. "Enough of the whining." "A car will pick you up at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport after your flight arrives and will take you to Benoit's home." "I'll be waiting for you there."

Iris noting that the boarding gate has open. "They just opened the doors to my boarding gate." "I'll be joining you in another hour sugar." Iris purrs and hangs up.

"You'll be busy working sugar for a change." Kort smirks and hangs up.

Back at Kosmo's villa, Gibbs is going through the items in the safe, in a large canvas carry-all bag; Gibbs opens up the bag and finds a stash of money. "There has to be a million dollars in there." Gibbs says with his mouth dropped.

Jenny approaches him from behind. "Euro's Jethro, remember we're in Europe." Jenny laughs.

"What are we going to do with it?"

"I don't want my dad's blood money." Jenny answers and gets an idea. "Cyrus and Adrianna have been loyal to my dad for well over sixteen years, any money that you find inside of his study give it them."

"It's possible that Iris may move your dad's assets into her name."

Jenny finding her dad's book with his entire password's written down in shorthand, which only Jenny can decipher. "Not for long." Jenny grins and takes a seat at her father's desk. She turns on the computer and immediately a username comes up on screen. "Lucifer and the password, imagreedyoldman." Jenny reads out loud from her father's password list.

Silver Springs, Maryland

McGee's Apartment

0530 Hours PDT

McGee sitting behind his desk tracking Kort and Iris cell phone signals. "Iris is in Nice and she's at the same location as Kort." "From Kort's cell phone call long, Iris sent him a photo at 0430 hours this morning."

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Kosmo Galanos' Villa

1200 Hours EEST

Gibbs out on the balcony looking down at the beach as the tide goes in and out. "Most likely a photo proving that she took out Jenny's father."

"There have been several text messages and phone conversations between them." "Iris at one point was in Athens." McGee notes from one of the GPS trace markers on his computer screen.

"She probably took a flight from Athens to Nice." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Boss I can't monitor this all day long; Tony and I are on Protection Detail with the SecNav today." "His limo will be picking us up at 0800 hours in the parking garage."

"Soon as I get off the phone with you, I'll call DiNozzo with some instructs." "Soon as you and Tony arrive at work try and set up a team meeting down at Abby's Lab."

"What's you and Jenny's next move?" McGee curiously asks.

"We're going over some paper work in his study, and then we're going to set fire to his villa and take a private plane over to Nice this afternoon."

"Oh you're mimicking what you did at Jenny's house." McGee answers.

"We do not want anything that links back to Jasper Shepard." "I'll pour enough gasoline on his body that there will be no viable tissue samples that he can be identified as Jasper Shepard." "He'll be buried as Kosmo Galanos."

McGee glances down at his watch. "Boss I have to get ready for work."

"If any further turns up between Iris and Kort let me know." Gibbs answers.

"I'll have Abby keep tabs on them while Tony and I are out of the building today."

"Jen's changing some of her dad's passwords on some of his accounts." "I would like to be a fly on the wall when Iris finds out that she cannot get in." Gibbs smirks.

Nice, France

Julien Benoit's House

In a joint office that she now shares with Regine. "Damn it!" Iris hisses in frustration.

"What's the matter?" Regine asks from her desk.

"Somebody has changed the passwords to Kosmo's accounts." "I can't get in." Iris sighs in frustration.

"Did he change them recently?" Regine curiously asks and gets up from her desk.

"No, I was logged into them an hour before I bumped off the son of a bitch." Iris mutters.

"Who's back at the house that computer savvy?" Regine inquires.

"The only two people that know their way around a computer are his daughter Jenny and Ray Cruz." "It can't be Jenny since she's missing and presumed dead."

"Cruz?"

"I'll have Kort look into it." Iris nods and gets up from her desk.

Ten Minutes Later

"According to Mortimer and Byron, Cruz is still in Washington and from what I can determine from his cell phone activity he hasn't been in contact with anyone from Kalymnos, so he doesn't know that Shepard is dead."

"Somebody changed the passwords to his personal accounts." Iris angrily shouts.

"Accounting is not my department Iris." Kort bitterly reminds her and picks up his cell phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Benoit!" Kort answers and hits the speed dial button to Julien Benoit's cell phone number.

Palm Springs, California

Julien Benoit's Mansion

Benoit's Bedroom Suite

0345 Hours PDT

Julien Benoit in bed with EJ Barrett. "Take me!" She purrs and pulls Benoit on top of her, just as Benoit is about to enter her, Benoit's Black Berry begins to ring.

"This better be good." Benoit shouts and rolls on to his back and picks up his phone from the nightstand. Spotting Kort's name on the caller ID. "Kort Nice better be burning for a phone call at this hour." He angrily warns him.

"Iris can't get into any of Galanos' personal accounts, somebody has changed the passwords."

"Cruz?"

"No he's still in Washington."

"Somebody on the inside has changed them."

"According to Iris, Cyrus his valet and Adrianna his cook are computer illiterates."

"Some people can act dumb Kort."

"You don't know Cyrus and Adrianna." Kort snorts.

"Looks like you will have to take a flight over to Athens and find out for yourself."

"I wasn't looking forward to that." Kort sighs.

"Tough, I'm paying you to take orders not to question them."

Kort knowing that Iris is in the room with him. "This evening!" He swallows.

"Good, when you arrive in Kalymnos and find out what happened get back with me." Benoit instructs him and hangs up. Benoit throws the covers back and gets out of bed.

"I thought that you wouldn't bring business into the bedroom." EJ whines.

"It's a little hard not to when I get a phone call like that." Benoit snaps and grabs a pair of shorts and puts them on. "I'm sure you have a battery operated device nearby to satisfy your needs." Benoit smirks and walks out of the room.

"Battery operated device is more sexually satisfying anyways." EJ frowns in disappointment.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

0700 Hours

"Last minute Protection Detail request from the SecNav." Vance nods down at Tony and McGee from the catwalk.

"Just as surprised as you are sir." Tony turns in his chair and shrugs up at Vance.

"He didn't say how long that he's going to need the two of you." Vance smoothly answers.

"Depends, these functions do drag on and on." McGee grumbles.

Vance walks over to the stairs and makes his way over to the eyes scanner inside of MTAC. Tony mass texts, Ziva, Abby, Ducky, and Palmer for a campfire down in the backroom in Abby's at 0715 hours. "Wonder if they're going to sever breakfast." Tony grins.

"Remember what happened the last time you tried to eat breakfast on a Protection Detail Tony." Ziva sighs.

"Right, if you hadn't pushed Jenny out of the way, Ryan would have landed on top of her." Tony grimaces and flashes back to moment that Ziva had pushed Jenny out of the way, just as Ryan's body had landed on the ground. Allison raises a questioning eyebrow over at Tony. "Just rehashing memories from the past Probie." Tony answers and gets up from his desk. "I'm heading down to the lounge." Tony answers and walks off from his desk.

Ziva feeling her burn phone ringing inside of her pants pocket takes her phone out with Allison seeing it. Reading Tony's message. "Gibbs and Jenny must have a message for us." Ziva inwardly says to herself. "I'm dying for a cup of tea." Ziva whines and gets up from her desk. "I'll see if I can how you say free load a cup off of Ducky." Ziva laughs and walks off for the elevator.

Allison remembering that she had left something in her car. "Damn I left my badge inside of my car." Allison sighs and walks off for the elevator.

"Now I don't need an excuse to head down to Abby's." McGee snickers and walks off for the elevator. Finding Ziva waiting at the door. "Allison conveniently had to go down to her car." McGee chuckles…. The elevator doors open and Ziva and McGee get inside. McGee waits for the doors to close. "Message from dad!" McGee whispers as the elevator doors close. "They found Jenny's father dead in his bedroom this morning, it appears that Iris Stathos, Kosmo's personal assistant, shot him in between the eyes during the middle of the night."

"One down, six more to go." Ziva sighs with relief. "How did Jenny take it?"

"She didn't view Kosmo Galanos as her father, as far as Jenny's concerned her dad died in 1995." McGee answers the elevator doors open Ziva and McGee step out and walk into Abby's Lab and head straight for the backroom where Tony, Abby, Ducky, and Palmer are waiting for them. Abby walks over to the control panel and quickly locks out the lab.

"Kosmo Galanos was found dead in his bedroom this morning." "Gibbs and Jenny think that his personal assistant Iris Stathos killed him." Tony informs them.

"Bastard!" Ducky icily demeans the late Kosmo Galanos. "I do not like to wish ill things on the recently deceased, but what that man did to his daughter and what he put her through the past three years." Ducky chokes.

"While McGee and I are out of the building today, Gibbs wants you to monitor Kort and Iris' cell phones." Tony instructs Abby.

"I'll keep the backroom locked out, Ziva will keep an eye on the balcony for Tyler, if he should walk over to the elevator, she'll just IM me with a code word." Abby answers.

"Need a Caff-Pow!" Ziva winks.

"So what is Gibbs and Jenny's next move?" Palmer asks.

"Jenny is changing all of Kosmo's personal account passwords so that Iris can't get into them." "Their also going through some paperwork inside of his study, once that's done Gibbs is going to burn down the house and they'll take Galanos' private plane out to Nice late this afternoon." McGee informs them.

"I see Gibbs is copying what him and Mike did at Jenny's House." Abby answers.

"They don't want any tissue samples available that would identify the body as Jasper Shepard." Tony nods.

"Why would they do that?" Palmer sheepishly asks.

"Because Kosmo Galanos in Jenny's eyes is not her father." "In Jenny's eyes, her father died of a suicide in his home sixteen years ago." Ducky answers.

"So when they get to Nice what will be the plan?" Abby asks.

"They don't have one, going with the flow I guess." Tony shrugs and glances down at his watch. "We should head on back to our desks."

"I don't have to go up right away; I told Allison that I was heading down to Ducky's for a cup of tea." Ziva softly answers.

"I'll come back from the direction of the bathroom." McGee answers.

"And I'll pretend that I'm having a conversation with one of my babes on the way back from the lounge." Tony grins.

"You usually do." Ziva teases him.

"I was on a date last night with Sunny." Tony protests.

"And left you when she smelled the essence of DiNozzo." Ziva giggles.

Tony glaring at Ziva just before he walks over to the door. "Very funny David."

"I thought it was." Abby snickers and walks over to the control panel and unlocks the door.

0755 Hours

Tony and McGee make their way out into the parking garage; they find the SecNav's limo waiting for them. "I hope this doesn't take all day." McGee grumbles and walks over to the car with Tony.

Tony opens the car door and finds Fornell sitting in the backseat. "Fornell!" He says with surprise.

"Get in!" Fornell orders them.

Tony and McGee get inside the limo and close the door behind them. "What's going on?"

"As you know Agent DiNozzo I occasionally liaison between the FBI and the CIA."

"Homeland Security also." McGee nods.

"So are you FBI or CIA at the moment?" Tony sarcastically asks him.

The window separating the front of the limo rolls down. "CIA!" Cruz smirks from the driver's seat.

"Cruz what's going on?" Tony angrily shouts over at him.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

MTAC

SecNav's voice is heard through Fornell's cell phone speakerphone. "You will be taking orders from Special Agent Fornell, am I making myself clear Special Agents DiNozzo and McGee." SecNav orders him from the front row with Director Petraeus sitting beside him.

"SecNav!" Tony says with surprise.

"I'm at CIA Headquarters sitting beside Director Petraeus in MTAC, by the orders of myself and Director Petraeus you and Agent McGee will cooperate fully with Agents Fornell and Cruz on all aspects of Operation Lodestone and the where a bouts of Special Agent Gibbs and CIA Operative Harriet Jones or shall we put it mildly former NCIS Director Jenny Shepard."

Tony sinks down in his seat and swallows hard. "What gave us away?" Tony asks and narrows his eyes over at Cruz.

"I got the GPS trace on Jenny's rental car, it was parked a block away from the Georgetown Ritz Carlton the night of Ziva's shooting." "And I also have Ducky's cell phone call log records." "Harriett Jones called Ducky on his cell phone at 0100 Hours on August 21st."

"How badly was Shepard wounded?" SecNav asks.

"She took a round to her right side, Ducky patched her up." Tony answers.

"So she's recovered?"

"Good as new." Tony smiles.

Ray starts the limo up and pulls away. "I'm heading out of the parking garage now sir." Cruz shouts over his shoulder.

"Good we'll continue this conversation at CIA headquarters." Petraeus smoothly says to him and cuts off the MTAC feed to Fornell's phone.

Fornell hangs up his cell phone. "We won't discuss anything further until we get to CIA Headquarters." Fornell nods over at Tony.

"How much trouble are we in?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"Depends on how much you cooperate with us." Fornell advises him.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Kosmo Galanos' Villa

1500 Hours

Gibbs with the items that they need from Shepard's study packed into a brown cardboard packing box, puts the box on the floor near the front door. "Jen!" He calls out to her.

"Upstairs!" Jenny shouts down.

Gibbs walks up the stairs. "Where the hell are you?" Gibbs barks.

"Inside Harriett's room down at the end of the hallway."

Gibbs reaches the top of the stairs and makes his way into the bedroom. "I guess the only good thing about sleeping in this room is the view of the Aegean Sea." Gibbs smiles and approaches Jenny from behind.

"There is nothing good about this bedroom." Jenny icily answers and pulls away from her lover. "It was a constant bitter reminder that I was my father's prisoner." "The only time I felt good the past two years is when I would go to my apartment in Paris." "That and being down in Mexico were the only time I felt free and I could be myself."

"Your free now Jen." "Your father is dead and we now have your gun." Gibbs smiles and pulls Jenny into his arms.

"Did you break it into several pieces yet?" Jenny smirks.

"Yep and I borrowed one of your dad's boats on the pier and went five miles off shore and tossed it out into the water." Gibbs grins… "Without your gun, Trent Kort will go down as the Frog's killer not you."

Jenny glances down at her watch. "Cyrus and Adrianna should have called us by now." Jenny sighs.

"I want them as far away from the house when I set it on fire." "Once you go downstairs I'll douse your father's room with gasoline and then I'll start a trail of gasoline down the stairs over towards the study and out into the kitchen.

"While you're upstairs I'll go light the burners on top of the stove."

"Three more take outs in Nice, then our next move will be Cruz, Davenport, Barrett, Benoit, and Vance."

"You mean Owens." Jenny sarcastically corrects him and walks out of the room.

Ten minutes later, Cyrus calls Jenny up on Galanos' land line phone inside the living room. "That's far enough away and it should keep the two of you out of trouble." Jenny softly answers. Cyrus is about to argue with her over the money she gave him and Adrianna. "Cyrus call that early retirement money." "You and Adrianna busted your asses over the years." "I do not want anything from him." Jenny answers and waits for Cyrus to respond back. "I will, take care of yourself and good bye." Jenny answers and hangs up. Gibbs after packing up the car with their belongings and the cardboard box containing the files to Kosmo Galanos' business assets. "Cyrus called, their at the other end of the island."

"Wait for me in the car, soon as I light this thing, I'm going to run like hell and I want you to floor it." Gibbs instructs her.

"On it boss!" She sweetly says to him and walks out the front door.

"Smart ass!" Gibbs growls and lights a rag and tosses it on the rug near the bottom of the stairs. Gibbs runs for the front door over the stone walk way and dives inside of car. "Thank god it's a convertible!"

Jenny floors the gas. "It should take us five minutes to get to the airport." Jenny shouts back.

Gibbs trying to get into his seat. "For crying out loud." Gibbs snarls.

"You said floor it." Jenny smirks.

Gibbs before he can answer her, the house explodes in fire ball. "Lucky for us we were at the end of the street when that thing went up." Gibbs sighs with relief.

Kalymnos National Airport

Gibbs and Jenny board Kosmo Galanos private jet. "Jenny!" Christian, Galanos pilot cheerfully calls out to her.

"We all set for our flight to Nice." Jenny softly asks him.

"We'll be taking off with in the next half an hour." Christian nods and walks over towards the cockpit.

"Damn this thing is just as big as Air Force One." Gibbs says in awe.

"I keep forgetting that you were on Air Force One." Jenny mutters and puts down the two carry-on bags that she got stuck carrying into the plane.

Gibbs puts the box down under a table, and then removes his backpack from his shoulders. Noting the private door in the back of the plane. "What's back there?"

Jenny dropping her backpack on to the floor suddenly gets an idea. "I have to get even with him from the other morning still and for being a pain in the ass on the train to Genoa about our sleeping arrangements." Jenny mentally smirks. "Once we get up into the air, I'll show you." She purrs.

Forty minutes later, with the plane in the air heading towards Nice, Jenny leads Gibbs towards the back of the plane; she opens up the door and pulls Gibbs inside. Gibbs glancing around the room, he spots a desk along the window. "The President's desk was bigger." Gibbs laughs.

Jenny closes the door behind her and focuses her attention towards the full sized bed in the middle of the room. "I could give a rat's ass about Kosmo's desk." Jenny sensuously says to him.

Gibbs with his back facing towards the bed. "I wasn't talking about Kosmo's desk."

Jenny leading Gibbs backwards. "Either way I don't care." She smirks….Just as they get near the edge of the bed; Jenny shoves him down on to the bed.

"We had sex in a plane from Serbia to Naples that time." Gibbs grins.

Jenny pulling her blouse from her waist line. "But this time it won't be on top of a sink inside of a bathroom and you will be on the receiving end of it."

Gibbs helplessly watches as Jenny begins to undress herself in front of him. "Oh no!" He cringes.

"Oh yes and you better start undressing or I'll undress you myself."

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

0930 Hours EDT

Tony and McGee are sitting alone in a private conference room. "We've been sitting in here for well over an hour." Tony whines in protest.

"It's like we're the bad kids having a time out." McGee mumbles.

With that, Fornell, Cruz, the SecNav, and Director Petraeus walk into the room and take their places at the conference table. "Gentlemen, start from the beginning." Petraeus nods over at them.

"My family beginning." Tony grins.

"DiNozzo!" Fornell warns him.

"Right that beginning!" Tony sighs and then glances over at Fornell. "Parking garage or when Gibbs found out about Jenny being alive."

"Mojave Desert first, then the events from August 21st leading to now." SecNav orders.

"Mojave Desert!" Tony swallows and recalls the events from May 13th 2008 that led up to finding Jenny on the floor drenched in her own blood.

Back on the plane.

Jenny is on top of Gibbs aggressively making love to him. "Damn it!" Gibbs whines are she leans her hip against him.

Jenny smirking down at her lover as his defenses is beginning to weaken. "Just the way I like you, whipped." Jenny inwardly laughs and leans over him running her tongue along his lower lip.

"Oh god!" Gibbs cries out as he bucks underneath of her.

"Quit fighting it." Jenny purrs, flicking her tongue inside of his mouth.

Gibbs thrashing underneath of Jenny. "That's cheating!" He growls as his body gives into her in a fiery release. Jenny goes down on top of him, satisfied with herself, she begins to nip along his neck. "Could you give me a minute?" Gibbs asks between breaths.

"While you're recovering, there's always foreplay." Jenny seductively says to him and begins to master his chest with her mouth and tongue.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

Ziva anxiously takes out her burn phone without Allison seeing her and flips it open to see if Gibbs or Jenny had sent her a text message. Ziva jumps out of her chair when her desk phone begins to ring. Composing herself, she leans over and grabs the receiver. "David!" She answers.

Abby's Lab

"Put ZNN on!" Abby instructs her from the back room of her lab, Ducky and Palmer rush into the room and watch the footage of Kosmo Galanos' Villa burning on the TV screen.

Ziva turns in her chair, grabs the remote for her TV and turns on the TV. "Is that what I think it is?" Ziva asks.

"The news report has it that an unknown villa in the Greek Island of Kalymnos is burning out of control." Abby grins.

Allison approaches Ziva's desk. "Where's Kalymnos?" Allison curiously asks.

"It's an island outside of Greece." Ziva answers.

"Anybody you know?" Allison shrugs.

"Got me!" Ziva lies.

Vance approaches Ziva from behind. "What a wasted view." Vance snorts as her watches the news footage.

"You interested in buying a home in the Greek Islands." Ziva baits him.

"If I had the money, I would buy an island." Vance smirks and walks off for the stairs.

Abby overhearing Vance through Ziva's phone. "You can with the bribe money you got from Julien Benoit." Abby bitterly snaps.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

"So Gibbs and Jenny sneaked on board a Marine cargo plane headed for Germany." Fornell prompts.

"They hid inside of a crate that a friend of Gibbs was using to store baby furniture in." "The plane landed at Spangdahlem Air Base on September 8th." "From there Gibbs and Jenny hopped on board a freight train headed for Paris."

Cruz's cell phone begins to ring, he takes it out of his pocket and spots Kort's name on the caller ID. "It's Kort!"

"Answer it and put it on speakerphone so that we can listen in.'

"DiNozzo bite your tongue." Fornell orders him, knowing of Tony's dislike for the crafty CIA Agent.

Cruz flips over his phone and pushes in the speakerphone button. "Cruz!" He answers.

Nice, France

Julien Benoit's House

Kort standing inside of Benoit's office watching the TV footage of Galanos' Villa on fire. "Are you responsible for this?"

"For what?" Cruz shrugs.

"You don't have ZNN on!"

Petraeus grabs the TV remote on top of the table and turns on the TV. Mouthing to Cruz. "What is going on?"

"How can I be responsible for setting the old man's place on fire while I'm Washington?" "Maybe your whore set the house on fire, you know she's been aching to kill off Shepard for years so that the two of you could be together." Cruz baits him.

Tony narrows his eyes over at Cruz. "Are they?" Tony mouths over at Cruz who winks over at him.

"If you weren't in Washington I would be tracking you down and personally putting a bullet into your head." "You and Jenny have been thorns in my side for much too long." Kort warns him.

"Well it appears that my boss may be dead, so I do not see any reason why I have to head on over to Europe anytime soon."

"May I remind you that La Grenouille was dead and by the next day I replaced him?" Kort smirks.

"So you are replacing Shepard." Cruz nods.

"As of this moment I'm head of Operation Lodestone and you will be taking orders from me." "I want you on a flight to Nice at some point today." Kort orders him.

"Go along with him." Petraeus whispers.

"I'll check into the next available flight from Dulles to Nice."

"Good I expect to see you no later than tomorrow morning." Kort snorts and turns off the TV.

"I'll see you when I get to Nice." Cruz answers and pushes in the end button to his cell phone.

"I assume that's Jasper Shepard's Villa?" Petraeus inquires.

"Kosmo Galanos!" Tony corrects him.

"Gibbs responsible for that." SecNav asks.

"Yeah, Gibbs and Jenny arrived in Kalymnos this morning." "Galanos was found dead in his bedroom; it appears that Iris Stathos his personal assistant bumped him off during the night." Tony answers.

"From what I could make out on Kort's cell phone call log there were several phone calls and text messages going back and forth between one another." "Iris sent Kort a photo at 0432 Hours this morning." McGee nods over at Petraeus.

"Cruz see if-"

Cruz quickly interrupts Petraeus. "Wong can get the photo that Iris sent Kort." Cruz nods and gets up from the table and leaves the room.

"The reason why Gibbs burned down Galanos' Villa?" Fornell asks.

"Jenny despised the man her father become." "To Jenny, her father was a respected Army Colonel and a loving husband and father." "She worshiped the ground that her father walked in." "He was her hero." "Kosmo Galanos sickened her; Jenny had to play the loving loyal daughter for up to a year." "Her ass kissing skills worked and dad let Jenny have her freedom." "She leased an apartment over in Paris and would go there on the free time that her father gave her." "She had to be report back by a specific date."

Tony sadly answers.

"Or the American authorities would have been given her Glock." Fornell shrugs.

"Namely you Toby!" Tony smirks.

"Getting back to burning down Galanos' Villa." Petraeus nods.

"A DNA match would come back as Jasper Shepard." "As far as Jenny was concerned, her dad died from a gunshot wound to the head in 1995." McGee answers.

"Are Gibbs and Jenny still in Kalymnos?" SecNav asks.

"On their way to Nice via Kosmo's private plane." Tony grins.

"Get him on the phone." SecNav orders.

Up in the air inside Kosmo Galanos' private plane, Gibbs and Jenny are aggressively making love to one another. They fight over position on the bed as they each battle out on who's going to give into one another. "Harder!" Jenny screams out from underneath her lover, her hips frantically move in rhythm as Gibbs thrusts harder and faster against her.

Gibbs to stifle out an oncoming cry finds Jenny's mouth; the feel of her muscles fighting up his shaft is more than he can bear. Breaking away from his kiss. "Oh yes!" He moans out and rolls on to his back bringing Jenny on top of him, lost in the darkness of his lover's intense green eyes, Gibbs gives into his passion and plunges over the edge, Jenny at the same time achieves her orgasm and drops on top of his chest exhausted. "I need a nap after that." Gibbs pants.

Jenny with her face pressed up against his chest. "We can't!" She mumbles.

"I know we're going to land in another half an hour." Gibbs sighs and pulls Jenny's face up. "The sight of you soaked with sweat in my arms." Gibbs smiles and is about to kiss her when his burn phone begins to ring. "DiNozzo!" Gibbs angrily growls and gets out of bed and retrieves his phone from the inside of his pants pocket. "DiNozzo this better be good!" He snarls.

Tony with his burn phone on speakerphone. "Boss somebody of higher authority ordered me to call you." Tony sheepishly answers and glances over toward the direction of the SecNav who's sitting across the table from him.

"Is my dad whining to you again?" Gibbs grumbles.

"No!"

"Then who spit it out." Gibbs barks.

"Try the Secretary of the Navy Special Agent Gibbs." SecNav angrily snaps at him.

Gibbs face goes to ashen, Jenny sits up in bed. "What's the wrong?" She asks?"

"SecNav!" Gibbs says above a whisper.

"Agent Cruz brought to Director Petraeus' attention about Operation Lodestone." "Who got in contact with me last night?" "We're aware of former Director Shepard's involvement with it and that she had met Special Agent David in the parking garage at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Georgetown on August 21st at midnight, under her CIA alias Harriet Jones." "Both Agents David and Jones took on gunfire and got wounded; Jones wounded fled the scene and called Doctor Mallard at 0100 hours by his cell phone call log records." "Ms. Scuito must have gotten a DNA match at NCIS Headquarters and that's how you found out about Jenny being alive and her status as a CIA Operative." "Director Petraeus wants to know if Jenny is in the room with you."

"Yes she is?" Gibbs answers and approaches the bed.

"Put your cell phone on speakerphone." SecNav instructs him.

Gibbs presses in the speakerphone button. "Go head!"

"Code Name Phoenix this is your Director speaking to you." Petraeus' voice comes through Gibbs phone.

Jenny looking over at Gibbs before answering. "Director Petraeus!" She swallows.

"Under the circumstances I should be addressing you as Director Shepard." Petraeus apologizes.

"You know about Vance and Davenport's dirty dealings." Jenny asks.

"Yes we are and we'll deal with them later on." Petraeus answers… "We're heading over to MTAC, is there a computer nearby, by any chance?" Petraeus curiously asks.

Jenny glances over at her father's desk and spots a laptop. "Yes there's a laptop on board." Jenny answers.

"Ten minutes!" Petraeus nods and gets up from his chair and walks out the door.

"Agent Gibbs as of this moment you will be taking orders from Agent Fornell." SecNav instructs him.

"What?" Gibbs snaps in disbelief.

"Hi Jethro!" Fornell smirks… and remembers Gibbs and Jenny from back in the day. "Do you think that you and Jenny can get dressed with in ten minutes?"

"Very funny Fornell!" Jenny hisses and gets out of bed.

"Seems like he knows about your past exploits as Agents Gibbs and Shepard boss." Tony laughs.

"McGee are you sitting next to DiNozzo?"

"Why yes I am boss." McGee grins.

"Do me a favor!" Gibbs grumbles.

"Not a problem!" McGee laughs and head slaps Tony on the back on the head.

"Hey!" Tony whines in protest and rubs the back of his head.

"Come on gentlemen we have an MTAC feed we need to go to." SecNav chuckles.

Ten minutes later inside of MTAC, Gibbs and Jenny appear on screen from inside of Kosmo Galanos private plane. Tony noting Jenny's disheveled appearance. "You were right Toby." Tony snickers.

"What are your plans once you land in Nice?" Petraeus curiously asks.

"Tracking down Trent Kort, Iris Stathos, and lastly Julien Benoit." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Boss, I forgot to tell you, Benoit is in Palm Springs." McGee nods.

"Do not track Kort down without back up." Petraeus orders them.

"When is back up going to arrive?" Gibbs angrily snaps.

"Agent Gibbs!" SecNav chastises him for talking disrespectfully to Director Petraeus.

Gibbs sucks in his teeth, now that he has to take orders from his superiors above him. "When is back going to arrive sir." Gibbs asks.

"We're sending Agents Cruz and DiNozzo to Nice." Petraeus smoothly answers.

"Really!" Tony says with surprise.

"I have my assistant booking flights for both you and Cruz as we speak." Petraeus nods over at Tony.

"I was hoping to wrap this up tonight." Gibbs impatiently sighs.

Lillian, Petraeus' assistant who's sitting over at a computer workstation turns and faces her boss. "Sir I got a twelve-thirty flight from Dulles to Nice Côte d'Azur Airport."

"We won't make it through customs in time." Tony frowns and gets up from his seat.

Petraeus' Blackberry goes off for an incoming photo from Darren Wong. He hits accept and a photo of a lifeless Jasper Shepard appears. Petraeus hands the SecNav his phone. "Stathos took out Shepard and sent this photo to Kort to verify it." Petraeus whispers so that Gibbs and Jenny can't hear him.

Cruz rushes inside of MTAC and spots Jenny up on the plasma screen. "You look good for somebody who took a bullet about a month ago." Cruz warmly says to her.

"I'm finally regaining some of my stamina." Jenny smirks and affectionately elbows Gibbs in the ribs.

"Cruz we have you and DiNozzo booked on a flight to Nice at 1230 Hours." "The two of you should leave." Petraeus advises him.

Tony glancing up at the plasma screen. "Our plane should land between 0230 Hours and 0300 Hours Nice time."

"Gibbs and Jones!"

"Shepard!" Jenny corrects Petraeus.

"Gibbs and Shepard!" Petraeus laughs and shakes his head. "I want you to meet Cruz and DiNozzo in the airport. "I'll text their flight number."

Gibbs hearing an announcement that their plane is about to land. "Our plane is about to land."

"The two of you better get buckled up." Fornell chuckles.

"Anything else boss." Gibbs smirks down at Fornell.

"You'll find out soon enough." Fornell cryptically answers.

"I bet!" Gibbs growls… "Gibbs and Shepard out."

The plasma screen darkens. "Cruz and DiNozzo you better make a move on it." Petraeus nods at them.

"We'll call you the minute our plane lands." Cruz says over his shoulder as him and Tony make their way up the stairs and out the door.

"Who would have thought of a joint NCIS, CIA, and FBI venture?" McGee says with surprise.

"McGee do you have copies on file of your current investigation." Fornell asks.

"Yes their safely hidden back in my apartment in Silver Springs and I also copied the files in the hard drive to Jenny's satellite laptop."

"Go back to your apartment and get them, and while you're at it, tell your co-conspirators about what's going on and that they will be taking orders from Agent Fornell from here on out." SecNav orders him.

"Yes sir!" McGee nods and gets up from his seat and walks out of the room.

"Gibbs should have come to me about a month ago." SecNav sighs.

"Jethro doesn't trust very easily." "Look what happened to Jenny under the last SecNav's tenure." Fornell bitterly swallows.

Nice, France

1745 CEST Hours

Gibbs and Jenny get into a taxi outside of the airport. "I can't believe we have to wait until DiNozzo and Cruz get here." Gibbs snarls.

"Where to Madame?" The driver asks.

"Park Inn." Jenny answers.

"We're staying at a hotel." Gibbs barks.

"I'm in desperate need of a shower." Jenny hisses.

"Yeah after that-" Gibbs grimaces in pain at the feel of Jenny's heel on his shin.

Park Inn by Radisson Nice Airport

Gibbs and Jenny's Suite

Fifteen minutes later, Gibbs reclining with his back up against Jenny's chest inside their large bathtub. Jenny soaps up his chest with a sponge. "That feels good!" He sighs in heaven at the feel of Jenny's gentle hands on him.

"After this I'm going to sleep." "I haven't slept good since I left my bed in Paris."

"Nobody told you to book a-"

"Don't go there Jethro, I told you the private sleeping cabins were booked up." Jenny hisses in annoyance.

Gibbs turns and faces Jenny inside of the tub. "A night of sexual frustration." Gibbs playfully growls and pulls Jenny up against his body.

Jenny feeling his erection up against her thigh. "Usually men your age have to take Viagra." Jenny laughs.

"Mine is the real deal." Gibbs smirks and kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Jenny wraps her legs around his waist and cries out as he enters her, Gibbs finding her mouth again, passionately kisses her. Jenny deepens his kiss, their bodies merged as one. Slowly Gibbs begins to move his body against her. Breaking away from his kiss. "Jethro!" She moans out.

For five minutes Gibbs slowly tortures Jenny with his body, her nails dig into his back as he begins to increase his strokes. "Paybacks from this afternoon." Gibbs smirks as he watches Jenny losing herself in their love making.

"Jethro!" She begs him. With Jenny's back facing towards the direction of the shower head nozzle attachment, Gibbs turns it on and puts in between her legs. "You bastard!" She screams out with pleasure.

"And while you're cursing me out you're enjoying every minute of it." Gibbs laughs and continues to watch his lover fall apart in front of him, just when he's at his peak of his passion, Gibbs turns off the shower nozzle, his body thrusts up against his lover one final time. Jenny exhausted buries her head up against Gibbs' shoulder. "You should sleep good after that." Gibbs smirks.

"I was going to sleep good before you attacked me with the shower nozzle." Jenny pants.

Dulles International Airport

1215 Hours EDT

Tony and Cruz run through customs and flash their badges at the customs inspectors who give them immediate clearance to proceed. "That's a first!" Tony laughs.

Unknown to Tony and Cruz they were followed by Benoit's men Mortimer and Byron. Byron glancing down at a photo of Tony and Cruz, he sends it to Kort. "Recognize him!" Byron texts Kort.

Nice, France

Julien Benoit's House

1815 Hours CEST

"Well, well, it looks like Ray has involved my good friend Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo." Kort laughs from inside of Benoit's Office. He dials Byron's number. "It seems that Ray has recruited Agent DiNozzo from NCIS."

"Are you going to inform Benoit about it?" Byron curiously asks.

"Soon as I get off of the phone with you." Kort lies wanting to deal with Cruz and Tony himself. "I don't care what you do; the two of you better find a way of getting on that plane." Kort instructs them.

"Don't worry we'll find a way." Byron smirks and hangs up.

Iris standing behind Kort. "Problem sugar?"

"Nothing that I can't take care of myself." Kort grins and pulls Iris on top of his lap.

On board the plane, Tony and Ray are sitting next to one another. "I still can't stand you." Tony grins over at Ray.

"Feeling is mutual DiNozzo." Ray grins back. "I'm only doing this for Ziva and Jenny."

"I don't trust the CIA." "I have my reasons." Tony nods.

"I know all about it." "Shepard had ordered Kort to put a bomb in your Mustang, it was suppose to be a duel hit."

"I though Jeanne was the target." Tony says with surprise.

"Jeanne was to get La Grenouille back on track if the hit was successful." "Killing you would have gotten Jenny to back off of La Grenouille."

"I don't care what Gibbs says, Kort is mine when we get to Nice." Tony angrily vows and flashes back to the memory of the moment his Mustang blew up behind La Grenouille's limo. The look of horror on Jeanne's face as Benoit ordered his driver to quickly drive away from the scene.

Silver Springs, Maryland

McGee's Apartment

"We're now under Fornell's orders, Ray ratted us out." McGee sighs.

Abby's Lab

Ziva, Abby, and Ducky are eating lunch together in the back room talking to McGee via from the speakerphone on Abby's burn phone. "Do Gibbs and Jenny know about it?" Ziva curiously asks.

"Oh yeah, Gibbs wasn't too happy that he has to take orders from Fornell now." McGee laughs.

"Are they going to tell Director Vance?" Abby frowns with worry.

"No because the SecNav, Director Petraeus, and Fornell all know that Vance is dirty, along with former SecNav Davenport and EJ Barrett." McGee answers.

"Where is Tony?" Ziva asks.

"On his way to Nice with Ray." McGee grumbles.

"That should be an interesting flight." Ziva giggles.

"So what are Tony and Ray going to do once they arrive in Nice?" Ducky inquires.

"Team up with Gibbs and Jenny." "Gibbs was pissed off because he wanted to take on Kort and Iris this afternoon."

"They need some rest and back up before Kort and Iris can be taken on." Ducky mutters.

"From what we could make out from a video feed from Galanos' private plane, they both look like they were engaged in something before Tony called Gibbs." McGee laughs.

"Details!" Abby snickers.

"Later, I have to head back to CIA Headquarters." McGee answers and hangs up.

"Phooey!" Abby pouts and folds up her arms.

Nice, France

Park Inn by Radisson Nice Airport

Gibbs and Jenny's Suite

1900 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are sleeping soundly in bed together, Gibbs securely holding on to his lover as she has her face pressed up against his left shoulder. The phase two of their plan begins early tomorrow morning.


	36. Tweetle Dee And Tweetle Dumb

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

1400 Hours EDT

McGee is working side by side with Darren Wong over in the cyber division. "I headed my own team for four months." McGee says as their reviewing the flash drives that McGee had brought over from his apartment.

"You gave up being a Team Leader." Wong says with surprise.

"I'm a field agent." McGee smiles with pride. "I was bored out of my mind sitting behind a desk all day long." "I would visit Gibbs a few times a week and he would be pulling out his hair with the agents they assigned to his team, I was surprised with Brett Langer since Gibbs had trained him years before and he had transferred over to the FBI."

"Why would anyone want to transfer back to the lowest Federal Arms Agency?" Wong laughs.

"You know I really get tired of the other agencies mocking NCIS." McGee snaps.

"Gibbs and DiNozzo would never have made it as FBI, CIA, DEA, or as a Secret Service Agent." "They may have gotten by as US Marshalls or working for the ATF."

"And where would have I been qualified as an agent?" McGee asks in a snippy tone of voice.

"NSA or FBI!" Wong smiles.

"Really!" McGee answers, taken back at Wong's response.

"Agent David would have fit in nicely with the CIA."

"What about former Director Shepard?"

"With her MTAC intelligence, NSA definitely, but where she excels is undercover work and from what I can make out from the back up copy from the hard drive from her satellite laptop, FBI or CIA, she really wasted her skills over at NCIS as an agent." Wong sighs.

"Keep in mind Gibbs trained her." McGee smirks.

Director Petraeus walks into the room. "How are you making out?" Petraeus asks and glances behind Wong's shoulder.

"Seems like Galanos wanted to be king of the world." Wong grumbles as he continues to go over the files from Jenny's satellite laptop.

"With Kort bumping him off, it seems that he wants to take his place." Petraeus snorts.

McGee having Benoit's IP number in Nice is hacking through Benoit's home computer. "No it seems that Julien Benoit wants to be king of the world." "According to his day planner, Benoit is having a party at his home in Palm Springs." "He's invited some of the exclusive drug cartels and weapons dealers from Central America."

"When is the party?" Petraeus asks.

"Tomorrow night!"

Fornell walks in with several coffees. "Come up with anything?" He asks and puts the coffees down on top of an empty desk.

"Yes big party at Benoit's house tomorrow night." Wong answers.

"How big?" Fornell asks.

"Drug lord's and weapon's dealers from Central America." McGee answers.

Fornell rolls his eyes and glances over at Director Petraeus. "You know this will now involve other members of the alphabet." Fornell grumbles.

"CIA is the lead agency in this, we'll get the credit." Petraeus nods.

"What about NCIS, since one of our agents was shot at by Julien Benoit's orders?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"Harriett Jones was also shot at and is a CIA Operative." "In Columbia it was Harriett Jones who saw former NCIS Special Agent Erica Jane Barrett handing over a classified file to Julien Benoit with an NCIS logo on the outside of the file." "Within an hour, Benoit used that information to purchase weapons from Bernardo Suárez." Petraeus reminds McGee.

"What difference in who gets the credit?" "Bad guys are going down one way or the other." Fornell answers and takes a seat behind a desk.

"I'm surprised at you Fornell." McGee laughs.

"I have my alternatives McGee." Fornell smirks.

Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, Tony is munching on a sandwich. "I'm starving!" Tony says between bites of his sandwich.

Cruz's cell phone begins to ring. He glances down at the caller ID. "Kort is persistent!" Cruz chuckles and flips his phone open. "Cruz!"

Nice, France

Julien Benoit's Mansion

2100 Hours CEST

"You ass better be on a plane to Nice." Kort snarls from Benoit's living room couch.

"I'm somewhere over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean Kort." Cruz sighs in protest.

"When does your flight arrive?"

"I'd say between 0230 Hours and 0300 Hours." Cruz smoothly answers.

"I'll pick you up at the airport." "Text me your flight information."

"I thought that I would check into a hotel and unwind for a few hours."

"That can wait business first." Kort snorts and glances down at his watch.

"I take our new boss isn't very patient." Cruz shrugs.

"None, he doesn't believe unwinding in a hotel after a long flight." Kort answers and notices that several of Benoit's men have entered the room.

"I might as well get some shut eye on the flight over to Nice." Cruz answers.

"You'll have plenty of rest soon enough Ray." Kort smirks and hangs up. "Is the job done?" Kort nods over at Andrew.

"Taken care of." Andrew grins and walks over to Kort and hands him a cell phone number.

"Monsieur Benoit has requested that he needs more security for his dinner party tomorrow in Palm Springs." Richard announces to Kort and Andrew.

"We'll see if we can get a late flight out to the states." Andrew nods and walks out of the room with Richard and the others.

Iris walks in. "I still can't get into Galanos' accounts." Iris mutters in frustration and flops down on the couch beside Kort.

"Most likely the CIA got into his accounts and has them locked out." Kort answers.

"Absolutely not!" Iris defiantly answers and tosses her heels off to the side. "Shepard had his passwords written down in a special notebook."

"Which somebody found?" Kort snaps.

"He had a unique shorthand style that only Shepard could read." "I couldn't decipher it."

"Maybe if you were better in the bedroom, the old man would-"

Iris's hand goes across Kort's jaw before he can finish. "Don't go there Kort." Iris screeches at him and gets up from the couch.

"The last time a woman landed a hand on me, she was properly disposed of in a zoo." "The tigers and lions enjoyed the delicacy of human remains." Kort grins and gets up from the couch.

"Is that a threat?"

"I don't make threats Iris, I make promises." Kort laughs and walks out of the room.

"I'll give this new life a month." "If I don't like it, the same outcome that came of Shepard can happen to you as well Trent." Iris wickedly purrs.

Later that evening back in Langley, McGee, Wong, and several CIA cyber specialists are working with McGee and Wong. "I can't believe that Gibbs got away with this as long as he did." Wong chuckles.

"When the silver haired fox has a plan in action it's hard for anybody to catch on." McGee grins.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Fornell steps out of the elevator, up on the balcony Vance is talking to his assistant Tom Watters. "Special Agent Fornell is there something I could help you with?" Vance shouts down.

"Nothing that I can think of Director Vance, I'm here to see Doctor Mallard." Fornell nods up at him and walks off down the aisle past Gibbs' section, he gives Ziva the version of the Fornell stare as he heads over to the elevator.

"Agents DiNozzo and McGee have been gone all day." Allison sighs with surprise.

"SecNav might have them working late tonight." Ziva shrugs.

Allison begins to pack up her desk. "It's been nice working with you guys." "Director Vance has reassigned me to Norfolk." Allison frowns.

"Norfolk isn't so bad." Ziva smiles.

Abby's Lab

Ten Minutes Later

Ziva walks in. "I never thought that she would leave." Ziva grumbles and walks into the backroom where Abby, Ducky, and Fornell are waiting for her.

"Soon as Vance goes home for the day, McGee and Agent Wong will be up in his office going over Vance's Office computer." Fornell informs them.

"Any word from Gibbs and Jenny?" Ducky asks.

"They're checked into a hotel in Nice." Fornell nods.

"I guess their catching up on old times." Abby winks.

"Abigail really!" Ducky mutters.

"From what I could see from the MTAC feed at CIA Headquarters they already caught up on old times inside Galanos airplane." Fornell laughs.

Nice, France

Park Inn by Radisson Nice Airport

0130 Hours CEST

Gibbs dressed in his white t-shirt and jeans sits on the edge of the bed. Jenny peacefully is sleeping on her stomach. "Hopefully by Monday this will be over with." Gibbs whispers and crawls over to Jenny on the bed, he begins to rein kisses on her lower back.

"Jethro!" Jenny mumbles in her sleep.

Gibbs works his mouth up her back, over her right shoulder, and over to Jenny's right ear. "Time to get up." He tenderly says and begins to nibble on the back of her ear.

"Five more minutes." She moans in protest.

"Ordinarily I would let you sleep in for ten more minutes but we have to meet DiNozzo and Cruz at the airport." Gibbs chuckles and gets his weight off of her from behind. Jenny rolls over and rubs the sleep out of her eyes. "If it wasn't for the op, I would be taking full advantage of you right now." Gibbs laughs and leans over and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth. Jenny wraps her arms around his neck and deepens his kiss; Gibbs breathlessly pulls away before they get carried away. "I'll go pour you some coffee while you get dressed." Gibbs smiles and gets off of the bed.

Jenny reluctantly gets out of bed and walks over to the carry-on bag and finds a pair of undergarments, jeans, and a black blouse." "If we're doing this at night time, the darker the clothing the better I'll be concealed." Jenny answers and begins to dress.

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport

0245 Hours CEST

Tony and Ray walk out of their boarding gate. Gibbs and Jenny are off in the distance. "My gut is telling me to hold back for a minute." Gibbs whispers in Jenny's ear.

Byron and Mortimer are the last ones off of the plane. Spotting Tony and Ray in the center of the room. "They're here to meet somebody." Mortimer says.

"Approach them cautiously." Byron advises and they slowly approach Tony and Ray from behind.

"You got to be kidding me." Jenny laughs.

"And they work for Julien Benoit." Gibbs chuckles.

"I better alert Tony." Jenny laughs and picks up her burn phone and texts Tony.

Tony and Ray take a seat at a nearby lounge. Tony feeling his burn phone vibrating in his pocket takes out his phone from his pocket, on the caller ID Rose appears, signally Jenny's alias. He flips open his phone and presses in accept for the text. "Tweetle Dee and Tweetle Dum!" Tony reads.

"Meaning!" Cruz shrugs.

Tony glances over his shoulder and spots Byron and Mortimer pretending to look at a painting. "We're being followed." Tony whispers…. "I better check in with mom and let her know that my plane landed." Tony loudly says so that Byron and Mortimer can hear him. Tony presses in the speed dial button for Gibbs' burn phone. "My plane has landed." Tony grins.

Gibbs and Jenny standing off in the distance. "Lead them to the men's room." Gibbs instructs them.

"Remember mom can't go in there." Tony snickers.

"It's nothing that she hasn't seen before only mine is better." Gibbs smirks and hangs up.

"How would you know that?" Jenny sighs.

"I have the scratch marks on my back and ass to prove it." Gibbs grins.

Before Jenny can answer Tony and Ray get up from their seats and walk over to the bathroom. "Afraid that there might be something bigger in there Leroy." Jenny baits him and walks off for the men's room.

Gibbs quickly chases after Jenny. "It's not the size that counts, it's how you use it." Gibbs laughs.

Jenny getting aroused by their conversation quickly changes the subject. "How are we going to delicately do this?"

"You changed the subject." Gibbs smirks.

"That's because I'm too aroused to follow up on it." Jenny mutters.

"We'll give them a minute."

Inside the bathroom, Tony is whistling 'Moon River' at the urinal. Ray is standing in the next urinal over. "Great I'm going to have that song in my head for the rest of the day." Ray whines.

Byron and Mortimer are in the next urinal over from Ray. Tony and Ray fix the fly to their pants, flush the urinal and walk over to the sink and wash their hands. "I saw 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' the other day on ZMC." "A few years ago I mimicked George Peppard's fashion style from that movie." Tony grins.

"Chick flick!" Cruz cackles.

"Is not!" Tony grumbles and walks over and gets a paper towel.

"Is to!" Ray chuckles.

Byron and Mortimer roll their eyes at Tony and Ray and are about to leave the room. "Hey don't you know about hygiene etiquette." Tony chastises them.

"Typical American!" Byron sighs and walks over to the sink with Mortimer.

With their backs facing away from Tony and Ray and from the door, Gibbs and Jenny walk into the bathroom and approach Byron and Mortimer from behind pressing a gun to the back of their heads. "This was to easy DiNozzo." Gibbs laughs.

Tony and Ray frisk Byron and Mortimer from behind. "They're clean!" Tony nods.

"I bet their weapons are inside a trashcan in Dulles." Jenny answers.

Byron and Mortimer turn and face Gibbs and Jenny and are taken back that Jenny is alive. "Our boss is looking for you." Byron warns her.

"I know, he can't catch something when he doesn't know where to look for me." Jenny smirks.

"When Kort finds you-"

"He won't, you're going to lead us to Kort." Gibbs grins and strategically presses his gun behind Byron's lower back. "Jen give DiNozzo your Sig." Gibbs orders her. Jenny glares over at her lover. "Jen!" He snaps at her.

Jenny angrily relents and hands Tony her gun. Tony approaches Mortimer from behind. "How are we going to do this?"

"We have a rental car parked outside." "Plan A is to follow Kort and Ray." "If we lose them, then Tweetle Dee and Tweetle Dum we'll lead us to Benoit's house." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Half an Hour Later

Cruz gets inside of Kort's car. "How was your flight?" Kort asks and pulls away from the curb.

"I wouldn't know I slept the whole time." Cruz shrugs.

Unknown to Kort, Gibbs is driving behind him several car lengths away. "Now this is how you tail somebody Ray." Tony grins in the back seat with Jenny's gun pointing over at Byron and Mortimer.

Jenny in the front seat, pointing Gibbs' Sig in the direction of Byron and Mortimer. "I could have handled one of them on my own Jethro." Jenny hisses at him.

"Ooo fight!" Tony laughs.

"Shut up DiNozzo!" Gibbs and Jenny shout at him at the same time.

"I have my gun in my carry-on bag inside the trunk." Tony nods.

"Now that's intelligent." Jenny sighs.

"I didn't have the time to take it out." Tony whines in protest.

Ten minutes later, Kort pulls over in front of a café. "I have to make a phone call and the cell phone connection is horrible in this area." Kort grumbles and gets out of the car and walks across the street.

Gibbs pulls over at the end of the block. "What's Kort up to?" Gibbs asks.

Tony with his gut churning inside remembers Ray's cryptic words on how Kort was responsible for the bomb that was planted under his Mustang. "Ray!" Tony frantically shouts out, just as Tony is about to open up the passenger side door, Kort's car explodes.

On the street corner, Kort smirks over at his burning car. "That was so unnecessary Ray." Kort smirks and jumps on top of a waiting motorcycle.


	37. Bonjour Cherie

Previously On NCIS

Kort pulls his car over in front of a café. "I have to make a phone call and the cell phone connection is horrible in this area." Kort grumbles and gets out of the car and walks across the street.

Gibbs pulls over at the end of the block. "What's Kort up to?" Gibbs asks.

Tony with his gut churning inside remembers Ray's cryptic words on how Kort was responsible for the bomb that was planted under his Mustang. "Ray!" Tony frantically shouts out, just as Tony is about to open up the passenger side door, Kort's car explodes.

On the street corner, Kort smirks over at his burning car. "That was so unnecessary Ray." Kort laughs and jumps on top of an awaiting motorcycle that quickly speeds away.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouts at him. "Get back in the car there's nothing we can do for Ray."

"Boss!" Tony protests and gets back inside of the car.

"We're undercover and part of the job is leaving part of your team behind." Gibbs sadly informs him and pulls away from the curb.

"We'll never catch up to Kort now." Jenny snaps.

"He's more than likely on his way back to Benoit's." Gibbs answers and makes eye contact with Byron and Mortimer from the rear view mirror. "You two going to talk now.

"No!" They defiantly answer.

Jenny flips open her burn phone and dials Fornell's number. "I better let Fornell know what happened." Jenny frowns.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Vance's Office

2100 Hours EDT

McGee and Wong are sitting behind Vance's desk going over Vance's desktop. Fornell is sitting over at the conference table with Ziva. Fornell's cell phone begins to ring. "Fornell!" He answers.

"Fornell, its Jenny!"

"Did the meet up go ok?" Fornell curiously asks.

"No!" Jenny swallows and glances over at a shaken Tony. "You're going to have to notify Director Petraeus that Ray Cruz was killed five minutes ago by a car bomb that Trent Kort had planted underneath of his car."

"Damn it!" Fornell snaps and gets up from his chair. "I'll make that phone call right away." "Anything else?"

"Yes, two of Benoit's morons were tailing Tony and Ray on their flight from Washington."

"Since their morons I gather Jethro apprehended them." Fornell snorts.

"Yes, they won't give us any information out on where Benoit's house is located at."

"I'll have McGee do a GPS trace on Benoit's home computer." "We're at NCIS Headquarters checking over Vance's Office computer." Fornell nods.

"Did McGee find anything?" Jenny asks.

"Oh yeah, it seems that Tyler has multiple bank accounts in the Cayman Islands." Fornell grumbles.

"I want that bastard put into general population with Davenport when they both go to prison." Jenny fumes.

"Doubtful, they'll both go into an isolation wing, sitting alone for twenty-three hours a day in their cells." Fornell shrugs and takes in a deep breath. "I better go make that phone call to Director Petraeus."

"Gibbs is going to find a secluded area until you get back to us on the location of Benoit's house."

"Ok don't do anything until I speak to Director Petraeus." Fornell instructs her.

"We won't." Jenny answers and hangs up.

"What did he say?" Gibbs asks.

"We have to wait until Fornell speaks with Director Petraeus."

"What?" Gibbs growls.

"You think I like it that we now have to take orders from somebody." Jenny sighs.

"I'm sort of relieved that everything is now out in the open." Tony's voice is heard from the backseat. Jenny turns and glances over at Tony, Gibbs makes eye contact with Tony through the rearview mirror.

"Face it what would the two of you have done if you would have confronted Kort at Benoit's house without back up."

"They would have gotten blown away." Byron laughs.

"He would have, the dame would have been taken back to Palm Springs and would have faced the wrath of Monsieur Benoit." Mortimer smirks.

Back in Washington, Fornell has broken the news of Ray's death to Ziva, McGee, and Wong. "Ziva I'm sorry." Fornell frowns over at her.

"Nothing to be sorry about Fornell, Ray and I broke up a few months ago." Ziva softly answers.

"I'm going out into the outer office to make the phone call to Director Petraeus." Fornell nods and walks out of the room.

"Ray loved you Ziva." Wong chokes.

"I didn't love him Darren I'm sorry." Ziva sadly answers. "It was the reason why I turned down his marriage proposal."

"Now we have more of an incentive to take down the bad guys." "Whether it's the CIA or NCIS we're still Federal Agents of the United States of America." "Nobody kills one of our own." McGee angrily vows and gets back to the task at hand, finding the location of Benoit's house in Nice.

Out in the outer office Fornell is sitting behind Tom Watters desk on his cell phone with Director Petraeus. "I'm so sorry." Fornell apologizes.

"It's one thing when an agent dies in the line of duty, but to be murdered by one of your own, that's where I draw the line." Petraeus angrily seethes. "I'm writing an order out for a sanctioned hit on Trent Kort." "My orders are shoot to kill." Petraeus instructs Fornell.

"Gibbs will love to hear that." Fornell snorts.

"Before I put my orders out I'm getting in touch with the head of DCRI."

"You think that Squarcini will be up at this hour." Fornell asks.

"We have three agents holding two of Benoit's men, how are they suppose to hold them off and sneak into Benoit's house at the same time, plus if something happens."

"I know if the French Authorities aren't informed, all hell is going to break lose." Fornell sighs.

"Brief Agents McGee, David, and Wong and then head on back to CIA Headquarters."

"That should take five minutes, I'll see you in about twenty minutes." Fornell answers and hangs up. "Poor Jenny!" Fornell laughs and shakes his head. "Gibbs is going to be a raving maniac when DCRI shows up and joins op with them." Fornell chuckles and composes himself, he gets up from the chair and heads back inside of Vance's Office. "Director Petraeus is getting in touch with DCRI."

"What's that?" McGee asks.

"Central Directorate of Interior Intelligence" Ziva announces and then glances over at McGee. "Combination of France's version of the FBI, ATF, CIA, and DEA all rolled into one."

"Gibbs is going to flip out if the French Authorities join op with him." McGee groans.

"I was just thinking the same thing, and poor Jenny is going to have to listen to it." Fornell laughs and starts off for the door. "Director Petraeus has requested that I head back to CIA Headquarters, if anything should come up let me know, and if anything should come up on Gibbs' end I'll let you know." Fornell nods and walks out of the room.

"Gibbs really that bad?" Wong sheepishly asks.

"He doesn't play well with others and its worse when they speak a foreign language that he doesn't understand." Ziva laughs.

Nice, France

0430 Hours CEST

In a secluded section of the city Gibbs is screaming on his burn phone to Fornell. "Absolutely not!" He barks into the phone.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

MTAC

2230 Hours EDT

"Say that again Jethro." Fornell grins knowing full well that he's on speakerphone and that Petraeus and the SecNav Jarvis are sitting nearby.

"When hell freezes over." Gibbs snarls.

"Special Agent Gibbs, you are under Agent Fornell's orders." Jarvis chastises him.

Gibbs sucks in his teeth. "Any other surprises?" Gibbs sighs in annoyance.

"None that I can think of." Fornell laughs.

"Your orders once you and your team and along with DCRI as a joint agency is to take out Trent Kort." "I've already notified Bernard Squarcini the head ofCentral Directorate of Interior Intelligence that Trent Kort is a CIA Operative that is wanted for the murder of CIA Agent Ray Cruz, and is also wanted in connection for the murder of CIA Operative Kosmo Galanos." "Your orders are to shoot to kill Trent Kort." "I do not want him taken out alive." Petraeus orders him.

"That should not be a problem." Gibbs icily answers and stares over in the direction of his lover.

Two hours later in Vance's Office, McGee finally has found the location of Julien Benoit's house. "It's about time." McGee groans.

"Firewalls up the wazoo." Wong answers.

Ziva narrows her eyes over at Wong. "Another slang term for butt Ziva." McGee laughs.

"Another American idiom that I have to file away in my vocabulary." Ziva smiles.

Wong taking in the location of where Benoit's house is located at. "He likes to live in style?"

"I'd say and there are mansions in Valrose." Ziva answers glancing up at the plasma screen on the wall.

"Gibbs is going to need an army to get inside of that house." McGee notes.

"Why do you think that Director Petraeus brought in DCRI?" Ziva answers.

Nice, France

0600 Hours CEST

Gibbs, Jenny, Tony, DCRI Agents, and Nice Police are briefing one another at Nice Police Headquarters. "We have full authorization from the CIA Director Petraeus on orders to shoot to kill Trent Kort." Gibbs roughly informs the roomful of agents and police officers.

"We've been given our instructions from Monsieur Squarcini." "Americans are the lead agency, we go in to oversee, and Nice Police will go in as back up." DCRI Agent Francisque Lambert nods over at Gibbs.

"We'll need earwigs before we raid Benoit's mansion so that we can communicate with one another." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Tony drooling over DCRI Agent Marguerite Charpenter. "I'll volunteer to be Agent Charpenter's partner." Tony grins.

"I believe there's an engagement ring on my finger Agent DiNozzo." Charpenter chastises him for inappropriately drooling over her.

"If anything I'm going to partner you with Jen." Gibbs answers.

Jenny once again is not happy with Gibbs; she angrily glares up at her lover. "All of a sudden I'm not his equal anymore." Jenny fumes inside.

"She doesn't seem too happy about it." Tony notes taking in Jenny's facial expression.

"What's David's status back in Washington?" Gibbs bitterly reminds Tony.

"Desk work, because she's on restricted duty." Tony shrugs.

"Last time I checked, the same rule should apply to Jenny since she's also recovering from a gunshot wound." Gibbs barks.

Jenny rolls her eyes in exasperation. "That's bullshit and you know it Jethro." Jenny sarcastically answers.

"Keep in mind Shepard I'm the boss and you're not, so get over it." Gibbs smirks at her, and then glances down at his watch. "In one hour I want us to be surrounding Benoit's mansion." Gibbs addresses them and walks out of the room.

Tony leans up against Jenny's ear. "He got the last word in." Tony whispers.

"Shut up Tony!" Jenny angrily hisses and gets up out of her chair and leaves the room.

"What's her problem?" DCRI Agent Luc Giroux sheepishly asks.

"Their roles are reversed again and Jenny doesn't like taking orders from Gibbs." Tony laughs.

Julien Benoit's Mansion

0700 Hours CEST

Through the window of Julien Benoit's Study, Trent Kort is watching Gibbs, Tony, DCRI Agents, and the Nice Police surround the house. "Well, well, it suddenly occurs to me on how Galanos' Villa got burned down." Kort angrily snaps. Hearing the front door being broken into, Kort runs over to a hidden wall and ducks inside.

Outside of the house, Jenny steps out of a Nice Police van wearing her bullet proof vest. "DiNozzo and Shepard, I want the two of you checking the downstairs of the house, while I go upstairs with Agents Lambert, Charpenter, and Giroux." Gibbs orders them through his earwig. Tony who's standing next to the van. "Copy that boss." Tony answers into his COM.

"Shepard!" Gibbs angrily snarls when Jenny doesn't respond to him.

"I'll be covering DiNozzo's six." Jenny mutters.

"No it's the other way around." Gibbs barks….."I'm stepping through the front door now."

"Copy, we're making our way over now." Tony answers and nods over at Jenny to walk in front of him.

"I can't wait for this to be over with." Jenny hisses.

Tony turns off his COM. "Hate taking orders from him." Tony smirks.

Jenny shuts off her COM. "I've been a Team Leader, the Director of NCIS, and for the most part when I did my father's arms deals; I worked alone and was my own boss." "Other than answering to my Operation Manager in Naples and London, the SecNav, Secretary of Defense and the President of the United States when I was Director, and my father." "I haven't had to work under anybody in eleven years." Jenny angrily answers.

"Well come Monday morning if we get through this, he won't be your boss anymore." Tony smiles.

"Nobody will be my boss." "I'll just be Jenny Shepard." Jenny smiles and turns her COM back on, slowly she walks into the house with Tony following behind her.

Tony turns his COM back on. "We're inside the house."

"I'm up on the second floor with Lambert, Charpenter and Giroux are up on the third floor." Gibbs answers.

Jenny and Tony make their way through the downstairs checking each room out. "I take it Nice PD is down in the basement." Tony snickers hearing them below.

"They came through the basement door in the back of the house." Jenny answers.

After checking out the kitchen, Regine's Office, the living room, and the dining room. Jenny and Tony approach Benoit's Office, Tony nods for Jenny to slowly walk in. Jenny steps in with her weapon drawn, Tony follows her from behind. Tony takes in the large cherry desk and the paintings and sculptures that are decorated throughout the room. "Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Tony says in awe. "What a room?"

Jenny approaches a closet door; Tony slowly opens it with Jenny cautiously approaching the door, noting that the closet is empty. "Clear!" She shouts.

"Boss we've checked all the rooms downstairs and there's nobody here." Tony informs him through his COM.

"We're still going room to room." Gibbs answers.

"Same here!" Charpenter answers.

"I'm going to see how Nice PD is making out." Tony answers and walks out of the room.

Jenny securely puts her weapon back in her sidearm, with her back facing the entranceway to the hidden wall; Kort comes up from Jenny from behind with a knife against her throat. "Bonjour Cherie!" Kort grins at her.

"Kort!" Jenny chokes from the pressure of the knife up against her throat.

"I see you out smarted your father." Kort sarcastically laughs. "And almost out smarted me."

"You won't get out of this house alive." Jenny laughs at him.

"Oh yes I will." "With you being my hostage." "Besides I promised my boss that I would bring you to him alive." Kort grins and grabs a hold of Jenny's gun, releasing his hold on her throat with his knife. Kort presses Jenny's gun against the small of her back. "Move!" He orders her. Unknown to Kort, Jenny has her COM on and Gibbs, Tony, and the DCRI Agents have over heard him, Kort walks Jenny out of the study, just as they approach the front door, a gunshot is fired and hits Kort in the back of the head, the force of the gunshot throws Jenny down on the ground with Kort's weight on top of her.

Gibbs, with Agent Lambert run down the stairs and find Kort dead on the floor, he rushes over to Jenny and helps her up from the floor. "You alright!" He frantically asks.

"Fine!" Jenny whispers.

Tony from the basement doorway with his gun in his hand. "That was for Jeanne!" Tony viciously answers.

Ten minutes later, in an upstairs bedroom getting a shower to remove Kort's blood from her, Jenny steps out of the shower and finds Gibbs waiting outside with a towel. "I'm perfectly capable of drying myself off." Jenny angrily snaps at him and grabs the towel from him.

"Stop it!" Gibbs barks at her.

"I thought that you referred to me as you're equal."

Gibbs grabbing the towel from her and begins to dry Jenny off. "Not at the moment you are." Gibbs sighs and pulls Jenny into his arms. "Maybe in a month or so when your stamina has returned."

"I believe my stamina returned quite nicely on the plane." Jenny smirks at him.

"Short term stamina." Gibbs laughs and leans down and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth.

On the outside of the door. "Boss!" Tony shouts.

"Yes DiNozzo!"

"Nice PD has picked up Regine Smidt."

"And just now out in front of Benoit's somebody that Jenny is quite familiar with has just gotten out of a taxi."

"I'll deal with that tramp myself." Jenny grins.

"You better get some clothes on first." Gibbs chuckles and walks over to the doorway.

Fifteen minutes later in Benoit's Office, Iris is outraged that she's being held as a suspect. "I want a lawyer." Iris screams.

"You'll get one, in the states." Tony smirks.

"I just work for Julien Benoit." Iris hisses.

Walking into the room and overhearing Iris. "That's funny; two days ago you were working for my father." Jenny smirks over at her and approaches Iris. "But then he unexpectedly took a bullet in between his eyes when you were screwing his brains in."

"You bitch!" Iris screeches at her. "You were the one who changed your father's business account passwords."

"I can't help it that he didn't teach you to read his shorthand." Jenny laughs.

"Iris Stathos you are wanted for the murder of Kosmo Galanos and the distribution of arms." Tony informs her.

"I did it for the CIA." Iris whines.

"Julien Benoit is not the CIA; he has nothing to do with Operation Lodestone." Gibbs laughs.

"I thought since Kort worked for the CIA, that we had their backing." Iris hisses.

"Kort was freelancing on his own Iris, the current CIA Director had no knowledge of Operation Lodestone, or the overseer of the Op, Code Name: Lucifer, Kosmo Galanos aka Jasper Shepard." "And Director Petraeus also was not informed that former Director of NCIS, Jenny Shepard was alive and working for the CIA against her will under the operative title, Code Name: Phoenix, using the alias CIA Operative Harriett Jones." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Kort has something on the both of you." Iris smirks.

"I'm sorry Iris, if you want to visit your lover; he's lying in a body bag out in a Nice PD Van." Tony grins.

"You killed him." Iris screams and begins to burst into tears.

"Quit the dramatics'." Jenny sighs in annoyance. Iris gets up from her chair and is about to slap Jenny with her right hand, when Jenny grabs Iris on the wrist. "Is that the best you could do?" Jenny laughs at her. With Jenny's right hand free she punches Iris in the jaw sending her back down into her chair. "I've been wanting to do that for three years." Jenny grins down at Iris and walks out of the room.

"Tony see if you can get a CIA MTAC feed." Gibbs nods over at him.

"It's a little bit tricky since Benoit's computer is in French." Tony groans.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

MTAC

0200 Hours EDT

"I'll have the French authorities hold Iris Stathos and Regine Smidt until Monday morning." "Then I'll send them to CIA Headquarters to be questioned." Petraeus nods up at Gibbs.

Nice, France

Benoit's Mansion

Inside Benoit's Office

0800 Hours CEST

"We have four more take outs." Gibbs sighs.

"I know, since Benoit is having a party at his house, Central American Drug and Weapons Dealers are the guests of honor, I had to bring in the DEA and ATF on this."

"What?" Gibbs growls.

"I know more of the alphabet gang." Fornell laughs.

"I want to be there with my team to take him down." Gibbs demands.

"Jethro there's no way that we can get the three of you a flight to Palm Springs that quickly." Fornell sighs.

"Yes we can." Gibbs smirks and glances over at Jenny. "Kosmo Galanos' private jet."

"Since you want your team involved and I'm the agent in charge of this op, I'll see if I can get a flight out to Palm Springs with McGee sometime this morning." Fornell nods.

"It began in California and it will end in California." Tony smirks.

"No it will end in Washington on Monday morning when Tyler gets taken down." Gibbs bitterly snaps.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Vance's Office

"McGee, Ziva, and Wong go home and get a few hours shut eye." Fornell orders him from his cell phone in the parking garage at CIA Headquarters.

McGee with his burn phone on speakerphone. "We'll pick this up first thing in the morning." McGee answers.

"No you have a 0700 Hour flight to Palm Springs." "I've arranged a private flight from Langley Air Force Base." "We'll meet Gibbs, Jenny, and DiNozzo in Palm Springs tomorrow afternoon.

"I take it they're on their way to Palm Springs now?" McGee gathers.

"After they wrap things up at Benoit's." Fornell smoothly answers. "Ziva I'm going to arrange it that you and a CIA Agent will watch Vance tomorrow."

"Good it beats sitting behind a desk." Ziva mutters.

"Who's going to work with Wong?" McGee curiously asks.

"Ms. Scuito!" Fornell answers.

"That should be interesting since Wong hasn't met Abby yet." McGee laughs.

Half an Hour Later

Nice, France

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport

Gibbs, Jenny, and Tony board Kosmo Galanos' private jet. "Boss your right it's just as big as Air Force One." Tony says with a smile on his face.

"Soon as we get airborne establish an MTAC feed via the laptop in Galanos' private room in the back." Gibbs instructs him.

Jenny walks over to one of the seats and straps herself in. "Four more to go." Jenny sighs in exhaustion.

Gibbs takes a seat beside her. "Once we get up in the air I want you to get some shut eye." Gibbs tenderly says to her and kisses Jenny on top of the head.

Fifteen minutes later, the plane is up in the air, Jenny is stretched out on a sofa sleeping. Gibbs is on the phone with Director Petraeus with further instructions. Tony gets up from his seat and walks over to the back of the plane and steps inside of Galanos private room. Immediately his attention is drawn on to the unkempt bed. "They were doing something alright Toby." Tony snickers.

Gibbs having finished his phone conversation with Director Petraeus is standing right behind Tony. His hand goes to the back of Tony's head, Tony grimaces and rubs the back of his head. "Our sex life is none of your business am I making myself clear DiNozzo." Gibbs snarls.

"Crystal!" Tony gulps and continues to rub the back of his head.

"I believe I had asked you to establish an MTAC feed to CIA Headquarters." Gibbs growls.

"You did and I'm on it." Tony quickly answers and walks over to the desk where the laptop is located. "The President's private suite on Air Force One was bigger than this." Tony notes.

"I know and he also had his own private bathroom." Gibbs shrugs and flops backwards on the bed, he flashes back to Friday afternoon, where he lost himself in his lover's body, the feel of Jenny's body on top of his as she sent him over the edge.

Tony taking his eyes off from the laptop and taking in Gibbs' facial expression. "Boss you seem like your someplace else." Tony smiles.

"In a place that I haven't been to in years." Gibbs smiles and closes his eyes.

Tony as he waits for the MTAC feed to come through, he watches over Gibbs as he drifts off to sleep. "The weight of the world is finally off of his shoulders." Tony smiles.


	38. An Unexpected Guest

Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs International Airport

1230 Hours PDT

Gibbs, Jenny, and Tony exit Galanos' private jet. "Do you know how many times zones I've been in the last twenty-four hours?" Tony whines.

"We've went from Genoa to Kalymnos to Nice, and now all the way out to the West Coast of the United States." Jenny sighs at him.

"DiNozzo quit whining." Gibbs growls and spots McGee and Fornell waiting for them by a doorway leading inside of the airport.

"McGeek beat us to Palm Springs." Tony laughs and walks over to McGee. "Where's Ziva?"

"Watching the backdoor while we take on Benoit." Fornell answers.

"Good at least she feels that she'll be part of something, instead of sitting at the sidelines from her desk." Jenny says as she approaches McGee and Fornell.

"DEA, ATF, and FBI agents will be mixed in with some of the catering crew at Benoit's party tonight." Fornell informs them.

"Looks like the US finest, will be crashing Benoit's party, with an unexpected party crasher." Tony smirks over at Jenny.

"I can't wait to see the look on Davenport's face when he sees me." Jenny grins.

Julien Benoit's Mansion

Phillip Davenport is lounging poolside. EJ walks out from the back of the house with a frown on her face. "What's the matter?" Davenport asks.

"Julien, he seems upset about something." EJ answers and flops down on a nearby lounge chair. "I thought that he would drop business while we're here on vacation."

"He will never drop business while he's on vacation." Davenport laughs and takes a sip from his glass of ice tea.

"I have this uneasy feeling." EJ sighs hugging her knees.

"What for?" "We're living the good life." Davenport smirks.

"I've had it since I left Rio."

"You have everything you could ask for now." "Money and a man that loves you." Davenport reassures her.

"Julien Benoit is incapable of love." EJ sadly answers and looks down at pool drain. "I feel that my life is slowly draining away."

Inside the house, Benoit is in his office slamming his Blackberry down on his desk. "Where are they?" He snarls angrily in French. "Regine, Kort, Byron, Mortimer, and Kort's tramp Iris are nowhere to be found."

"We'll look into it sir." Vincent answers him and walks out of the office.

"It's a Saturday!" Alex laughs at him.

"When you work for me it's a seven day work week, there are no days off, am I making myself clear Alexander." Benoit shouts.

"I'll help Vincent out." Alex swallows and walks out of the room.

"That's what I thought." Benoit mutters.

Out in the hallway leading towards the living room. "Regine was right; bringing Trent Kort in was a bad idea." Victor sighs.

"Monsieur Benoit has had his sights on Galanos' daughter for well over five years now." Alex answers.

"According to Regine she's missing and presumed dead." Victor nods.

"Presumed, Monsieur Benoit won't rest until he kills Jenny Shepard himself." Alex smirks.

Washington, DC

Director Vance's House

1600 Hours EDT

Ziva and CIA Agent Leslie Donahue are discretely watching Vance's house. "Round of golf, lunch with a Senator." "Ho hum for a boring Saturday." Leslie giggles.

"He has to burn the money he made off of Julien Benoit somehow." Ziva sarcastically answers. Ziva's burn phone begins to ring. Spotting Gibbs' name on the caller ID. "You land in Palm Springs yet?" Ziva softly asks.

Palm Springs, California

Louann's Diner

1300 Hours PDT

"An hour ago." "Status on Tyler!" Gibbs says between bites of his prime rib.

"Played a round of golf at the country club, went to lunch with a senator and is now home with the wife and kids."

"Busy day!" Gibbs grumbles.

"I guess you're killing time before you raid Benoit's house." Ziva asks.

"We're eating lunch." "Finally getting a decent meal in us." Gibbs answers and makes a face at Tony's lunch.

"Don't knock it until you try it." Tony grins and begins to munch down on his Grilled Avocado Tillamook-Swiss Cheese and Tomato sandwich."

"I'll pass!" Gibbs grunts.

"I take it that Tony is eating something that you don't approve." Ziva snickers.

"The thought of avocado in a sandwich." Gibbs grumbles.

"What's Jenny eating?"

"Grilled Caesar Salad."

Vance walks out of the house with his wife and kids. "Gibbs I got to hang up, Vance just walked out of the house with his wife and kids." Ziva alerts him.

"Final outing as a family together." Gibbs sadly answers. "His wife and kids don't deserve this." He inwardly says to himself.

"You feel bad for him." Ziva says with surprise.

"No his family, because their victims in this also Ziva." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"I keep forgetting about Vance's family." Tony frowns.

"His kids will have to go through the same thing that I had to, when I found out that the person I looked up to and thought the world of, is nothing but ambitious crook." Jenny bitterly answers and gets up from the table and walks off into the ladies room.

"Unfortunately Jenny you got that from your father also." Tony sighs.

"He made her DiNozzo." "If Jasper Shepard had went the straight and narrow instead of a corrupted Army Officer, Jenny more than likely would have been married to some Washington politician or to a lawyer." "She would have been the daughter that her mother wanted her to be."

"Prim and proper socialite." Tony answers.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Director Vance's Office

1800 Hours EDT

Abby and Darren Wong are sitting at the conference table eating Chinese take-out. "These Caff-Pow's have a kick to them." Wong laughs as he sips his third Caff-Pow of the day.

"Gibbs is addicted to his coffee; I'm addicted to my Caff-Pow's." Abby laughs and takes a bite from her shrimp roll.

"We covered a lot of dirty schemes from Director Vance's computer today." Wong says between bites of his Egg Foo Young."

"I can't wait to see him getting hauled out of his office Monday morning; hopefully the SecNav will reinstate Jenny as Director." Abby smiles.

"You would think that he would do that." Wong curiously asks.

"I'm praying for it." "I want things back to normal around here."

Wong narrows an eyebrow at Abby. "Define normal?"

Abby points to the office door. "The sound of that office door slamming at least three times a day." "Mommy and daddy at each other's throats twice a day." "And in a perfect world when all is said and done at the end of the day, they call a truce and go home together and live their lives as Jen and Jethro." Abby beams.

"There are rules on inter agency dating." Wong reminds her.

"I know and Gibbs and Jenny broke that rule eleven years ago." "She broke off their partnership over a job offer and still put her job before Gibbs when Jenny came back to Washington after she took the job as Director of NCIS." Abby frowns.

"The one thing is for sure, when all is said and done." "Jenny will want nothing to do with the CIA that's for sure." Wong laughs.

Palm Springs, California

Julien Benoit's Mansion

2100 Hours PDT

Julien Benoit with EJ Barrett on his arm is wining and dining the Central American Drug Lords and Weapons Dealers, one of the guests that is in attendance is El Salvador Arms Dealer Enrique Sanchez, who was at one time a customer of Kosmo Galanos. "If you could match over Senor Galanos offer, I'll take you up on your offer."

"Five million more." Benoit shrugs.

"No a night in bed with your girlfriend." Sanchez grins.

EJ looks on in horror at the prospects of having to spend the night with Sanchez. "How dare you?" She hisses.

"Galanos' sold me his female operative advances to me." "It's been over a year since I've seen her." Sanchez frowns.

"Unlike Galanos, I do not sell my women's advances to him." Benoit scolds him.

"For the right price you will." Sanchez grins and walks away.

"You wouldn't dare." EJ asks in outrage.

"No but I know who will sleep with anything, Kort's whore Iris." Benoit smirks and walks off with EJ on his arm.

"I still can't believe that you have Kort working for you." EJ sighs.

"It's been working out so far, he's managed to get rid of Galanos for me." Benoit smiles, suddenly his Blackberry begins to ring. "I'll take this in my office." Benoit answers and walks away.

Davenport walks over to his niece. "You were saying about Julien." Davenport smiles.

"You were right." EJ smiles and watches Julien walk off towards the direction of his office with his phone attached to his ear.

Benoit steps inside of his office and closes the door behind him. "French authorities have raided my house." Benoit snaps.

"Kort is dead; Iris, Regine, Byron, and Mortimer are in custody." "Joint CIA- DCRI operation." Victor informs him. "I'm at the airport on stand-by just encase you want to flee the country."

"I'm way ahead of you." "I'll fly the plane to Rio, no extradition." Benoit smirks and glances down at his watch. "I should be at the airport in ten minutes." Benoit answers and hangs up. "EJ and Davenport you're on your own." Benoit grins and runs out the back door and casually makes his way over to the front of the house where he finds Vincent waiting in front of his Mercedes. "I guess Victor gave you the heads up." Benoit laughs and gets inside of his car.

"You kidding me, I don't want to be around when the Americans arrive." Vincent laughs and gets inside of the Mercedes and speeds off for the airport.

Out on the street the Feds are waiting inside unmarked cars. "McGee, get a bolo out on that plate." Gibbs orders him.

"Lucky for us I caught the tag number." McGee answers and flips open his phone and calls Wong back at NCIS Headquarters.

Fornell with his two way radio receives word that the agents are in position inside of the house. "Their ready!" Fornell nods over at Gibbs. "It's your team Jethro I'll have you make the call on how you want to position them."

"Since we studied the layout of the house from the aerial shot that was taken earlier in the day." "Tony and McGee you will enter through the side door next to the swimming pool." "I'll enter the front with Jenny, and you follow us from behind watching our six."

"I'll have two DEA agents enter through the back door, and the remaining agents watching the perimeter of the house." Fornell informs them.

Gibbs glancing over at Jenny, Tony, and McGee. "Are the three of you ready?"

"After this one more take down." Jenny smirks up at her lover.

"At least we won't have to storm Vance's Office to take him in." Gibbs laughs and gets out of the car with Jenny following him from behind.

"By the way, the SecNav Jarvis had asked to speak to you alone before I left." Tony sheepishly asks Fornell.

"You'll find out soon enough DiNozzo." Fornell grins and gets out of the car.

"I hate surprises." Tony groans and then realizes that he's still in the car with McGee. "Hey the old timers are beating us to the house." Tony grumbles and gets out of the car.

"Speak for yourself Tony; I'm still in my twenties." McGee teases him and follows Tony out of the car.

"I am not old." Tony pouts.

"Forties is middle age." McGee laughs at him.

Through their earwigs. "Could the two of you continue this silly argument later on, we have an arms dealer, a corrupt politician, and a dirty former federal agent to arrest." Gibbs barks at them.

"We're on our way boss." Tony speaks into his COM, as Tony and McGee walk up the driveway; Tony head slaps McGee on the back of the head.

"Ow!" McGee grimaces.

The agents take their positions, Gibbs, Jenny, and Fornell at the front door, Tony and McGee at the side door, DEA Agents at the back door, and the other agents watching over the perimeter of the outside of the house with Palm Springs PD out on the street with their lights off.

Inside the house, various, FBI, DEA, and ATF Agents pose as servers from the caterer that is working Benoit's party. "Fornell we're all in position." DEA Agent Tina Welsh says through her COM making sure that she isn't being observed.

"We are entering the house now." Fornell shouts into his COM.

EJ returning from Benoit's office. "Julien isn't in his office." EJ says with a troubled look on her face to her Uncle Phil.

"I won't worry about it sweetheart." Davenport reassures her.

Just as Davenport answers, federal agents burst into the room, with members of the catering staff drawing their weapons on EJ, Davenport, and Benoit's guests. "Federal Agents!" They shout in unison.

Tony approaches EJ from behind. "You picked the wrong crowd to associate with after you left NCIS EJ." Tony smirks at her and begins to handcuff her.

"Let go of me!" EJ screams and begins to fight off Tony.

"Agent DiNozzo have you lost your mind." Davenport scolds him.

"No, you're under arrest also." McGee grins and slams Davenport up against the wall and begins to handcuff him.

"On what charge!" Davenport angrily snaps.

"Loads of them Phil." Fornell chuckles.

"Special Agent Fornell you better have an explanation for this." Davenport shouts.

Jenny approaches Davenport and EJ from behind. "I have photos of your airhead niece selling classified files with an NCIS logo on the side of the file to Julien Benoit in Riohacha, Colombia on August 10th." "That file contained information on a Columbian Drug and Arms Dealer by the name of Bernardo Suárez." "Conveniently within an hour after your transaction, Julien Benoit had a meeting with Suárez." "I took photos of that as well." Jenny angrily informs them.

Davenport turns and faces Jenny. "You are under orders to stay dead." Davenport fumes.

"You're not SecNav now and the current CIA Director was never read into the perimeters of my mission with the CIA." Jenny smirks.

"Director Shepard!" EJ says in disbelief…."I thought that you were-"

"Dead!" Jenny finishes and shakes her head. "That's what you're Uncle, Director Vance, and the CIA wanted the world to believe." "The problem was four other people on the inside knew about my so called death." "You're lover tried putting a hit on me and Ziva a month ago, when I had contacted her about your little transaction with Benoit."

"Tried!" EJ nods.

"I took a round to my side and I needed to be patched up without going to a hospital." "Ducky knew I was alive, so I called him." "How Gibbs found out that I was still alive is through a DNA link from my blood at the crime scene." "Ziva and I pulled through and the one thing that Gibbs had vowed when I regained my strength is that all of you were going to be brought down." Jenny hisses and glares up at Davenport. "Including Tyler!"

"He's next on our list after we locate Benoit." Gibbs answers roughly…Speaking into his COM. "Has anybody located Benoit yet?"

"That's a negative boss; he's not upstairs, from what I understand from an ATF Agent." "Benoit had gone into his office just before we raided the house." "I was monitoring their conversations while we were sitting in the car. McGee's burn phone begins to ring; an agent standing next to McGee takes over with Davenport's arrest. "McGee!" He answers and walks over to the middle of the room.

"There are agents sweeping the house as we speak Jethro, they'll find him." Fornell reassures him.

"Do Agent Fornell and Director Petraeus know what Trent Kort has over you?" Davenport sarcastically asks Jenny?

"Trent Kort signed a legal paper stating that he killed René Benoit on a sanctioned hit back in 2007." Fornell informs them.

"Trent Kort said he had evidence other wise and will retract what he said to you when you shut down NCIS in March of 2008." Davenport chimes back.

"That will be kind of hard." Gibbs laughs.

"Why is that?" EJ curiously asks.

"Trent Kort is dead." "I put a bullet into the back of his head this morning on a raid in Julien Benoit's Mansion in Nice." Tony angrily snaps at her. "He almost killed me and somebody I loved dearly in a car bomb in 2007." "This morning Trent Kort had murdered CIA Agent Ray Cruz in a car bomb." "I won't be wasting a night's sleep over the loss of Trent Kort." Tony chokes and slaps the other handcuff on to EJ.

Enrique Sanchez, who's slammed up against a wall by a DEA Agent, recognizes Jenny. "Senora Jones!" Sanchez says with surprise.

"Wrong Enrique, its Senora Shepard." Jenny smirks over at him. "By the way, I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pool." Jenny laughs and walks off towards the direction of where McGee is at who's on the phone with Wong back at NCIS Headquarters.

"Wong just got the bolo back on that plate; it's registered to Julien Benoit." McGee anxiously says to Jenny.

"Fornell, Jethro!" Jenny shouts over to them. Gibbs and Fornell rush on over. "It appears that Benoit found out about the raid in Nice." "The bolo came back on the plate on the Mercedes."

"Benoit!" Gibbs growls in frustration. "So close!"

McGee listening in his cell phone. "Palm Springs International Airport!" McGee repeats and then looks over at Gibbs and Fornell. "GPS trace on Benoit's cell phone has him over at the airport."

Fornell flips open his phone and calls Petraeus. "Julien Benoit wasn't inside his house." "While we were setting up for the raid a Mercedes drove past us on the street, McGee wrote down the license plate and called Wong who verified it as Julien Benoit's." "Wong traced Benoit's cell phone signal to the Palm Springs International Airport." Fornell informs him and waits for Petraeus to respond. "If his plane isn't refueled we should be able to bring him in." "If it is!" Fornell groans at the possibilities of Benoit's plane flying off and getting away from them.

Gibbs and Jenny run off for the door. Tony nodding over at an FBI Agent. "I haven't read Barrett her Miranda rights yet."

"I'll take it from here Agent DiNozzo." Special Agent Lorna Knowles winks at him.

"Let's go Probie!" Tony shouts over his shoulder.

"Sir, we're on our way to the airport, get back to me when you have the information on Benoit's flight." Fornell asks and hangs up his phone. "Want to race an old man to the car McGee." Fornell laughs.

"We'll beat Tony." McGee chuckles and they start off for the door together.

"I heard that McGeek." Tony shouts through McGee's earwig.

Palms Spring International Airport

Julien Benoit's Private Plane

Twenty Minutes Later

"What do you mean they won't let me refuel?" Benoit shouts into his Blackberry.

Victor glances outside of one of the window and notices the blue and red flashing lights down the runway. "Maybe that's the reason why." Victor groans.

"I want you and Vincent to get off of the plane." Benoit instructs them.

"Monsieur Benoit you don't have enough fuel." Vincent anxiously warns him.

"I'll take that chance." Benoit snaps….."Get out!"

Victor and Vincent get out of the plane. Benoit gets up from his seat and pushes in the button for the door to close automatically. Victor and Vincent back away from the plane when they hear the engines ref up. "I told him he should have refueled his plane when he landed." Vincent screams.

"The greedy bastard was more interested in his party and showing off his whore." Victor sighs in disgust.

The plane begins to taxi down the runway; Gibbs pulls up and gets out of the car, with Jenny, Tony, McGee, and Fornell following him from behind. "Is Julien Benoit on that plane?" Gibbs shouts.

"Yes, but he's not going to be making it very far." "His plane is low on fuel." Victor frowns.

The plane lifts up into the air. "He's doesn't want to be brought in." Jenny answers.

"I guess he was hoping to be lounging on a beach in Rio." Tony sadly answers.

Up in the air, Benoit puts the plane into auto pilot; he gets up from his seat walks to the back of the plane and picks up his Blackberry. "I hope my men followed my orders after I bought this plane." Benoit sighs and dials a number into his Blackberry.

Back on the ground the lights on Benoit's plane can be seen off in the distance. Suddenly an orange fireball engulfs the sky. Gibbs, Jenny, Tony, McGee, Fornell, Victor, and Vincent look up in horror as Julien Benoit's plane is blow away from a bomb that he had planted inside of his plane to elude capture.

"Say hello to Kort." Tony viciously snaps.

"And my father!" Jenny chokes.


	39. Wanting To Be Me

Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs International Airport

2300 Hours PDT

Gibbs, Jenny, Tony, and McGee are standing around, while Fornell is on his cell phone with CIA Director Petraeus. "Still can't believe Benoit blew himself up." McGee says in disbelief.

"And left EJ and Davenport back at his place to face the music with the feds." Tony grins.

"Where do we go from here?" McGee asks and glances over at Gibbs.

"Depends on what Director Petraeus and the SecNav Jarvis have to say." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Fornell hangs up and approaches Gibbs and his team. "Tomorrow morning you and your team can fly back to Washington, once Jenny lands in Washington, Petraeus wants her in Protective Custody."

"I've been looking after her for the past month." Gibbs barks.

"DCRI questioned Regine Smidt." "Martin Quinn and Marcus Colville were the two men that Benoit sent after Jenny when she left Columbia." "The last time Benoit heard from either of them was on August 20th." Fornell informs him.

"So it's either Colville or Quinn down in Autopsy." Gibbs answers.

"Petraeus put a bolo out on the both of them." Fornell nods.

"At least now we know who we're dealing with." McGee sighs.

"Before we fly back to Washington tomorrow morning, there's one more stop that I have to make." Gibbs smiles.

"Boss I'll miss my football games." Tony whines.

"If you have the NFL package, you can see the game that you missed." McGee grins.

"It's not the same." Tony pouts.

Washington, DC

Leon Vance's House

1100 Hours EDT

Jackie is baking a cake out in the kitchen with the ZNN on the TV. Vance walks into the kitchen. "Babe I have that on in my office all day long." Vance groans and grabs the TV remote from the counter.

"Feds busted a party that an Arms Dealer was having out in California." Jackie answers as she pours the batter into the cake pan.

"All I see is an airplane in pieces on the ground." Vance shrugs.

"While the Feds were raiding the Arms Dealers house, he slipped out a door." "Eventually they caught on to him at the airport trying to flee."

"Plane crash!" Vance sheepishly asks.

"No, he had a bomb on board and blew the plane up while it was in the air." Jackie answers.

Vance glancing up at the TV screen. "They don't say who it is." "Oh well if it were drugs, it's the DEA's problem not mine." Vance laughs and turns off the TV.

"They have to verify the remains first I guess before they'll say who it is." Jackie answers and then remembers that Gibbs will be back tomorrow. "So your break ends today." Jackie teases him.

"It's been a peaceful two weeks." "It would have been more peaceful if DiNozzo wasn't around." Vance grumbles and takes the cake pan from his wife and begins to lick the batter.

"You're just as bad as the kids." Jackie giggles.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Sahara Hotel & Casino

Jack's Room

0800 Hours PDT

Jack is playing solitaire at the table, his burn phone begins to ring, glancing down at the caller ID he spots Gibbs' name on it. "Leroy!" He answers.

"Dad!" Gibbs' voice is heard.

"Where the hell are you?" Jack impatiently growls at his son.

"Right behind your hotel room door." Gibbs laughs.

"I'll be damned!" Jack laughs and gets up from his chair, slowly with his cane Jack makes his way over to the door and opens it. "Leroy!" Jack affectionately calls out to his son and pulls him in a tight embrace.

Jenny bursts out laughing. "Told ya!" Tony smirks over at her.

"What's so funny?" Jack asks and raises a curious eyebrow.

"My name, that's what is so funny." Gibbs groans and steps away from his dad and approaches Jenny. "Dad I want you to meet Jenny Shepard." Gibbs smiles.

Jack walks over to Jenny and hugs her. "Thank god you're alive." Jack chokes and pulls back to take a good look at her. "You and your red heads." Jack laughs.

"Well Jack I'm glad that you're alive, since Leroy never mentioned that you existed." Jenny mutters and rolls her eyes at her lover.

"It took until Christmas of 2009 for him to talk about you." "He gave up drinking bourbon, because of you." Jack smiles.

"We both haven't dad." Gibbs answers.

"Still haven't!" Jenny reminds him.

"I need the right setting for it." Gibbs grins.

"So when's our flight to Washington?" Jack curiously asks.

"We have a private plane." "Fornell has given us until noon time."

"So that gives us two and a half hours of play time in the casino." Tony smirks and glances over at McGee.

"Black Jack!" McGee shouts and runs off for the elevator.

"I'm headed for the poker table." Tony grins and chases after McGee.

"We'll help you pack." Gibbs laughs and walks into Jack's room with Jack and Jenny following him from behind.

Fifteen minutes later down in the casino McGee has won another round of Black Jack. "Lucky day." The dealer nods over at him.

"No lucky weekend." McGee smiles.

Washington, DC

Gibbs' House

1930 Hours

Gibbs walks through the front door with his dad. Leyla and Amira run over to them. "Uncle Jethro!" Amira cheerfully calls out to him and rushes over to him. Gibbs drops his bags down on the floor and gets down on his knee and scoops Amira up in his arms and affectionately hugs her. "I missed you so much."

Gibbs tenderly kisses Amira on the face. "I missed you too." Gibbs smiles and walks over to his father. "Amira, this is my dad Jackson Gibbs." "Dad this is my goddaughter Amira, and her mother Leyla."

"Leroy has told me so much about you." Jack smiles at her and affectionately hugs Leyla and then squeezes Amira's tiny hand.

Leyla surprised that Jack has quickly recovered from his broken hip. "Jethro was right, you are a quick healer."

"Gibbs men have strong bones." Jack winks.

"Dad you can sleep upstairs in my bed and I'll take the couch." Gibbs offers.

"The couch is no problem son."

"Dad I insist." Gibbs grumbles and hands his dad Amira. "I'll take our stuff over to the washer machine."

"I'll take care of that tomorrow while you're at work." Leyla nods over at him and walks off for the kitchen.

Gibbs takes the bags down to the basement. "So I heard you like bedtime stories." Jack smiles down at Amira and walks her over to the couch.

"Cinderella!" Amira softly says to him.

"You don't say!" Jack says in awe and brings Amira down into his lap as he goes down on to the couch.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

Director Petraeus Office

Jenny, Fornell, Director Petraeus, and the SecNav Jarvis are sitting at the conference table. "You're not free until Quinn or Colville turns up." Petraeus orders her.

"Great, I've spent the past two weeks of preparing to get my life back, and when I'm almost there, I'm still a prisoner." Jenny sighs and gets up from the chair.

"Don't worry you will be in Vance's Office tomorrow when we arrest him." Fornell smirks.

"Vance's Office!" Jenny icily answers and flashes back to when she returned to her desk after getting reinstated by SecNav Davenport, finding a toothpick on the corner of her desk from Vance. "Bastard wanted me out then." She inwardly fumes.

"I'm sorry Jenny, with everything that's transpired the past three years and with you and Agent Gibbs romantically linked I cannot-"

Jenny quickly interrupts the Jarvis. "I didn't ask for my old job back." "And even if you had offered it to me, the answer would have been no." "Jethro wins out over a job." Jenny firmly answers.

"Besides once the beltway finds out that you're alive, other agencies will be bidding for you." Fornell grins at her.

"Right now I'm not looking into another job." "I just want to step back and be me for a change." "Maybe in three to six months when I begin to pace the walls from boredom I may accept an offer."

"You'll need to find another place to live, since Jethro burnt down you old house." Fornell laughs.

"I would have moved out of my old house." "Too many memories of my father." Jenny frowns.

Silver Springs, Maryland

McGee's Apartment

Out in the kitchen, Abby and McGee are having dinner together. "That is so unfair that Jenny has to spend the night away from Gibbs." Abby pouts.

"Gibbs was not happy about it at all." McGee sighs.

"So when do they take on Vance?"

"When Vance steps into his office, I'd say anywhere between 0600 hours and 0700 hours." McGee sheepishly answers.

"I can't wait to see the look on his face when Gibbs hauls him out of the office in handcuffs." Abby grins.

"I would like to be a fly on the wall when Vance sees Jenny in his office as Jenny Shepard, not as CIA Operative Harriett Jones." McGee smirks.

Later that night at Gibbs' house, Jack makes his way down the basement stairs and finds his son sitting over at his workbench looking at some old photos of Jenny from their ops over in Europe. "I had to read Amira Cinderella three times." Jack laughs and approaches Gibbs, who's transfixed on a photo of Jenny. "Son!"

Gibbs startled by his father's presence. "You say something."

"Amira, I had to read Cinderella three times to her."

"Oh that!" Gibbs laughs…."That's normal; surprised the pages aren't worn out by now."

Jack takes the photo from Gibbs' hand. "Where was this taken?"

"Naples, May of 1998." Gibbs smiles.

"How old was Jenny back then?" Jack curiously asks.

"Thirty-five, but Jenny always did look about ten years younger than her age."

"I would have had beautiful grandkids between the two of you."

"I wanted at least three with her, definitely a girl." Gibbs grins.

"You and little girls." Jack chuckles.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring, spotting Fornell's name on the caller ID. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Washington, DC

Fornell's House

Jenny sitting on Emily's bed. "Hiding down in your basement." Jenny teases him.

"I was until my dad found me." Gibbs shrugs and gets up from his stool. "I hate this." He growls.

"I wouldn't have spent the night at your place anyway Jethro."

"I made a promise to Mike Jen."

"I know you did, and how do you explain to a young child like Amira about our sleeping arrangements when we're not legally married."

"We could solve that problem." Gibbs smirks.

"We just got back together Jethro." Jenny sighs and rubs her temple.

"Too soon for marriage talk." Gibbs frowns.

"Yes, way too soon, particularly since I'm an independent woman with a mind of my own, and what's your marriage track record?"

"There would have been two ex-wives if you hadn't left me in Paris."

"Confident that I wouldn't have been an ex-wife." Jenny laughs.

"I would have bet the house on it." Gibbs smugly answers. "So where's your safe house?"

"Classified at the moment, I'll see you down in the Evidence Room at 0600 hours tomorrow morning."

"Damn it!"

"Sorry that's the way it goes as long as Colville or Quinn is on the loose."

"At least we know who were dealing with now." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"I'm going to get a shower and try to go to bed." Jenny softly answers.

"I won't be sleeping." Gibbs frowns.

"I know!" "I'll see you tomorrow morning." "I love you."

"I love you Jenny." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"You look upset." Jack asks.

"She won't move in with me." Gibbs sighs in frustration. "Because Amira is living with me."

"Understandable since the two of you aren't married Leroy." Jack nods.

"Dad I've been sleeping with her for over a week, with the exception of the night that we slept in the sleeping compartment on the train to Genoa, which I won't get into." Gibbs grumbles.

"Leroy give her some time to think things over."

"Think what over, I love her, we've wasted eleven years because of our stubborn egos."

"You said you wanted kids with her." Jack laughs.

"Yeah!" Gibbs shrugs.

"Imagine your kids with your tempers."

"I would have trained my daughter not have one." Gibbs smirks and walks over to the worktable and pulls out a deck of cards. "Hand of poker."

"You're on!" Jack smiles and walks over to the table.


	40. Working Itself Out

NCIS Headquarters

Evidence Room

0600 Hours

Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Ducky watch as an anxious Abby paces the room. "Abigail!" Ducky chastises her.

"You're making me dizzy." Tony grumbles.

The elevator door opens and Gibbs steps out. "Van just pulled inside of NCIS Headquarters." Gibbs nods over at them and walks over to the panel and opens up the garage door. The door opens and a large black van enters the garage with Fornell, SecNav Jarvis and Jenny hidden in the back of the van. Gibbs walks over to the van and opens the sliding door. Jenny climbs out and is immediately mauled by Abby. "Abby for crying out loud." Gibbs grumbles.

"I haven't seen her in over two weeks Gibbs." Abby pouts and continues to tighten her grip around Jenny's neck.

Fornell and the Jarvis get out of the van; Jarvis raises a curious eyebrow over at Abby. "She's had about three Caff-Pow's already sir." Tony laughs.

"Now Abby I haven't seen in well over a month." Ziva teases her and walks over to Jenny.

Abby withdrawals from Jenny. "She's all yours." Abby giggles.

Ziva affectionately hugs Jenny. "Shalom Jenny!" She smiles.

"Shalom Ziva!" Jenny softly answers and returns Ziva's hug.

Ziva pulls away. "Now we're both even." Ziva tearfully smiles.

"Until the next time." Jenny winks and squeezes Ziva's hand.

"There better not be a next time." Gibbs barks.

"So how long do we wait down here?" McGee curiously asks.

"Director Petraeus is suppose have a conference call in MTAC with Vance at 0630 hours." "I want Tony and Ziva to go up to the Squad Room and make sure that its all clear before Jenny goes upstairs." Gibbs instructs them.

"Just encase I have my sunglasses, floppy hat and wig." Jenny grins.

"So with in the hour Vance will be taking a seat in one of our holding cells." Tony smirks.

"We'll put him on ice until tomorrow." Gibbs roughly answers.

"Fornell with your permission I would like to interrogate him." Jenny requests.

"You're not NCIS." Tony whines.

"No she's not, but I do want to watch Leon sweat it out when Jenny interrogates him, of course Jethro will be in the room with her." Fornell chuckles.

"Don't worry DiNozzo, your job will be to interrogate Barrett with Ziva today, while and me and McGee will interrogate Davenport." Gibbs smirks.

"That will be my pleasure." Ziva wicked answers.

"Nothing worse than a dirty agent." Tony snaps.

"Or a dirty politician." McGee adds.

Half an Hour Later

Tony and Ziva are working at their desks, Vance steps out of his office and is surprised to find Tony and Ziva in early on a Monday morning. "Somebody put something in your latte DiNozzo." Vance laughs from up on the balcony.

Tony turns and faces him. "No, just making sure that everything is order before Gibbs comes to work." Tony innocently answers.

"Finally everything is back to normal around here." Vance sighs and walks over to the eye scanner and scans himself in.

Ziva waits for Vance to get inside of MTAC. "It won't be normal around here until you're out of here." Ziva angrily answers.

Tony gets up from his desk and glances around the Squad Room. "All clear!" Tony shrugs and pushes in the speed dial button in for Gibbs' cell phone. "TKO is inside MTAC and the bullpen is clear." Tony informs Gibbs.

Five minutes later, the elevator bell rings for Vance's floor, Gibbs, Jenny dressed in her disguise, McGee, Fornell, and Jarvis walk out of the elevator.

"Jenny looks good as a blonde." Tony drools.

"Don't tell that to Gibbs." Ziva laughs.

Up on the balcony, everything is beginning to close on Jenny, Gibbs sensing Jenny's anxiousness. "You ok?"

"No, I'm walking into a room that use to be my office." Jenny whispers.

"In a half an hour it won't be Tyler's anymore either." Gibbs smirks.

"The three of you hold back for a minute." Jarvis instructs them and walks into Watters outer office with Fornell.

"SecNav Jarvis, Director Vance wasn't expecting you today." Watters says with surprise.

"That's because I don't have an appointment with him." Jarvis answers and glances over at Fornell.

"Since you're new and you do not know who I am." Fornell nods over at Watters and takes out his ID. "I'm Special Agent Tobias Fornell with the FBI." "Director Vance's Office had been issued a federal search warrant on September 23rd." "I am ordering you down to the lounge until further notice."

"Leave your cell phone here." Jarvis instructs him.

Watters confused at what's going on. "Director Vance do something?" He curiously asks.

"You'll find out soon enough." Fornell grins.

Watters gets up from his desk, before leaving the room he puts his cell phone on top of the desk and walks out. Out on the balcony Jenny has her back facing Watters as he makes his out of the office, noting that Gibbs and McGee are standing next to a mysterious woman. "Agent Gibbs!" Watters nods over at him.

"Watters!" Gibbs snorts and then glances over at McGee.

"Come this way." McGee orders Watters and escorts him down the stairs, over the catwalk, and down the other flight of stairs.

"I won't ask where Vance found him." Jenny mutters and walks inside of the outer office with Gibbs following her from behind. Jenny noting the coldness of the room with no personal effects around the desk, opposite of Cynthia's photos of her family and the plants that she had place on the shelf behind her desk.

"I'll place myself under the balcony, while Agent Fornell sits at the head of the conference table inside the office and Jenny I want you sitting in Vance's desk chair facing towards the window." "When the moment is right I want you to turn the chair around and make your presence known."

"And me and my team will be sitting at our desks." "After Vance steps out of MTAC, I'll make my way up to the office." "While I'm heading for the stairs, Tony will call over to the auditorium and instruct Abby and Ducky to send the agents over to the Squad Room." "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces with Vance is hauled out from his office in handcuffs." Gibbs smirks.

MTAC

0705 hours

"Better the DEA and ATF." Vance laughs up at Petraeus on the plasma screen.

"You can say that again." Petraeus chuckles.

"I have to review some information in my office." Vance smoothly says.

"We'll do this again in a week or so." Petraeus nods.

"Why not since our agencies work so well together, other than that cliché with Cobb a few months ago, our relations have been smooth for the past three years." Vance grins.

"That was the previous Director and SecNav's venture not mine." Petraeus reminds him and cuts off the feed for MTAC.

"Just like I could blame the previous NCIS Director for the CIA and NCIS relations being icy." Vance grumbles and gets up from his seat and walks up the ramp.

Down in the bullpen, Gibbs impatiently sits at his desk waiting for Vance to walk out. "Come on!" He grumbles in annoyance.

On cue Vance walks out of MTAC and spots Gibbs down at his desk. "Gibbs!" Vance calls down to him.

"Director Vance!" Gibbs calls up to him.

"Not for long." Ziva mutters under her breath.

"I'll have Watters call you for a briefing sometime this afternoon."

"Looking forward to it sir." Gibbs grins.

"I'm sure you are." Vance snorts and walks over towards the outer office, he opens the door and finds Watters missing. "Hum wonder where Tom went." Vance shrugs and walks inside of his office and finds Fornell sitting at the head of the conference table. "Agent Fornell?" Vance asks and raises a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Director Vance!" Fornell nods over at him. "Take a seat!"

"This is my office." Vance reminds him and is about to head over towards his desk.

"Was your office." Fornell smirks up at him.

"Was?" Vance snaps and turns and faces Fornell.

Fornell grabs the clicker from on top of the conference table and turns on ZNN on the plasma screen, where there still doing coverage on the DEA-ATF raid out in Palm Springs, California. "Do you know who lived in that house?"

"Drug dealer, what does it have to do with me." Vance shrugs.

"Does an arms dealer by the name of Julien Benoit ring a bell to you?" Fornell asks.

"Why should it?" Vance sarcastically answers. "Never heard of him."

"Bullshit!" Jenny's voice is heard.

Vance recognizing Jenny's voice from the direction of his office chair. "What are you doing here?" Vance angrily asks.

Jenny turns and smirks up at Vance. "You've been a naughty boy Leon." Jenny laughs at him and puts a flash drive inside of Vance's computer and gets up from the chair and approaches the conference table taking the clicker from Fornell. Clicking the photo of EJ Barrett handing Julien Benoit an NCIS classified file. "I took this photo of EJ Barrett and Julien Benoit on August 10th in Riohacha, Colombia."

"So?" Vance defiantly answers.

"Within an hour Benoit had a meet up with Bernardo Suárez a Columbian Drug and Weapons Dealer." "I took a photo of Benoit purchasing weapons from Suárez on the information that he got from Barrett's file."

"What does this have to do with me?" Vance asks and glares over at Jenny.

Fornell opens up a folder and shows the pay outs that Vance has been getting from Benoit. "You've been making a profit over the years selling secrets from arms dealers." Fornell says in disgust.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Vance snaps.

"Cut the crap Tyler, while you were off with your family this weekend, the CIA got a search warrant for your office." "How stupid could you be checking into your offshore banking accounts on your office computer." Jenny laughs.

"Tyler!" Vance shrugs over at her.

"Yes!" Gibbs shouts and steps into the office with the Jarvis walking behind him. "Tyler Keith Owens!"

"Gibbs you're losing it." Vance laughs and flops down in a seat in the conference room. "SecNav, I believe that former NCIS Director Shepard has breached an agreement that former SecNav Davenport, Former Director Hayden of Central Intelligence and former Director of National Intelligence, John McConnell."

"Problem with that Leon, the current Director of Central Intelligence was never read into Operation Lodestone, the op that I was assigned to or the agreement that was made between the three of you." Jenny laughs.

"Talk to Trent Kort." Vance shouts.

"Can't do that, because DiNozzo shot him in the back of the head Saturday morning." Gibbs smirks and pulls Vance up from the back of his jacket. "Tyler Keith Owens!"

"My name is Leon Vance." Vance seethes and begins to shove Gibbs back. "I am the Director of NCIS."

"Was!" Fornell grins.

"As of this moment Leon I am terminating you as Director of NCIS." Jarvis angrily chastises him.

"Oh I see, Gibbs hauls me away in handcuffs and Jenny takes her place back behind her desk." Vance laughs and shakes his head. "Jenny Shepard murdered René Benoit a French Arms Dealer with her Glock." "Trent Kort has her gun hidden somewhere over in Europe."

"Trent Kort is René Benoit's murderer; he has a signed legal statement back at CIA Headquarters." Fornell grins.

"He also has something on Agent Gibbs that I have a copy of in my safe behind my desk." Vance smirks and brushes past Gibbs. Vance gets down on the floor, opens up a side panel and begins to move the dial around on the safe. Once he correctly has his combination in Vance opens up the door and finds the file that Abby had made on the ballistics report from the bullet casing found one thousand feet away from Pedro Hernandez's truck. "I have evidence that Agent Gibbs killed a Mexican Drug Lord back in 1991." Vance grins and gets up on to his feet and hands it over to the Jarvis.

"Still doesn't excuse what you did Vance." Jarvis answers in disgust.

Gibbs once again walks over to Vance and tries to handcuff him. Vance brushes Gibbs off of him. "Agent Gibbs I am ordering you out of my office."

"Try my office Tyler." Fornell smirks.

"What?" Gibbs and Vance answer at the same time.

"You heard him Agent Gibbs." "I asked Agent Fornell on Thursday night if he would be interested in being Director of NCIS." Jarvis informs him.

"You got to be kidding me." Gibbs growls.

"Nope, fun time begins again for you Jethro." Fornell laughs.

"Over under on how many times he slams your office door." Jenny giggles.

"Not as many times as I slammed it when you were in here." Gibbs barks and handcuffs Vance. "Tyler Keith Owens, you are under arrest for the selling of classified files to an arms dealer, bribery, extortion, and public fraud." Gibbs hauls Vance out of the office and continues to read his Miranda rights to him.

"The look on his face." Jenny laughs and flops down in a chair next to Fornell.

Down in the bullpen, all of the agents, scientists, doctors, and technicians that work at the Navy Yard watch as Vance is hauled out of his office with Gibbs escorting Vance from behind. They work their way down the stairs, over the catwalk and down the lower set of stairs. Gibbs walks Vance over to the entrance of his section. "DiNozzo and McGee take over from here." Gibbs nods.

Tony and McGee approach Vance and haul him off for his holding cell. "It's over!" Abby sighs with relief and walks over to Gibbs and affectionately hugs him.

"It's just begun for me." Gibbs grumbles and walks off for the stairs.

"Why?" Abby shrugs.

Ziva reading an e-mail that was just sent to her. "Oh my this is why?" Ziva giggles and turns her computer monitor around. Ducky and Palmer rush over with Abby. "We have a new Director."

"Agent Fornell!" Palmer says with surprise.

"At least the place won't be boring with Fornell as Director." Ducky snorts in amusement.

"I wanted Jenny." Abby pouts.

"Remember Abby there are rules and Jenny can't have Gibbs and be the Director of NCIS at the same time." Ziva sadly reminds her.

Up in Fornell's Office, Jenny is beside herself with laughter. "To bad there wasn't a camera in here to catch Jethro's expression."

"What was his facial reaction when he found out that you were his boss?" Fornell grins.

"NC17 flashback." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

Gibbs walks in. "What are you smirking at Tobias?" Gibbs growls.

"That's Director Fornell, Special Agent Gibbs." Fornell teases him.

"I feel like I'm being punished somehow." Gibbs groans and takes a seat at the conference table.

"I need to get back to my office." "I'm leaving NCIS to your very capable hands." Jarvis smiles and gets up from the conference table. "I guess its Jenny now and not CIA Operative Jones." Jarvis nods over at her.

"I was never Harriett Jones, deep down inside I was always Jenny Shepard." Jenny softly answers and gets up from the table and walks out of the room.

"Gibbs we need to go over some things." Fornell orders him.

"Director Fornell, Agent Gibbs." Jarvis nods over at them and walks out of the room.

Jenny walks out of the outer office and finds that everybody hasn't left the Squad Room. "Director Shepard!" MTAC Technician Danielle calls out to her from near the balcony with surprise.

"No Danielle, it's Jenny Shepard, I don't go by that title anymore and I do not work for NCIS anymore." Jenny sadly says to her and walks off for the elevator.

"Where is she going?" Abby curiously asks from.

"Autopsy!" Ducky smiles and walks off for the elevator.

Palmer taking in everybody's shocked reaction at seeing Jenny alive. "We had that same reaction when we first found out that she was alive." Palmer smiles.

"I wonder when ZNN is going to get word of it." Ziva grumbles.

"Most likely the SecNav has to brief TPTB on the return to the living, for one Jennifer Shepard." Abby smiles.

Down in Autopsy five minutes later, Jenny and Ducky are having a cup of tea together at his desk. "We haven't done this since you were a Probationary Status Agent." Ducky fondly recalls.

"The tea soothed my frail nerves." Jenny smiles.

"I gather once Colville or Quinn is captured that you'll move in with Jethro." Ducky inquires.

"No!" Jenny answers above a whisper.

"I thought that the two of you were back together." Ducky frowns.

"We are, but I don't feel comfortable living with Jethro with a child living inside of his house." "We're not married."

Ducky having some inside knowledge. "Don't worry my dear, it will work itself out." Ducky smiles and takes a sip from his cup of tea.

Back up in Fornell's Office, Gibbs and Fornell are going over some things before Gibbs questions Davenport later on this afternoon. Fornell gets up from his chair and closes the door. "I want to have a talk with you." Fornell says to him in a serious tone of voice.

"Are you going after Jenny for René Benoit's murder?" Gibbs groans.

"No!" Fornell answers and opens up the file on Pedro Hernandez." "Did Abby alter the results on Vance's Director's copy on the bullet that was retrieved from Hernandez's skull to the rifling patterns of your rifle back home?" "And whatever you tell me Jethro it stays between these walls, you and are more than friends, we're like brothers."

"Yes I killed Pedro Hernandez." Gibbs icily answers and gets up from his chair. "And I never ordered Abby to falsify her lab report; she did that on her own and kept it hidden inside of her lab."

"So how did it end up in Vance's safe?" Fornell inquires.

"We didn't want anything that Jenny's father would use against us, so that Jenny could continue working for him." "While Vance was in Munich, I broke into his safe and switched the reports around." "There were two copies of the report, Allison Hart has the other one and destroyed it." "I destroyed Vance's copy."

"Jenny's Glock?"

"At the bottom of the Aegean Sea in tiny pieces, I made sure if it." Gibbs smirks.

"As long as I'm in this office I'll make sure that Abby's fabricated copy stays in the safe." Fornell smirks and walks over to his desk and pushes in the intercom. "Gwen could you come in here."

"Yes Director!" Gwen softly answers.

"Gwen?" Gibbs shrugs.

Gwen walks into the office carrying a small notepad. "What can I do for you Director Fornell?"

"I want you to meet a daily pain in the ass that will constantly try and barge into my office." "Special Agent Gibbs, I want you to meet my assistant, Gwen Peters."

Gibbs takes Gwen's hand. "Hi!" He smiles at her.

"Nice to meet you Special Agent Gibbs." She sweetly answers.

"Gwen I want to go over some things with you." Fornell answers and glances over at Gibbs. "Jethro your dismissed."

Gibbs rolls his eyes. "Why me?" He grumbles and walks out of the office.

"What's the matter with him?" Gwen curiously asks.

"He has to take orders from me now and doesn't like it." Fornell smirks and gets up from his chair and takes a seat behind his desk. "Tomorrow I want an assembly held in the auditorium to formally introduce myself as Director of NCIS."

Gibbs walks inside of his section and glances around for Jenny. "Where's Jenny?"

"Ducky's!" Ziva smiles…..Gibbs walks off towards the elevator.

Tony and McGee return. "Where's Gibbs and Jenny?" Tony asks.

"Ducky's!" Ziva smiles.

Down in Autopsy Jenny and Ducky is fondly going over the past with an amused Palmer looking on. "Pacci got head slapped until the end of time." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs walks into the room. "Still laughing at me." Gibbs barks.

"No Jethro it's not about you for a change." Jenny sighs.

"So where are they hiding you at?" Gibbs asks.

"Classified Jethro, I'm sorry." Jenny frowns.

"Jen!"

"Jethro what do you want me to do, until Colville or Quinn turns up, I have to stay at a secure location."

"That may take months or years." Gibbs whines.

"I think that one of them will turn up sooner than you think Jethro." Ducky smiles.

Back up in the Squad Room, McGee gets an e-mail from Darren Wong. "Martin Quinn has been located at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia."

Tony picks up his desk phone and calls Gibbs' cell phone number. "Boss Martin Quinn has been found." Tony smiles with relief. "Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia." Tony answers and then looks over at McGee. "What's he charged with?"

"Trying to sell a gun to an undercover Philadelphia cop about a week ago." McGee answers.

"He got arrested a week ago for trying to sell a gun to a Philly cop." Tony informs Gibbs. "Do you want me to pick him up or is he that the CIA's call?"

Five minutes later up in Fornell's Office, Fornell is arguing with Petraeus on the phone. "He took a shot at one of my agents." Fornell barks.

Gibbs, Jenny, Tony, Ziva, and McGee sit around the couch and conference table as Fornell and Petraeus battle it out. "Better Fornell than me." Jenny giggles and leans up and tenderly kisses Gibbs on the mouth.


	41. Dirt Bags

Gibbs and his team are settling in at their desks as a unit for the first time in over a month, Tony and Ziva are bickering amongst themselves between their desks. McGee is finishing up a report at his desk and Gibbs glaring up towards his new boss Director Tobias Fornell at the top of the balcony talking with Jenny.

"So what title does Director Fornell go by?" Tony smirks over at Ziva. "Uncle Toby!"

"Hum I haven't put Fornell in one of my books yet." McGee answers, suddenly getting an idea.

"And you can add a new character to your story, LJ Tibbs' new love interest, a CIA operative." Tony grins.

"Put me or Jen in your next book and my foot will be up your ass McGee." Gibbs growls.

While dad and is berating his children, Jenny and Fornell are looking over them with an amused look on their faces. "Have fun!" Jenny teases him.

"Why do you think I accepted the position of Director of NCIS, they were about to put me behind a desk over at the Hoover Building, might as well sit behind one and make Jethro's life miserable." Fornell laughs.

"The difference between you and I is, I could put on a certain outfit or spray on a oh so familiar perfume from back in the day and that would make Jethro's life miserable, because whoever he was dating at the time, they still couldn't satisfy him in the bedroom the way I could." Jenny smirks.

"I'll keep that in the back of my mind when I ask for an agent from what agency you choose to work for once you get settled back to reality." Fornell chuckles.

"It definitely won't be the CIA, I can tell you that right now." Jenny bitterly answers.

"You off to Langley?" Fornell sheepishly asks.

"Yes and then over to your place to pick up my belongings, I'm going to stay with Ducky for the time being." Jenny softly answers.

"Not with Jethro?" Fornell asks with surprise.

"We're not married and there's a child living in his house with her mother, I wouldn't feel comfortable." Jenny frowns.

"Not many people have a set of values these days." Fornell smiles and squeezes Jenny's hand. "I'm going to see what's going on in MTAC before Quinn arrives this afternoon."

"First day on the job as Director and your already in the Interrogation Room, I didn't venture inside until a year and a half later." Jenny laughs and starts for the stairs.

"The Gibbs stare doesn't work on me Jenny." Fornell shouts over at her and walks off for the eye scanner.

Down in the bullpen, Gibbs gets up from his desk as he watches Jenny descend the stairs and over the catwalk, as she makes her way down the stairs, Gibbs stands in the entranceway to his section and waits as Jenny approaches him. "You leaving?"

"I have a meeting with Director Petraeus at Langley in a half an hour." Jenny answers.

"I'll stop over Ducky's later on tonight." Gibbs answers.

"You might have a late night here Jethro." Jenny reminds him and starts off for the elevator.

Gibbs follows Jenny from behind. "Come on quit giving me the cold shoulder." Gibbs growls.

"I'm not giving you the cold shoulder." Jenny sighs.

Meanwhile over at their desks, the Gibblets are spying on their parents. "Mommy's giving dad the cold shoulder." Tony grins giving Ziva and McGee a play by play.

"Tony give Jenny a break." Ziva mutters in annoyance. "You do not know what her life has been the past three years."

"And Gibbs' life has been any better, knowing that Jenny was dead." Tony snaps.

"Like Jenny had a choice in the matter, Kort and her father were blackmailing her." McGee angrily answers.

"She had to pretend to be somebody that she wasn't." Ziva sadly answers.

"But that chapter is over and now she can be Jenny Shepard again." Tony smiles.

Back over at the elevator, the elevator door opens. "Alright!" Jenny relents.

"2200 hours!" Gibbs smiles and leans down and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth.

"Your breaking rule number twelve boss." Tony shouts.

"No I'm not, the last time I looked Jenny does not work for the Navy." Gibbs smirks and affectionately kisses Jenny on the mouth one last time, before she steps inside of the elevator.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

Director Petraeus Office

Jenny and Director Petraeus are having a meeting about Jenny's future. "There will be a joint NCIS-CIA press conference here tomorrow, to formally announce that you were in the witness protection program for the past three years and that the perpetrators involved with putting you into the witness protection program have been put behind bars-"

"Or killed!" Jenny smirks….interrupting Petraeus.

"You do have some business in Kalymnos that you need to attend to."

"What?" Jenny groans and gets up from her chair. "I thought I was done with my role as a CIA Operative."

"Your father's estate."

"I don't want anything from that bastard." Jenny angrily snaps.

"He left everything to you."

"I don't believe this." Jenny sighs in exasperation. "I don't want his blood money."

"Either way you have to fly out there and straighten it out."

"I'll fly out there this weekend." "I'm suffering from jetlag as it is from flying all over the place the past forty-eight hours." Jenny grumbles.

Petraeus getting to the subject at hand. "You sure you want to resign from the CIA."

"I never applied for the job in the first place; I was forced to by my father and Trent Kort." "They stole my life away from me along with Phillip Davenport and Leon Vance." Jenny sarcastically answers.

"I was just asking Jenny I don't need the sarcasm, because once you return from the dead the other agencies will jump on you."

"It won't be the CIA or NCIS." Jenny answers and picks up her pocketbook.

"Being an Operations Manager or a field agent is a step backwards from being Director of NCIS." Petraeus nods.

"No, it's a rule at NCIS." "Agents are not allowed to date off the job." "Jethro and I broke that rule eleven years ago." "I gave up a life with him for a promotion." "Now that I've got him back, I'm not going to do it twice in a lifetime." Jenny smiles and walks out of the door.

NCIS Headquarters

Interrogation Room

1600 Hours

Martin Quinn seated next to his lawyer impatiently waits in his chair behind the table. "Remember you do not have to answer any questions." McCracken, Quinn's lawyer reminds him.

With that Gibbs and Fornell walk into the room. "Martin Quinn we would like to ask you a few questions." Fornell nods over at him and sits down at the table across from Quinn and his lawyer with Gibbs standing behind him.

"And who might you be?" McCracken sheepishly asks.

"My name is Tobias Fornell, I'm the Director of NCIS and this is Special Agent Gibbs, Agent In Charge of the Major Case Response Team."

"I thought that Leon Vance is the Director of NCIS." Quinn curiously asks.

"Was!" Gibbs smirks.

"As of this morning I was appointed by SecNav Jarvis as Director of NCIS." Fornell smoothly answers and gets down to the subject at hand. "On August 21st 2011, did your client drive a stolen Black GMC Yukon into the Georgetown Ritz Carlton parking garage with Marcus Colville." "While inside the parking garage, Colville shot at Special Agent Ziva David and CIA Operative Harriet Jones who were in the parking lot at the time."

"I don't know anybody by the name of Marcus Colville." "Never been to the parking garage of the Georgetown Ritz Carlton and I've never heard of an Agent David or CIA Operative Jones." Quinn answers denying his involvement into Ziva and Jenny's shooting.

Gibbs turns and faces the mirror and nods over at McGee who's behind the glass. "You don't know a Marcus Colville, huh." Gibbs laughs and approaches the plasma screen up on the wall. On screen is video footage of Quinn and Colville walking together at the Miami International Airport on August 10th 2011. "Then why are you walking side by side with him at the airport in Miami on August 10th 2011."

"I don't know somebody I took a flight with in the Bahamas'." Quinn innocently answers.

"An hour later after your flight landed." "CIA Operative Harriett Jones' plane landed from Riohacha, Colombia." "Since you use to work for René Benoit you know damn well that Harriett Jones is former NCIS Director Jenny Shepard." "His son Julien caught Jenny taking photos of him purchasing weapons in Riohacha, Colombia from a Columbian Arms and Drug Dealer by the name of Bernardo Suárez." "Julien hired La Grenouille's people after his death so that he could take over his father's business in the Arms Dealing trade." "You and Regine Smidt were two of those people that came to work for Julien."

"While at the airport after Jones' flight had landed in Miami, the two of you followed her every movement." Fornell smoothly says. "She spent the night at the Rodeway Inn-Miami Airport." "The following morning she took a cab to the bus station and purchased a ticket to Savannah, Georgia." "Once in Savannah, Jones rented a Green Ford Focus and drove to Washington, DC, checking into a Motel 6 on August 12th 2011." "You and Colville followed her to the motel and watched Jones' every move until August 21st 2011." Gibbs roughly says to him. "At some point one of you stole the Black GMC Yukon at a restaurant in Arlington, Virginia."

"Pure fantasy Agent Gibbs and Director Fornell." McCracken laughs.

Gibbs pointing to the video footage of Quinn and Colville following Jenny at the airport. "You call that fantasy." Gibbs barks.

"I guess we'll save the best for last, since Darren Wong was able to uncover it for us over at CIA Headquarters and sent over the video footage from Route 29 on August 20th around 2330 hours." "There's Harriett Jones' Ford Focus driving east on Route 29." Fornell nods gesturing up towards the plasma screen on the wall.

"And there's the stolen Black Yukon a few car lengths behind, with you behind the wheel and Colville sitting beside you." Gibbs smirks…."Conveniently for you a car hit a utility pole a block away from the hotel knocking out power in the area in front of the hotel, so there were no video camera's working outside of the hotel, but inside we got this footage." Gibbs answers and the video of the Black Yukon pulling up alongside of Jenny and Ziva firing at them, Ziva wounded drops to the ground, Jenny returns fire as the Yukon pulls out of the parking garage. "Jones returned fire, wounding Colville."

"You drove the SUV to Rock Creek Park the next morning, with Colville's body in the backseat, doused it down with gasoline and set it on fire." "You did such a good job of soaking Colville's body with gasoline that only his skull survived the intense heat of the fire, and there were no viable tissue samples so that his body could be identified." Fornell says and glances over at McCracken. "And you call this fantasy; we couldn't make any of this up if we wanted to." Fornell snaps.

McCracken whispers into Quinn's ear and then glances over at Fornell and Gibbs. "Could you give us a minute alone?"

Fornell gets up from his chair. "I'll give you five minutes." Fornell nods over at him and walks out of the room with Gibbs.

Out in the hallway with McGee in a minute later. "What could they possibly talking over?" McGee laughs.

"A fantasy plea deal which Quinn will not get." Fornell laughs.

"DiNozzo and David interrogating Barrett?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"As we speak." McGee grins.

"This I got to see." Gibbs laughs and walks off for the direction of Observation Room Number 2 with McGee and Fornell following him from behind.

Inside Interrogation Room Number 2, EJ Barrett with her lawyer present refuses to answer Tony and Ziva's questions. "So you deny you're off shore accounts in the Cayman Islands." Ziva sarcastically asks, from her place in the corner of the room near the mirrored window.

"That's a lot of dough to deny EJ." Tony smirks at her from across the table.

"My father passed away and left me a large inheritance." EJ innocently answers.

"Twenty million dollars." Tony asks raising a questioning eyebrow at her.

"I know how to invest well." EJ smirks back.

"Yes we know it's called getting kickbacks from Arms Dealers and selling them classified information." Ziva angrily chastises her and draws Barrett's attention to the plasma screen. "On August 10th at an outdoor café in Riohacha, Colombia you gave Julien Benoit classified information on a Columbian Arms and Drug Dealer by the name of Bernardo Suárez."

"CIA Operative Harriett Jones took this photo of you and Benoit." "An hour later Benoit is seen in this photo purchasing weapons from Suárez." "One of Benoit's men spotted Jones and went after her." Tony finishes….

"Cut to the chase and refer to CIA Operative Jones as Jenny Shepard." EJ laughs…..

"Jenny had managed to get out of Riohacha without being captured by Benoit, but he did learn of her flight number to Miami, Florida and had two of his men waiting for her at the airport." Ziva informs her. "Martin Quinn and Marcus Colville."

"A week later in the parking garage at the Georgetown Ritz Carlton, Quinn and Colville fired at Ziva and Jenny, Jenny with a gunshot wound to her right side managed to get off a few rounds wounding Colville." Tony interjects and gets up from his seat and opens up a file and shows Barrett the money that's been deposited into her account from JBEnterprises. "Julien Benoit is the head of JBEnterprises."

Barrett defeated sinks into the back of her chair. "I want a deal."

"She wants a deal." Ziva laughs and hears a bang on the window behind her. "We'll be back." Ziva giggles and walks out of the room with Tony.

Inside Observation Room Number 2, Gibbs, Fornell, and McGee are waiting for Tony and Ziva. "Hell no!" Gibbs barks.

Tony and Ziva walk into the room. "You banged!" Tony grins and approaches Gibbs and Fornell.

"No deal!" Fornell snaps.

"We weren't going to give her one." Tony smirks.

"She's going down along with her uncle and that corrupt bastard Owens." Gibbs barks.

"We'll relay the message." Ziva sweetly answers.

Fornell glancing down at his watch. "We better get back to Quinn." Fornell nods over at Gibbs.

Back inside of Interrogation Room Number 2, Tony and Ziva walk in. "Director Fornell says no deal." Tony grins over at a defeated Barrett. "Aw what's the matter EJ, you don't want to wear prison scrubs for the rest of your life." Tony laughs at her.

"Orange does go well with your hair." Ziva baits her.

"You're just jealous that Julien Benoit was more of a man than you are Tony." EJ scolds him.

"How so?" Tony shrugs.

"His world did not consist of knowledge of TV shows and movies." "It consisted of the finer things in life that a woman like me craved for." EJ smirks over at him.

"His world dealt with selling weapons to terrorist groups, which you as a Federal Agent had sworn an oath to protect your country from." Ziva angrily berates her.

"Greed and corruption!" Tony frowns over at Barrett. "You were a promising agent; it was the reason why Jenny offered you the job as Team Leader in Madrid back in 2006." "Jenny had said to me that you would have been a good candidate down the road as an Operations Manager."

"She did!" EJ says with surprise.

"Yes!" Ziva sadly answers. "And now your future lies in a federal prison for the next thirty years." "What a wasted opportunity EJ."

Over in Interrogation Room Number 1, Gibbs and Fornell are once again questioning Martin Quinn. "So have you and your client talked it over." Gibbs smoothly asks.

"He wants a deal."

"He wants a deal." Gibbs and Fornell laughs at the same time and glance over at McCracken.

"You find humor in this." McCracken bitterly asks.

"How since his boss is dead." Gibbs informs them with a smirk on his face.

"Benoit is dead?" Quinn says with surprise.

"Blew up his plane on takeoff at Palm Springs International Airport on Saturday night." Gibbs answers.

"We have your client on the attempted murder of a Federal Officer; the CIA also has charges against you on the attempted murder of one of their Operatives." "There's the theft of the stolen SUV in Arlington, arson of the said SUV and abuse of a corpse, by burning Marcus Colville's body." Fornell informs them.

"Your client either way is looking at life behind bars with no parole." Gibbs answers.

"Benoit would never kill himself, I bet you Kosmo Galanos was behind his plane blowing up." Quinn snaps.

"Nope, Benoit had hired Trent Kort to put a hit out on Galanos." "Galanos had nothing to do with Benoit's plane blowing up." "He detonated the bomb via his cell phone." Gibbs nods over at Quinn.

"He didn't want to face the wrath of being held in an American prison for the rest of his life." Fornell grins.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Fornell are standing out in the hallway. "That was too easy." Tony laughs.

"I still have to interrogate Davenport." Gibbs growls and walks off for the direction of Interrogation Room Number 3 with McGee following him from behind.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow's interrogation of Vance's interrogation by Jenny." Tony laughs.

Inside Interrogation Room Number 3, Gibbs is seated across the table in front of Davenport and his lawyer with McGee standing behind him. "You're facing at least forty years in prison Davenport." Gibbs snaps at him.

"With his age, that's a life sentence boss." McGee snickers.

"You do not know who you're dealing with Gibbs." Davenport berates him.

"Yes I do." "A corrupt politician who thought that he could get away with it." "Jonah Cobb is what brought you're world down." Gibbs bitterly reminds him.

"If Barrett had captured Cobb as the 'Port to Port' Serial Killer, Gibbs would have been forced out as Team Leader of the Major Case Response Team and you would have had Vance put Barrett in his place." McGee angrily says to him.

"But that didn't happen." "Everything came out in the open and you resigned as SecNav and Barrett resigned her position at NCIS." Gibbs answers.

"And from there Barrett traveled from Rome, Madrid, Berlin, and finally to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with her lover Julien Benoit who purchased a house for her in Rio de Janeiro." McGee answers and opens up a file and shows Davenport. "We have the cell phone call logs from Julien Benoit to you, Barrett, and Leon Vance." "The three of you were bought and paid for by Benoit."

"You mean Tyler Keith Owens." Gibbs corrects McGee and then glances over at Davenport. "I know you were Owens CO over at Camp Pendleton 1st Intelligence Battalion." "Tyler Owens suffered a detached retina in a boxing match in San Diego in 1989." "You cannot serve in the Corps with a detached retina." Gibbs answers.

"A friend of Owens at the gym in by the name of Leon Vance switched places with Owens." McGee nods over at Davenport.

"I found out about that from a background report from Trent Kort." "McGee followed up on while I was in Paris hiding out with Jenny while she recovered from her gunshot wound." Gibbs answers.

"Owens went along with your scheme, because you found out that he was hacking into 1st Intelligence Battalion servers." McGee informs him.

"Leon Vance was in place; Tyler Keith Owens had not been home in about ten years." "He joined the Corps when he was seventeen years old, with his parents' consent." "Nobody would have remembered him back in the neighborhood in which he grew up in." "Owens parents were deceased, and his sister Tara went along with the scheme." Gibbs follows and opens up another file. "You paid for Leon Vance's schooling at MIT and sent him to FLETC." "From there Vance graduated and applied as an NCIS Agent, where he exceled in computers and forensics, but sucked as a field agent." Gibbs snorts.

"While you moved up the ranks in the Navy, you kept Vance on a short leash reminding him of how it was you that got him in the position he is in today." "When you were promoted as SecNav, the first thing that was on your to do list was remove Jenny as Director of NCIS, so that you could have you're guy in place to continue on with your corrupt dealings." McGee snaps at him.

"We have everything on documentation Phil." "You have no way out." Gibbs grins at him.

"From the office of the Secretary of the Navy to a federal prison cell, you've moved a long ways with in the past three months." McGee laughs at him.

"I won't have you speak to me like this." Davenport scolds them.

"Oh yes I can, I speak to all dirt bags like this." "Including a former Secretary of the Navy." Gibbs grins and gets up from the table and walks out of the room.

"And to think that my dad thought highly of you when the two of you use to work together in San Diego." McGee frowns and walks out of the room, to a defeated Davenport.

Out in the hallway Tony and Ziva are applauding Gibbs and McGee. "Bravo you out did us." Tony smirks.

"Nope we'll all be out done by Jenny tomorrow." Ziva laughs.

"Keep in mind I trained Jenny on her Interrogation Skills." Gibbs chuckles and walks down the corridor.

"Not all of it boss." Tony grins.

That night at Ducky's house, Gibbs and Jenny are having a romantic dinner out in the kitchen. "I wasn't expecting you over so early." Jenny smiles as she bites into her salad.

"We wrapped up everything early." Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his glass of wine.

"And conveniently Ducky is spending the night at his girlfriend's place." Jenny giggles.

"You damn well I don't believe in coincidences Jen." Gibbs playfully growls.

Tomorrow at CIA Headquarters there will be a CIA-NCIS joint press conference announcing to the world that Jenny Shepard is alive and was in the Federal Witness Protection Program for the past three years. Vance's resignation and the corruption between him and former SecNav will also be released to the public during the press conference. Jenny will finally be free to come out into the public as Jennifer Shepard once again taking full control of her life back. Tyler Owens watch your back in interrogation, for the return of Jenny Shepard.


	42. Passive

Around five the next morning, Gibbs is sitting on the edge of the bed watching over Jenny as she sleeps on her left side. "Damn it!" He growls in frustration and leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. He leans over and grabs his boots and quietly leaves the bedroom, closing the door behind him. "It's frustrating as hell not waking up to you in my bed in the morning." Gibbs frowns and makes his way down the stairs. Ducky walks in. "Jethro shouldn't you be sleeping in for another hour." Ducky muses in surprise at seeing him up so early.

"I have to go home and change my clothes." Gibbs answers, not happy with his and Jenny's current sleeping arrangements.

"You don't look happy." Ducky asks.

"I'm not, this arrangement sucks." Gibbs sighs in frustration. "I want to wake up in the morning in my bed with Jenny beside me."

"Jethro has Leyla spoken to you at all since you've came back from Europe." Ducky sheepishly asks.

"No!" Gibbs shrugs and notes that Ducky knows something. "Spit it out!"

"Leyla signed a lease to an apartment near Amira's school." "She'll be moving in at the first of the month." Ducky informs him.

"Why didn't she tell me this?" Gibbs answers and is about to start off for the door.

"She's afraid to disappoint you Jethro." Ducky softly answers.

"I told her that I would understand if she wanted to move out." "I'll still look after them, I promised Mike." Gibbs answers.

"So you only have a week left of your current sleeping arrangements, I can't guarantee a night out at my girlfriend's so that you and Jenny can have your privacy." Ducky mutters.

"You still have the key for the Swartz's place." Gibbs reminds him with a smirk on his face.

"Forgot about that." Ducky laughs and shakes his head.

"I didn't!" Gibbs chuckles and walks off for the front door.

Gibbs' house an hour and a half later, Jack is sitting at the kitchen table drinking his coffee. "Sleep well last night Leroy." Jack winks over at Gibbs from across the table.

"Not a whole helluva a lot." Gibbs answers with a mischievous grin on his face.

"So I notice from the hickey on your neck." Jack snickers.

"One of the few times that she was aggressive last night." Gibbs grumbles and gets up from the table. "Something was bugging her and she was a bit passive in the bedroom, which is rare for Jenny." Gibbs laughs and picks up his empty coffee cup and approaches the coffee pot. "We promised that we wouldn't keep things from one another this time around." Gibbs frowns and pours himself a refill.

"You might be over reacting." Jack shrugs.

"No!" Gibbs swallows hard. "I'll have it out with her when I drive Jenny over to Navy Yard after the press conference this morning."

Leyla and Amira walk into the room. "Good morning Jack." Amira cheerfully calls out to him.

"Good morning Amira." Jack smiles down at her.

"Dad could you get Amira a bowl of cereal, I want to talk to Leyla out in the living room for a minute." Gibbs answers.

"Sure!" Jack answers and gets up from the table.

Gibbs takes Leyla by the arm and walks her out into the living room, guiding Leyla over to the couch, where they both sit down. "Ducky told me that you signed a lease on an apartment near Amira's school."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you when you returned home with your father." Leyla apologizes.

"You don't need to apologize, I understand." Gibbs reassures her. "If you need me for anything remember I'm just a phone call away." Gibbs smiles.

"I know the Marine saying, Semper Fi." Leyla smiles.

"Mike was there for me after Shannon and Kelly was murdered, he got me through it and for that I will always be in debt to him." Gibbs gently answers.

"Besides, you are a bachelor Jethro; it's hard for you to see other women with Amira and myself living in the house." Leyla winks at him.

"I'm not on the market anymore Leyla, keep the TV glued to ZNN around ten o'clock this morning." Gibbs grins and gets up from the couch.

"Do I know her?" Leyla curiously asks.

"Oh yeah!" Gibbs smirks and walks off for the kitchen. "So what cereal did she pick out?"

"Cheerios!" Amira calls out from the table.

Langley, Virginia

CIA Headquarters

Briefing Room

1000 Hours

Director Petraeus standing alongside SecNav Jarvis, and newly appointed Director of NCIS Tobias Fornell in front of a podium with the official CIA Seal on it. Director Petraeus approaches the podium first. "On Saturday evening in Palm Springs California, there was a joint raid on a French Arms Dealers house by the name of Julien Benoit." "CIA was the lead agency with information that we received through NCIS and by one of our undercover operatives." "Julien Benoit had received classified information on known arms dealers throughout the world, by former Secretary of the Navy Phillip Davenport, Director of NCIS Leon Vance, and Phillip Davenport's niece former NCIS Special Agent Eric Jane Barrett." "As of Monday morning Leon Vance was fired by SecNav Jarvis and was immediately replaced by former FBI Special Agent Tobias Fornell, who is familiar with NCIS and can smoothly transition into the position as Director."

ZNN Reporter Shelly Tomlinson quickly interjects. "You said there were other agencies involved in the raid on Benoit's house."

"Yes, Benoit had a party going on at his house at the time of his arrest with Central American Drug and Weapons dealers, so the DEA and ATF were in on the raid." Petraeus answers.

"Status of Julien Benoit's where a bouts?" Channel 4 report shouts up at Petraeus.

"Dead, the plane that exploded over the Palm Springs Airport on Saturday night was Julien Benoit's." "He eluded capture by placing a bomb on board his plane." Petraeus answers.

"How long has former SecNav Davenport and Director Vance been dealing with arms dealers?" Channel 5 reporter shouts up at Petraeus.

"Unknown and we're still looking into it." Petraeus answers.

"Unknown, two people who have knowledge of governments classified intelligence and they have been selling secrets to arms dealers." "For all we know they could have been selling secrets to Hamas." Tomlinson sarcastically shouts.

"It's an ongoing investigation Shelly." Petraeus mumbles in annoyance.

Out in the entranceway leading into the briefing room Jenny rolls her eyes. "I hated that bitch when I was Director." Jenny hisses.

"I know!" Gibbs laughs.

After Petraeus, Jarvis, and Fornell speak to the media, Petraeus approaches the podium. "One other announcement." Petraeus smiles and glances over at the direction of Jenny. "Three years ago former Director of NCIS Jenny Shepard died in a house fire." "That is what the public was told."

"Did Vance and Davenport have something to do with her death?" Tomlinson curiously asks.

"No, there was a threat on her life." "To keep Jenny safe, she was put into the Federal Witness Protection Program." "The perpetrators behind her threat have been recently incarcerated or have been taken out." "With her life no longer at risk, Jenny is now coming back to the world as Jenny Shepard." Petraeus looks into the direction that Jenny is standing at. "Jenny!" He calls out to her.

"Have fun!" Gibbs laughs and affectionately shoves Jenny out into the briefing room.

"Thanks a lot!" Jenny sighs and approaches the podium.

"Were you the CIA Operative that Director Petraeus had mentioned?" Tomlinson shouts.

"Figures you would get the first question in Shelly." Jenny sarcastically answers. "No I was hiding in a classified location."

"But why come out now?" Channel 7 reporter asks Jenny.

"Because the threat to my life is now over with and I want to be myself, not being called by a name that isn't me." Jenny softly answers.

"Did SecNav Jarvis ask you for your reinstatement as NCIS Director?" Tomlinson shouts.

"No!" Jenny smiles and glances towards the direction of her lover standing near the entranceway. "And if he did the answer would have been no, I have other priorities in my life at this time."

Meanwhile at Gibbs' house in the living room. "Amira is going to be thrilled that Jenny is living in Washington now." Leyla smiles with tears of joy streaming down her face.

"She'll see her all the time, soon as you and Amira move out, she's moving in with Leroy." Jack winks.

"Oh Jethro's mystery woman." Leyla giggles and leans over and whispers into Jack's ear. "So she's responsible for the bruises on your son's neck."

"He said they were mild." Jack laughs.

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

The Gibblets, along with Ducky and Palmer are sitting around the aisle way watching the press conference up on the center plasma screen. "I would like to see Jenny and Shelly in a wrestling match." Tony grins.

"One punch and Shelly will be on the floor." Ziva laughs.

"One punch and Iris had landed on the couch in Benoit's Office." Tony laughs.

"She hit Iris?" McGee says with surprise.

"I don't know what Kort or her dad saw in her." Tony grimaces.

"Actress description?" Ziva asks.

"Barbara Carrera, you know 'Fatima Blush' from the 1983 independent James Bond Movie 'Never Say Never Again'."

"I thought she was kind of hot in that movie." McGee drools.

"Your taste in women Probie." Tony snickers.

"I'll throw two initials at you." McGee smirks at him.

"Don't go there." Tony shouts at him.

"Then quit berating my taste in women, at least I did not make a fool out of myself with EJ Barrett in the office for over a month." McGee bitterly reminds him.

In the car on the way over to the Navy Yard. "You were passive in bed last night." Gibbs nods over at his lover as the car stops at the traffic light.

Jenny pointing to the hickey on the side of Gibbs' neck. "Call that passive?" Jenny laughs.

"One of the few times you were aggressive last night."

"You complain when I'm aggressive and now your complaining that I'm passive, which one do you want?" Jenny sighs and rolls her eyes.

"What's bugging you?"

"I have to go back to Kalymnos." Jenny frowns.

"Why?" Gibbs growls.

"My father put me as his soul benefactor in his estate." "I told Petraeus that I didn't want it."

"But in order to go on with your life you have to get it over with." Gibbs interjects… The light turns green and Gibbs floors the gas pedal.

"I'll fly out Friday night."

"Why so soon?" Gibbs asks.

"The sooner I get it over-" 

"I know!" Gibbs interrupts….."I know!" "I can't go with you."

"I'll only be gone for about a week." Jenny answers.

"And when you get back from Kalymnos we can start out life together finally." "Leyla is moving out on Saturday."

"Jethro you're breaking your word to Mike."

"Leyla made the arrangements while I was away; I have nothing to do with it." "The apartment is near Amira's school."

"So everything is all set."

"By the end of next week I'll be waking up in bed with you beside me." Gibbs smiles.

"Keep in mind I get to sleep in." Jenny smirks.

"There's always the morning quickie before I leave." Gibbs mischievously answers.

"But I can always roll over and go back to sleep afterwards." Jenny laughs.

NCIS Headquarters

Tony, Ziva, and McGee are working at their desks. "When is Jenny going to interrogate Vance?" McGee curiously asks.

"Soon as she arrives in the building." Tony answers…..Hearing the bell going off for the elevator doors, Tony glances over towards the direction of the elevator and spots Gibbs and Jenny walking out of the elevator together. "Which is now?"

Gibbs approaches his section with Jenny following him behind. "Fornell come back into the building?" Gibbs sheepishly asks.

"MTAC!" Tony nods up at him.

"I'll wait down here." Jenny answers.

Gibbs narrows his eyes over at Jenny. "You ok?"

"Fine, the walls were closing in on me when I was up in my old office yesterday." "I can't do it just yet." Jenny frowns.

"I understand!" Gibbs smiles and squeezes Jenny's hand and starts off for the stairs.

"I'm heading down to Abby's." Jenny nods over at Tony and walks off for the direction of the elevator.

Ziva waiting for Jenny to get out of earshot. "She doesn't seem comfortable in the building." Ziva sadly notes.

"Three years ago she was Madame Director Queen of the Beltway." Tony answers.

"And now she's civilian Jenny Shepard." McGee sighs and shakes his head.

"Not for long, Jenny won't be able to sit at home and read books all day long at Gibbs' house; she'll climb the walls with nothing to do." Ziva laughs.

Down in Abby's Lab, Jenny is sitting at Abby's workstation watching Abby work. "I was waiting for you to punch out Shelly." Abby giggles.

"I wanted to." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"So now that you're Jenny Shepard again, what are you going to do from here?" Abby curiously asks.

"Interrogate Tyler Keith Owens and then unfortunately I have to handle the affairs of my father's estate in Kalymnos."

"You what?" Abby asks with surprise.

"Yes he left everything to me." Jenny grumbles and shakes her head. "I'm flying out to Kalymnos on Friday night."

"What are you going to do with your father's money?" Abby sheepishly asks.

"I'm not keeping it." "I'll find a worthy charity."

"You don't want it."

"I do not want my dad's blood money." Jenny bitterly snaps.

"Is Gibbs going with you?"

"No, he has to stay in Washington Abby." "And this is something that I need to do on my own."

"But you just got back together." Abby pouts.

"I know and when I get back from Kalymnos we'll start our life together." "Leyla is moving out of his house on Saturday." "I'll move in with him."

"I heard, Ducky told me this morning." "She's leasing an apartment near Amira's school."

"And it's still close to Jethro's house if Amira wants to visit him on his days off." Jenny smiles.

"So he gets the best of both worlds." "His god daughter living nearby and waking up to the woman he loves every morning." Abby answers and affectionately hugs Jenny.

Back up in the Squad Room. Gibbs returns from MTAC. "Where's Jenny?"

"Abby's!" Tony answers.

"I think she was getting a little claustrophobic." McGee smoothly answers.

Gibbs picks up his desk phone. "The quicker she interrogates Vance, the quicker she can get out of the building." Gibbs sighs and dials Abby's extension number. "Abby could you send Jenny up to the Squad Room."

Ten minutes later out in the hallway near the door in front of Interrogation Room Number 1. "I'll go in first." Gibbs smirks.

"Vance won't be expecting me." Jenny laughs.

Inside Observation Room Number 1, Tony, Ziva, McGee, Abby, and Ducky are standing behind the window. "This is going to be some show." Tony grins.

"Vance won't be expecting Jenny." Ziva snickers.

"I can't wait to see the look on his face." Abby laughs.

McGee sadly stares through the window at a defeated Vance. "I feel bad for his family." McGee frowns.

"His sister Tara knew, but to you think it's possible that his wife Jackie knew?" Tony curiously asks.

"Does it really matter Tony?" Ducky sadly answers.

On the other side of the glass, Vance silently sits with his lawyer, Donna Westbrook. "Remember you do not have to answer their questions." Westbrook advises him.

"I know Donna." Vance sighs.

Gibbs walks into the room. "I've been looking forward to this for over a month Tyler." Gibbs grins.

"Agent Gibbs do not bait my client." Westbrook warns him.

"I can deal with Gibbs Donna." Vance chuckles.

"I'm not interrogating you." Gibbs laughs.

"Director Fornell!" Vance laughs.

Jenny walks into the room with a smirk on her face. "No me!"

"That isn't allowed." Westbrook protests.

"It is, since Jenny officially still works for the CIA." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny taking a seat across from Vance and Westbrook. "And I do have permission from Director Fornell to be in here."

"Seems fitting that the former Director of NCIS gets to question you since you forced her out of her job." Gibbs smoothly says.

"The job was mine to begin with." "The only reason why Gordo and Morrow promoted Jenny over me as Director in 2005 is because she's better at politics than I am." "NCIS was having problems getting funding from the hill and she also put NCIS on the public spotlight with Jenny being the first woman appointed as a head of a Federal Arms Agency." Vance bitterly reminds him.

"Difference between you and I Tyler, is I worked my ass off to get into the Director's Office." Jenny hisses.

"No you slept around to get into the Director's Office, starting with Gibbs." Vance sarcastically answers.

"The only reason why I shared Jethro's bed when we were partners is because I loved him it had nothing to do with furthering my career and I did not sleep with anybody of higher authority after I was promoted as Team Leader, so get your facts straight." Jenny angrily corrects him.

Gibbs opens up a folder and puts it in front of Vance. "It was either play ball with Davenport or he was going to turn you in for hacking into 1st Intelligence Battalion servers." "You had read into some classified black ops that could have jeopardized the lives of several NIS Agents." "Mike Franks was one of them." Gibbs growls.

"Where did you get that?" Westbrook angrily requests.

"Trent Kort gave it to me six months after you appointed as Director of NCIS." "I never opened the file, because at the time we had finally settled in as a unit again." "You stayed up in your office and out of my way and everything was going fine until you accompanied me, Tony, and Ziva to Tel Aviv." "I should have read Kort's file when I came back to Washington, but I didn't." Gibbs snaps…. "Four months later, Ziva returned to my team, I had to kiss your ass which made me sick to my stomach."

"It got Ziva her Special Agent Status did it now." Vance smirks.

"It did!" Gibbs sighs…."But I looked into the mirror every day and didn't like what I saw." "Leroy Jethro Gibbs does not kill ass to nobody."

"No that's my job." Jenny sweetly answers and gets back to the subject at hand. "After you had injured your eye a boxing match which required surgery for a detached retina, you switched places with the real Leon Vance a friend of yours that worked in the boxing gym that you would frequently go to in San Diego." "Davenport had plans for you." "Leon Vance as Tyler Keith Owens took your place in Chicago after you were discharged from the Marine Corps in 1989, you can't serve on active duty with a detached retina in the Marine Corps."

"The new Owens blended in your old neighborhood in Chicago, because you had entered the Corps when you were seventeen years old with your parents' consent." "With your parents' dead and the neighborhood changing, nobody noticed and a successful transition had taken place." "Owens got your Marine benefits and was able to start over again." Gibbs roughly adds.

"While you started your life all over again as Leon Vance." "Davenport sent you to MIT, where you graduated with honors and from there you went to FLETC and through Davenport you got the job at NCIS as a Probationary Status Agent." Jenny follows.

"I've read the reports on your Probationary Status training, you were horrible in the field, but you exceled at computers and forensics." Gibbs smirks.

"Field work was never my forte." Vance mutters in annoyance.

"So we noticed over in Europe." Jenny laughs.

"As Davenport worked his way up the Navy hierarchy he kept his eye on his protégé." "Davenport got promoted as SecNav and the first thing on his mind was he wanted Jenny out of the way as Director and you in her place." "You both got your wish when Jenny was wounded in a shoot-out in the Mojave Desert on May 13th 2008." "My gut told me something wasn't right when I saw you at the crime scene when I showed up the next day." "You had processed the entire crime scene inside the diner while DiNozzo and David processed the outside." "Jenny's body was never in any of the crime scene photos." Gibbs snarls and on cue McGee brings up the photos of the crime scene and they appear one after another. "Davenport had a something going on with the CIA that involved the Navy Seals and the CIA wouldn't play ball as long as Jenny was in place as Director." "The key player in the CIA-Navy Seals program was Trent Kort, he knew of a way to get Jenny out as Director, blackmail."

"Right Jenny's missing Glock." Vance smirks.

"Her missing Glock that was linked to the murder of René Benoit." "Kort knew where it was." Gibbs swallows.

"Unknown to me at the time, my father was alive and well purchasing weapons as a CIA Operative in the Greek Islands of Kalymnos." "My father had my gun hidden securely in a safe inside of his hillside villa overlooking the Aegean Sea." "It was either play ball with the CIA or my gun would find its way to Tobias Fornell's hands, since he was the head of the investigation into René Benoit's murder."

"You got off it the first time around because Kort had signed a paper that he had killed Benoit on a sanctioned hit." Vance snaps.

"No Kort had alternative motives and it came from my father's orders." Jenny icily answers.

"You made your father a fortune the three years you whored yourself for him." Vance laughs.

"You made a fortune the past fifteen years by selling secrets to known arms dealers." Jenny angrily answers.

Gibbs leans over the table and glares down at Vance. "You are bought and paid for and on the list of them is René Benoit." "He was always one step ahead of Jenny when she was trying to bring him down." "You hacked into Jenny's Office and home computers and would feedback Benoit the information on what Jenny was up to."

"Not only René Benoit, but my father." "When Benoit started to get cold feet back in 2007, Trent Kort under my dad's orders put a bomb under Tony DiNozzo's car and tried to kill Tony and René Benoit's daughter Jeanne, who Tony secretly dating as part as an NCIS undercover op." "The car blew up, but luckily Tony and Jeanne were not in the car at the time." Jenny sighs with relief.

"How we found out about this is through the various files that Jasper Shepard kept on his business dealings over the years and your name was on his list Leon." Gibbs answers in disgust.

Jenny gets up from the chair and approaches the plasma screen. "René Benoit, Julien Benoit, Kosmo Galanos, which is my dad's CIA alias, Bernardo Suárez, Columbian Drug and Weapons Dealer."

Suddenly on screen a photo of EJ Barrett handing Julien Benoit a file with an NCIS logo in the background and Benoit handing Barrett an envelope of money. "You gave that information to Barrett a week before she flew out to Riohacha, Colombia." Gibbs nods and sits down in the chair across from Vance.

"I took that photo of Benoit and Barrett on August 10th." "An hour later I had followed Benoit on a meet up with Bernardo Suárez." Jenny answers and gestures towards the next photo on screen of Benoit paying Suárez on an arms deal from information on the file that Barrett gave Benoit. "I was spotted while taking that photo and quickly fled Riohacha and took a flight to Miami."

"Benoit's men followed Jenny to Washington." "Jenny hid in a motel room for over a week, because she was trying to get in contact with Ziva to let her know what she had seen in Riohacha." "Ziva didn't meet Serena Morris in the parking garage on August 21st." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Vance's eyes widen when he suddenly realizes that Jenny was Ziva's contact. "You were Ziva's contact." Vance angrily snaps.

"What you don't know Tyler is that Ziva and I have been in contact with one another when I went off to the land of the dead." Jenny smirks at him.

"She was given a direct order." Vance shouts.

"A direct order when she worked for NCIS, not Mossad." Gibbs grins.

"Your orders don't count when she's working an undercover op for Mossad in Morocco." Jenny sweetly says to Vance and bats her eyelashes at him. "And the second time I bumped into her, Ziva had just resigned from NCIS over that incident with Michael."

"But they counted on August 21st." Vance vents and gets up from the table.

"You saw the pain I was the morning I drove up to that diner in Mojave Desert." "How could you put me through that knowing how close Jenny and I were when we partners?" Gibbs screams at Vance and gets up from the table.

"I was under orders from Davenport." Vance screams back.

"No you were itching to get your ass behind Jenny's desk." "You had a taste of it when she was suspended and when Jenny was away on her leave of absence." Gibbs barks.

"Then you had the nerve to break up Jethro's team after my funeral service." Jenny answers disgusted at the man standing in front her. "I was like a wife to Jethro, his team playfully referred to me as their mother."

Inside Observation Tony, Ziva, McGee, Abby, and Ducky bursts out laughing. "You mean mommy Jenny." Abby giggles.

Back inside the room. "There was a mole working inside of the Navy Yard, which you were aware of at that time." Vance fumes back.

"Michelle Lee!" Jenny answers and shakes her head. "That could have been easily investigated without breaking up Gibbs' team." Jenny sighs.

"But I reinstated his team after Gibbs had uncovered what was going on." Vance nods.

"And I had to kiss ass to get Tony reinstated on my team." Gibbs snarls.

"If I had to do it all over again, Tony's position would still be an agent afloat." Vance smirks.

"I know you despise agents of Tony and my caliber." Gibbs growls.

"Your methods are outdated with the times Jethro." Vance laughs and sits back down behind the table.

"Well it still gets the job done and my outdated methods hid Jenny for well over a month without you or the CIA knowing that she was alive and hiding at Ducky's house." "The only reason why Petraeus, Jarvis and Fornell got involved in this is that Ray Cruz turned in Trent Kort and Jasper Shepard, they were both getting greedy and power hungry for their own good."

"So the op over in Somalia was bogus." Vance angrily notes.

"MI-6 got full credit and they were after Gahiji Ulman anyway." "A known Somalian Terror Cell was put out of commission." Gibbs shrugs.

"None of it really matters." "You're a dirty politician who used his position to make himself rich." Jenny snaps and walks over to the corner of the table and makes eye contact with Vance. "Between what was uncovered on your office and home computers you are looking at life behind bars Tyler."

"You murdered René Benoit in cold blood and are walking the streets of Washington, DC." "And you have the gall to judge me." Vance laughs.

"But can your prove that I shot René Benoit." "According to Trent Kort he killed him, he said it right in front of you, Gibbs, and Fornell, and there's a signed paper by the Director of Central Intelligence Michael Hayden stating that René Benoit was ordered to kill by Director Hayden." Jenny reminds Vance with a smirk on her face.

"And Trent Kort is conveniently not here to contradict his claim." Vance icily fumes.

"Well Tony did put a bullet into his head when Kort was holding me hostage." Jenny shrugs.

"And Director Petraeus did say shoot to kill with Kort." Gibbs grins.

Vance knowing that he'll have to take his chances in court glances over at his lawyer. "I want to speak to Gibbs alone."

"Remember do not say anything that he can use against you in court." Westbrook reminds him.

"I won't!" Vance sighs.

Gibbs glances at Jenny to leave the room, and then glances towards the direction of the mirror for his team to leave as well. Jenny and Westbrook reluctantly leave the room. Gibbs pulls out the chair at the table and takes a seat. "Ok Tyler we're alone."

"Did Jarvis look at the file from my safe?" Vance smoothly asks.

"Yes, the one that says that my rifle wasn't the same rifle that shot and killed Pedro Hernandez." Gibbs smirks.

"That's not what Miss Scuito's original report had stated." Vance vents.

"Prove it otherwise, as far as Director Fornell is concerned the case is closed." Gibbs grins and gets up from his chair and walks out of the room.

"And your just as corrupted as I am Gibbs and Shepard, the difference is I got caught." Vance sighs and sinks back against his chair.

Out in the hallway. "You two were wonderful." Abby smiles and affectionately hugs her dysfunctional parents.

"Where do we go from here?" Tony grins.

Gibbs cell phone begins to ring. "Gibbs yeah!" He answers…."We'll be right there." Gibbs nods and closes his phone shut. "Dead Petty Officer found in a bar dumpster." Gibbs shouts at his team and starts down the hallway.

"You had to ask Tony." McGee laughs and chases after Gibbs.

"Come on DiNozzo." Gibbs growls.

"On your six boss." Tony shouts and chases after Gibbs and Tony.

"He had to ask." Ziva giggles.

"I'm afraid Mr. Palmer and myself will be needed with this." Ducky sighs and rushes down the hallway.

"I guess the three of us are off to lunch." Jenny smiles over at Ziva and Abby.

"Yeah we haven't had a girl's day out in a while." Ziva grins.

"See there is a good thing about having desk duty Ziva." Abby teases and the three women walk down the hallway. "Thank god we're back to normal." Abby shouts with joy.

"First sign of normalcy is when Gibbs slams Fornell's Office door for the first time." Jenny laughs as they round the corner.

The door to the Interrogation Room is open; Vance in handcuffs is lead down the hallway. He glances around the empty hallway for the last time on his way to a federal prison where he'll be detained in isolation for twenty-three hours a day until his trial.


	43. A Seven

Gibbs and his team are behind a bar in the Dupont Circle section of the city. Inside the dumpster is the body of Petty Officer William Niles. Ducky pulls up in his truck and gets out with his medical bag. "Don't tell me I have to climb in that bloody dumpster for the TOD." Ducky mutters and approaches Gibbs.

"I can wait until we're done taking photos of the crime scene." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Tony clicking away at the body inside of the dumpster. "Ha, Ziva is stuck back in at the Navy Yard sitting behind a desk." Tony laughs.

"When is Ziva scheduled to come back to full duty?'" McGee curiously asks.

"Two weeks!" Gibbs sighs.

Palmer approaches with a gurney. "Two weeks for what?" Palmer asks overhearing part of their conversation.

"Two weeks until Ziva comes back to full duty, until then she's stuck behind her desk doing desk work which she loves so much." Tony smirks.

At an Italian restaurant, Jenny, Ziva, and Abby are having a quiet lunch together. "So you have to fly back to Kalymnos on Friday." Ziva says in disbelief.

"I'm not happy about it trust me." Jenny sighs and takes a sip from her glass of wine.

"Jenny you're drinking." Abby scolds her.

"A glass of wine is not going to kill me Abby; I've been staying off the hard core stuff."

"So when you get back from Kalymnos you'll be moving in with Gibbs, I heard through the gossip circuit that Leyla is moving out of Gibbs' house on Saturday." Ziva softly asks.

Jenny rolling her eyes over at Abby. "Gee I wonder who that was."

"I couldn't help it." Abby innocently answers.

"Yes I'll be moving in with Jethro."

"And from there." Abby winks.

"Nothing that comes to mind Abs, I just want to be me and when the time comes of I want to go back to work for another agency I'll do it on my own terms." "I'll just lounge around and read all day and go shopping."

"On what since you won't have a job?" Abby curiously asks.

"Don't worry when I was Director I kept money hidden in secret bank accounts." "It wasn't money illegally earned, but I put it in there-"

"Just encase you were incriminated in La Grenouille's murder." Ziva finishes.

"That's how I was able to purchase my apartment in Paris."

"You going to sell it." Ziva asks.

"No keeping it, once everything settles down, Jethro and I will take long weekends away." "And when I'm not using my apartment I'll rent it out during the weeks I'm not using it."

"Makes sense." Abby nods.

"So how was Paris?" Ziva elbows Jenny. Jenny avoids Ziva's gaze and looks the other way. "I knew you would give into him eventually." "Was it the dress?" Ziva smirks.

"What dress?" Abby protests fishing for information.

"Enough cleavage to tease Jethro." Ziva giggles.

"Really Ziva!" Jenny sighs and takes a bite out of her garlic bread.

Two hours later at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee walk into the bullpen and find Ziva munching on a bread stick at her desk. Tony narrows his eyes over at Ziva. "You didn't go to Maggio's by any chance?"

"Yes after the three of you left, I went out to lunch with Jenny and Abby." Ziva smiles.

"That's cheating!" McGee whines.

"Somebody had to drive Jenny over to Ducky's." Ziva innocently answers.

Gibbs hands Ziva a flash drive from the crime scene. "Since you were busy gabbing while we were working, review what we might have missed through the crime scene photos." Gibbs growls and walks over to his desk. Gibbs desk phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Gwen's Reception Desk

"The Director would like to see you up in his office sir." Gwen sweetly asks him.

Gibbs tosses his cap down on top of his desk. "I'll be right up." Gibbs answers and hangs up. Taking off his black jacket, Gibbs tosses it on the shelf behind his desk. "I bet you that hard ass Metro cop went whining to his Captain." Gibbs barks and stalks off towards the direction of the stairs.

Tony waits for Gibbs to enter Gwen's outer office before speaking to his conspirators. "Pay up!" Tony grins and holds out his hand.

"Two days!" McGee sighs.

Up in Fornell's Office. "Moron wouldn't quit interfering with my crime scene." Gibbs snarls.

"Jethro it was caught on camera." Fornell grumbles and gets up from his desk. "Channel 4 had just arrived on the scene and filmed your entire argument with Corporal Nix."

"What do you want me to do put duct tape on my mouth when I see a news van." Gibbs growls.

"That wouldn't be such a bad idea." Fornell sarcastically answers.

"I'm not apologizing to the whiney hard ass." "He should know when he sees another agency involved working on a crime scene to back off."

"Corporal Nix said he never heard of NCIS before?"

"Where in the hell has he been at?" "Especially today with both Vance and Jenny being a top news story on all of the news channels." Gibbs snaps in disbelief.

"Not everybody watches the news Jethro, including you." "I will not have this." "Learn to control your emotions when you're working around other agencies." "Am I making myself clear?" Fornell orders him.

Gibbs angrily glares over at Fornell and walks over to the door. "This is my answer." Gibbs snarls and slams the door behind him.

Unknown to Gibbs, Fornell had his desk phone on speakerphone and Jenny had listened into their entire conversation. "The door slam was harder for me." Jenny laughs.

"I think he slammed it harder for you, because he was sexually frustrated that he couldn't throw you down on top of the conference table." Fornell laughs.

"If he would have done it one time I would have been fired from my job, because I would have given in to him." Jenny grins.

"Piercing blue eyes a major turn on when he's pissed."

"Oh yeah!" Jenny wickedly answers.

"So what are your plans for the day, now that you've interrogated Vance?"

"Absolutely nothing Fornell, I'm up in the spare bedroom under the covers and I'm about to take a nap."

"Well what you've been through for the past three years, you deserve it Jenny." Fornell smiles.

"I've been to every hell hole in Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and the Middle East." "My plans after my dad's estate is settled are to do nothing for the immediate future."

Down in the Squad Room. "I'm going for coffee." Gibbs growls and storms off for the elevator.

Fornell after hanging up with Jenny is standing up on the balcony smirking over at Gibbs as he steps inside of the elevator. As the door closes. "What do you give that door slam DiNozzo?" Fornell shouts down to him.

Tony gets up from his chair and faces Fornell. "Seven, he slammed it harder for Jenny." Tony shouts back with a smirk on his face. Fornell innocently shrugs over at Tony and walks over to the eye scanner and steps inside of MTAC.

"We're back!" Tony grins and pumps his fist into the air.

"Takes Tobias Fornell to get Gunny Gibbs back." McGee laughs and gets up from his desk. "I'm going down to Abby's." McGee nods and walks off for the elevator.

"I'll take Gunny Gibbs any day over what we've endured for the past three years." Ziva smiles.

Down at Abby's Lab. "Rats I missed it and I lost Tony's bet." Abby protests and she's sorting out the evidence bags from Gibbs' crime scene.

"But Gunny Gibbs is back." McGee grins and takes a seat on a stool at Abby's workstation.

"Still not the same with Jenny not being in the office." Abby pouts.

"I know!" McGee frowns…."But keep in mind they can't have it both ways."

"Rule sucks!" Abby sighs.

"There are reasons for that rule Abby." McGee smiles to her.

"Emotions get in the way, yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah." Abby mutters.

"Gibbs had mentioned that he's taking Jenny over to his house after work to surprise Amira."

"Cool, I forgot that Leyla and Amira know about Jenny." Abby smiles.

"Gibbs is really looking forward to it." McGee smiles.

That evening, Leyla is out in the kitchen cooking dinner, Amira is out on the living room floor coloring in her coloring book with Jack in his recliner reading the newspaper. "You going back home on Sunday morning." Leyla calls out from the kitchen.

"Yeah I need to settle back into a normal routine." Jack shouts back.

Gibbs walks in with Jenny following closely behind him and gestures for his dad to keep quiet. Leyla out in the kitchen is setting the table spots Jenny hiding behind Gibbs. "Amira I brought a visitor over." Gibbs smiles down at her.

Amira raises an innocent eyebrow over at Gibbs as he approaches her, he moves off to the side. "Jenny!" Amira squeals with delight and gets up from the floor and runs over to her awaiting arms.

"And your grandfather thought that you would forget me after a year." Jenny smiles and affectionately kisses Amira on top of the forehead.

"She would ask about you all the time." Leyla smiles and walks over to Jenny and hugs her. "Jethro has told me that you're staying in Washington."

"Yes I am." "My days as a CIA Operative are over and done with." Jenny softly answers and goes down on the floor with Amira. "My mother use to help me color my coloring books."

Amira hands Jenny the green crayon. "I'll use the blue one." Amira smiles.

Gibbs stands in awe along with his father and Leyla and watch over as Jenny and Amira lie on the floor together, coloring a lighthouse. "I better go check on dinner." Leyla smiles and walks off for the kitchen.

Two and a half hours later down in the basement, Gibbs and Jack are sitting over at the worktable drinking a beer. "Leroy she would have make one helluva a mother." Jack frowns with regret.

"I know dad." Gibbs sighs with disappointment. "What's done is done and we can't go back."

Jenny walking down the basement steps for the first time without the sight of Gibbs' boat on top of the worktable. "Now this is an unexpected vision." Jenny laughs and approaches Gibbs and Jack at the table.

"What is?" Jack curiously asks.

"So strange not seeing his boat on top of the worktable." Jenny answers with surprise.

"I told you I finished her two years ago." Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his bottle of beer.

"Which you will not show me until spring?" Jenny hisses in protest.

"Leroy you have her docked over at the marina, show her." Jack scolds him.

"When she gets back from her trip from Kalymnos." "I'll show her on my weekend off."

"Great I have to wait another week." Jenny sighs.

"Tough I may have to work late." Gibbs growls.

Amira appears at the top of the stairs. "Jenny could you read to me?" She sweetly calls down to her.

"What book do you have in mind?" Jenny smiles and starts off for the stairs.

"Snow White!"

"Another Prince Charming book." Jenny smirks and glances over at the direction of Gibbs and walks up the stairs.

"At least she's finally moved on to another book." Jack laughs.

"Cinderella has been for well over a month." Gibbs chuckles.

Half an hour later up on Amira's room, Jenny is tucking the sleeping child in. Gibbs is standing in the door quietly watching. Jenny tiptoes out of the room and approaches her lover. "Did anybody tell you have a way with children?" Gibbs whispers mocking Jenny's words to her from the time they both tucked Carson into bed at her house.

"No this is a first." Jenny whispers and turns and glances over at Amira. Gibbs pulls Jenny down the hallway towards the direction of his bedroom. "Jethro not yet." She whispers and starts off for the stairs.

Gibbs follows her from behind. "I was only bringing you in there for decorating ideas." Gibbs growls.

"Yeah right and it would have led to something involving the bed." Jenny mutters and approaches the basement door. "Jack I'm leaving now." She calls down the stairs.

"Ok, good night Jenny." Jack calls up to her.

"Good night Jack." Jenny calls down.

Leyla turning out the kitchen lights affectionately hugs Jenny good night. "Good night Jenny." Leyla smiles and starts for the stairs.

"Good night Leyla."

"You want me to turn out the lights son." Jack calls up.

Gibbs grabbing an overnight bag that he had packed from earlier near the entrance of the doorway. "No I won't be home until tomorrow night." Gibbs calls down to his father and walks over to Jenny and puts his arm around her waist. "You better not be passive tonight." Gibbs snorts and starts off for the doorway.

"And I bet you'll be whining about the scratches on your back tomorrow morning." Jenny mutters in annoyance as the walk out the door.


	44. Playing Ball

September 30th 2011

Swartz' House

2000 Hours

The sound and fury of Gibbs and Jenny's lovemaking can be heard downstairs. "Damn it!" Gibbs growls…."Watch the nails."

"I'm trying to give you a memory of me while I'm away." Jenny screams out.

Upstairs in the bedroom that Jenny had stayed in while she was recovering from her gunshot wound, Gibbs and Jenny passionately make love to one another one last time before Jenny's redeye to Athens. Both of the lovers hold out on their releases not giving into one another. Their bodies flip over fighting off for dominancy on the bed. At once their bodies convulse in a chain spasms as they achieve their climax with a soul-shattering intensity. Gibbs on top of his lover slumps on top of her, his body trembling from the after effects from his release. Jenny soaked with sweat begins to shake from the emotions of coming down from her orgasm. The last time Gibbs and Jenny had made love like this was on their last night in Paris, eleven years ago. "I love you Jethro." Jenny breathes in her lover's ear.

Gibbs was his face pressed up against Jenny's left breast. "I love you Jenny." He whispers.

Dulles International Airport

2300 Hours

Gibbs is standing in front of Jenny's boarding gate. "I have to go Jethro." Jenny frowns.

Gibbs pulls Jenny into his arms. "Call me as soon as you land in Athens."

"I will!" Jenny softly answers and leans up and passionately kisses Gibbs on the mouth.

Gibbs deepens her kiss. Breathlessly he pulls away. "It's going to be a week from hell." Gibbs growls.

"Give your dad my best when he leaves on Sunday." Jenny smiles and leans up and tenderly kisses Gibbs on the mouth one last time before walking down the corridor for her flight.

Gibbs watches as Jenny disappears out of view. "But when you come back, you'll finally be home." Gibbs smiles having something to look forward to when Jenny returns from Europe.

The next afternoon Gibbs, Abby, Ziva, and Ducky are helping Leyla set up in her new apartment. "It's close to your house Gibbs." Abby smiles at him.

"I know and there are plenty of children that Amira can play with." Gibbs smiles…. Suddenly his cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers….."I'll be right there." He answers and hangs up. "Ziva, Duck, dead Naval Lieutenant found at Coast Guard Headquarters."

"Did you say Coast Guard?" Ducky inquires.

"CGIS, better not be sticking their nose in on it." Gibbs growls and nods over at Ziva. "Remember your still on desk duty."

Coast Guard Headquarters

CGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin is on scene of the death of Lieutenant John Solberg. "Special Agent Borin this is my crime scene." Gibbs growls at her as he approaches Solberg's body with his team.

"Well well, if it isn't Special Agent Gibbs." Borin smirks back at him. "Agents DiNozzo and McGee?" She nods over at them.

"Agent Borin!" They nod back at her.

"I've been authorized by my boss to work with you on this investigation." Borin informs Gibbs with a grin on her face.

"I'm not in a good mood, Borin." Gibbs grumbles and glances over at Tony. "DiNozzo, start taking photos." "McGee start asking questions."

"I already did that." Borin sweetly answers.

Gibbs rolls his eyes and then glances over at McGee. "On it!" McGee answers and walks over to a Coast Guard Lieutenant.

"Sir could we ask you a few questions." McGee nods over at him.

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

1500 Hours

Borin walks into Gibbs' section looking for Gibbs. "Where's Gibbs?" Borin sheepishly asks and approaches Tony's desk.

"Coffee run!" Tony shrugs.

Borin walks over to McGee's desk. "I brought in the video footage from the hallway near the room where Solberg was murdered in."

McGee takes the video tape from Borin. "Cool!"

"How are things going with your new Director?" Borin curiously asks.

"Fine, now that we have Gunny Gibbs back." Tony smirks.

Gibbs coffee in hand walks into the room over hearing Tony. "Is that so DiNozzo?" Gibbs growls.

"Agent Borin was just asking how things were going with Director Fornell." Tony grins.

"But what does that have to do with me being Gunny Gibbs." Gibbs answers and glares over at Tony.

"It means it's good to have the real Gibbs back." Ziva smiles.

"You don't have to kiss Fornell's ass." Tony affectionately says to his dysfunctional father.

"I was surprised that they didn't reinstate Director Shepard." Borin says with surprise.

"Can't do that." Gibbs smirks and takes a seat behind his desk.

"Why not?" Borin curiously asks.

"She can't be Director of NCIS and date me at the same time." Gibbs smiles and his cell phone begins to ring and on cue Jenny's name is on his caller ID. "Yeah Gibbs!" He smiles.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Plaza Hotel

Room 69

2200 Hours CEST

Jenny lying back on her bed. "Stupid lawyer won't meet me until Monday morning." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"I told you to fly out on Sunday night." Gibbs barks.

"I wanted to get this over with." Jenny mutters and rubs her temple.

"It will be over with." Gibbs reassures her. Realizing that he has several sets of ears listening in on him, Gibbs gets up and walks off near the wall under the balcony. "And when it's over with, you'll be coming home to my bed."

Over at Gibbs' section. "Rats, I can't listen in on him from over here." Tony grumbles.

"I believe that's the general idea of why he left his desk Tony." Ziva sarcastically answers.

"Why the secrecy?" Borin shrugs.

"Gibbs and Jenny are private people." McGee smiles.

Back over to Gibbs. "You in bed." Gibbs smirks.

"Of course!" Jenny groans in sexual frustration.

"Naked!" Gibbs grins.

"No I'm still in my clothes and when I do go to sleep I'll be sleeping in my lavender night gown."

"Once you enter my bedroom back home you better not be wearing anything to bed."

"I never wore anything to bed once the Paris Op started even years ago." Jenny sweetly reminds him.

"Why put something on when you know damn well I would have it off at some point during the night." Gibbs chuckles.

"This phone conversation isn't doing either of us any good."

"It's not affecting me because I got called into work."

"You were suppose to go out to dinner with your dad tonight." Jenny frowns.

"I know I'll make it up to him at Christmas time when he comes down or the holidays." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"What time is his flight to Harrisburg tomorrow morning?"

"1000 hours, we'll get up early and have breakfast, then I'll drive him to the airport and head back to work from there."

"Since you're at work I better let you get back to it." Jenny smiles…."I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Good night Jen, I love you."

"I love you Jethro." Jenny answers and hangs up.

Gibbs flips his phone closed and starts off for his desk. "Boss!" Tony calls out to him. "Ducky just finished up with Lieutenant John Solberg's autopsy."

Gibbs glancing over at Borin. "You coming with me."

"No I thought that I would see what turns up on the video tape that I brought over Coast Guard Headquarters." "There were two cameras in the hallway near the conference room where Solberg's body was found." Borin answers.

"Suit yourself." Gibbs says over his shoulder and walks off for the elevator.

Down in Autopsy two minutes later, Ducky is showing Gibbs Solberg's X-rays. "The bullet entered through his right lung, shattered two ribs, which tore a hole in his aorta." Ducky points… "The poor fellow had no chance."

"Did you retrieve the slug?"

"In deed I did." Ducky answers and walks Gibbs over to Solberg's body on a nearby cart Ducky picks up the evidence jar and shows Gibbs. "9 mm!"

Gibbs takes the jar from Ducky and looks over the bullet. "For shattering two ribs it's in decent shape."

Ducky takes the jar from Gibbs and puts it in an evidence bag. "Mr. Palmer could you take this up to Abby."

Palmer walks over and takes the evidence bag from Ducky. "Certainly Doctor!" Palmer smiles and walks out of the room.

Ducky walks over to the sink and begins to wash his hands. "Did you hear from Jenny?"

"Five minutes ago, she was about to go to bed." Gibbs frowns and finds a stool and sits down.

"Jethro she'll be back before you know it." Ducky muses.

"I'm just frustrated." "I spent a week sleeping with Jenny beside me in bed." "Then I come back home and we have this separate living arrangement which I think is BS." Gibbs growls…

"Isn't she moving in with you when Jenny gets back from Europe?" Ducky asks and raises a curious eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, but I wanted her in my bed when we came back home."

"Jethro I understand her reasons." Ducky smiles and turns off the water.

"I understood them but it didn't mean I had to like it." Gibbs barks.

"You're too impatient." Ducky snorts, grabbing a paper towel.

"I've been waiting for eleven damn years to get her in my bed." Gibbs groans in frustration. Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Squad Room

"Boss there's a woman leaving the conference room." McGee informs him from his desk phone.

"I'll be right up." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"Just encase I don't see you again today, give your father my best."

"I will!" Gibbs smiles and walks off for the door.

Ducky drying his hands watches Gibbs at the elevator. "Patients my friend, you've waited eleven years, you can wait a week longer." Ducky smiles.

Back up in the Squad Room, Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Borin are standing in front of the plasma screen next to McGee's desk. "From the close up on her name plate, it reads Carver." "Ensign Carver!"

Borin writes down the name. "Can I get a photo made up of her?" Borin requests.

"I'll get on it." McGee nods and walks over to his desk.

Gibbs returns and approaches the plasma screen. "What do we have?"

"Ensign Carver walking out of the conference room, where Lieutenant Solberg's body was located in." Ziva answers filling him in.

"According to the time on the video it was at 0900 hours this morning." Borin says and continues to write down some notes on her notepad.

McGee walks over with a photo of Carver and hands it over to Borin. "There you go."

"I'll see what I come up with." Borin answers and walks off for the elevator.

Gibbs staring up at the still photo of Carver onscreen. "McGee-"

"Find out everything about Ensign Carver." McGee interrupts and walks over to his desk and sits down.

"Ziva and I will go over to Solberg's apartment to see what we can uncover." Tony suggests and walks off with Ziva; they grab their jackets and backpacks and walk off for the elevator.

"What does your gut say boss?" McGee curiously asks.

"Lovers quarrel!" Gibbs grunts and walks over to his desk and sits down.

"Your coffee went cold."

"That's what the microwave is for in the lounge McGee." Gibbs sarcastically answers.

McGee suddenly remembers that Ziva is suppose to be on desk duty. "Boss isn't Ziva suppose to be on desk duty?"

"Ducky is about to leave soon as he's finished his report and Fornell isn't in the building." Gibbs shrugs.

At Solberg's apartment, Tony and Ziva are listening in on his phone messages. "Bastard I saw you with that brunette nymph in the bar last night." "There's a penalty on cheating on Betty." Betty angrily hisses.

"I'd say so; you put a bullet into his chest." Tony grins.

"I don't see the humor in it Tony." Ziva sighs in annoyance.

"If Betty was performing in the bedroom, maybe Solberg wouldn't be cheating on her." Tony smirks, defending Solberg's actions.

"Maybe Betty was performing in the bedroom and Solberg wanted his cake and eat it to." Ziva mutters.

"I'm impressed you got one right." Tony teases her.

Ziva turns on Solberg's laptop and clicks on the icon for his internet browser. On the front page, Solberg has over one hundred incoming e-mails. Ziva clicks on the mail link. "Believes in saving his password." Ziva laughs and notices Solberg has thirty e-mails from Betty from the night before. "Talk about possessive."

"We better back and tag that to so that Abby can review the e-mails and print it out." Tony instructs her.

That evening at headquarters, Abby walks over to Gibbs with printed copies of Solberg's e-mails from Betty. "Talk about seeking a death wish for her man." Abby frowns.

Gibbs takes the e-mails from Abby and puts on his glasses in begins to read them. "I wonder if she knows Diane." Gibbs laughs.

McGee at his desk is reviewing the video footage from an hour before the crime scene. "Finally hacked into Coast Guard Headquarters computer system and got the video footage from an hour before the murder." McGee answers and puts the video up on the plasma screen next to his desk.

Gibbs and Abby walk over. "Borin only gave us video footage an hour after the murder." Gibbs growls in annoyance.

Tony and Ziva return with sandwiches for dinner. Glancing up at the plasma screen. "Whoa Solberg has Betty by the arm." Tony smirks and puts the plastic bag down on top of his desk.

"I don't blame him with the phone message she left him and the hostile e-mails that he got from her." Ziva abruptly answers.

"How's the search warrant going for Betty's apartment?" Tony curiously asks.

"Nadda, it's a Saturday Tony." McGee sighs.

"I've gotten a warrant on a Saturday before." Gibbs grumbles and walks over to his desk and picks up his phone.

Tony unpacks the bag. "Probie here's your cheesesteak." Tony shouts and tosses McGee his sandwich.

Ziva takes her turkey and cheese wrap from the bag and walks over to her desk and sits down. "Do I offend?" Tony glares over at Ziva who chooses to sit at her desk and not with him.

"I have desk work to do." Ziva sarcastically answers.

"Another week of it so get used to it Probalina." Tony grins.

"Thanks!" Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Warrant will be here within the hour." Gibbs smirks over at McGee. "Tony where's my meatloaf sandwich?"

"Boss how on earth can you order that?" McGee laughs.

"Because that's what I ate when I was a kid." Gibbs barks and walks over to Tony and retrieves his sandwich.

"You calling Borin?" Tony asks.

"Hell no she only gave us the video footage an hour after the murder." Gibbs angrily snaps and walks back over to his desk and sits down.

"She's going to be pissed off at you." McGee warns him.

"Like I really care McGee." Gibbs answers and flips the page over on to Solberg's e-mails. "Diane is worse." Gibbs laughs.

"What are you eating Tony?" McGee curiously asks.

"Grilled chicken bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, Dijon, mayo, baguette." Tony grins and glances over at Gibbs who's ignoring him.

"You're not fazing him this time around." McGee laughs and takes a bite out of his cheesesteak."

"That's because I'm sitting over here and can't see your sandwich Tony." Gibbs snorts.

"Did I miss something?" Ziva asks with a confused look on her face.

"Gibbs doesn't like avocado." Tony snickers.

"Why not it's healthy for you?" Ziva chastises him.

"Because I don't like it." Gibbs grumbles…

"Well since I'm all caught up with my work for the day, I'm turning everything off in my lab, and then I'm going over to Gibbs' house to cook Jack a home cooked meal." Abby smiles and walks off for the elevator.

"At least your dad won't be home alone on his last night in DC." Tony smiles.

"I'll make it up to him at Christmas time." Gibbs answers with a frown.

"Good thing about that is Jenny will be with you." McGee smiles.

Tony taking in Gibbs' quietness. "You miss her."

"I hate it that she's half way around the world." Gibbs sighs in frustration.

"A week and a half ago the two of you were in Paris." Ziva smiles.

"Seems like a life time ago." Gibbs answers and flashes back to the morning when they resumed their physical relationship.

An hour later at Gibbs' house, Abby is in the kitchen making Jack a home cooked meal. Jack glancing down in the baking pan in front of him. "What is this?"

"Tortilla Chicken Casserole." Abby smiles.

"I'm game for something new." Jack smiles and scoops a helpful on to his plate.

"I found the recipe on line." Abby answers and scoops a portion on to her plate, she puts the baking pan on top of the stove and walks over to the table and takes her seat across from Jack. "I'm really going to miss you." Abby frowns.

"I need to get back to my store, and Leroy's lady will be moving in with him sometime at the end of the week." Jack answers with anticipation and then takes a bite from his casserole. "Ummmm, I'll try and make this myself back home."

"SecNav Jarvis should have asked Jenny to be Director instead of Fornell, the heck with the rule where Jenny can't see Gibbs, because she's his boss." Abby pouts.

"Rules are put into place for a reason Abby."

"And they can be meant to be broken also."

"Well from what I could see, Jenny looks like she needs to take a step back for a while, then she'll decide if she wants to go back to work or not." Jack reassures her.

"That won't last for long." Abby giggles.

Ensign Betty Culver's Apartment

Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are searching through Betty's personal affects, Gibbs inside of Betty's bedroom, Tony, Ziva, and McGee in the living room. "Borin's going to be pissed off at Gibbs." Tony grins.

"Do you think that Gibbs cares Tony?" Ziva snickers.

With that Borin walks into the apartment. "I see that I wasn't invited to the party." She sarcastically scolds them. Tony, Ziva, and McGee glance at one another with a knowing look. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Bedroom!" Tony smirks and watches as Borin storms off for the direction of the bedroom. "This should be interesting." Tony laughs and chases after Borin with, Ziva and McGee following him from behind.

"Why wasn't I asked to join in on the search of Carver's apartment?" Borin screams at him.

Gibbs glaring over at Borin. "Since when do I need to consult with you on a search warrant?" Gibbs barks.

"Since we're suppose to be working together on this investigation." Borin snaps.

"Says who?" Gibbs growls.

"Both of our bosses." Borin angrily retorts.

Gibbs flips open his cell phone. "We'll see about that." Gibbs snarls and pushes in the speed dial button for Fornell's cell phone. Tony, Ziva, and McGee smirk at one.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs and Borin are searching the bedroom together. Tony and Ziva glance into the bedroom. "Seems that Borin won out." Tony grins.

Gibbs glaring over towards the direction of his Senior Field Agent and Junior Agent. "DiNozzo and David do you have a living room to search." Gibbs snarls.

"I was just about to finish that up with Ziva boss." Tony quickly answers and rushes off with Ziva.

"Where did you leave off at?" Borin nods.

"The right night stand." Gibbs mumbles and sucks in his teeth.

"I hated going over your head." Borin sighs.

"Maybe if you would have played ball with me from the beginning I wouldn't have free lanced on my own." Gibbs angrily answers.

"I always play ball with the other agencies that I work for." Borin mutters in annoyance.

"Ha!" Gibbs laughs….. "Explain the missing video prior to the murder."

"You wanted specific video, all you needed to do was ask." Borin sweetly answers.

"Ask you're the one who volunteered the video." "McGee could have easily went into Coast Guard Headquarters video by hacking into it." Gibbs bitterly informs her.

Out in the living room, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are listening in on them. "At least it gives him something to do while Jenny is away." Tony laughs.

Ziva looking in a closet. "He's right; Borin did not cooperate with us first." Ziva snaps defending Gibbs's actions.

Tony walks over to the closet and notices the differences in the wall. "See something different in the wall." Tony asks.

"Paint and drywall do not match up." Ziva notes.

Tony feels up against the wall. "That's because it's not dry wall it's veneer." Tony answers and finds a slot at the end of the wall, pulling the wood back.

Ziva leans inside and finds a light switch on the side of the wall. With the flick of the light switch the hidden room is revealed as an S&M playroom, with whips, leather harnesses, collars, vibrators, and chains throughout the room. "She turned her walk in closet as a playroom." Ziva notes in disgust.

"Boss we found a hidden room." Tony shouts.

McGee quickly rushes in. "What is it with the secret doors inside of the closets?" McGee grumbles.

"The closet at Ducky's had a door that was never taken out when the house next door was converted into a twin." Tony reminds him.

Gibbs approaches with Borin, glancing around the room. "Betty's secret life." Gibbs smirks.

Ziva finding a remote on a shelf, she turns on a nearby plasma TV and DVD player. On screen Betty and Solberg are having sex on top of Betty's kitchen table from behind. "Doggy style on the table!" Tony grins.

"I wonder if Solberg knew Betty was filming him." McGee sheepishly asks.

"Apparently not!" Ziva answers.

Borin putting two and two together. "This might have been the reason why Solberg had wanted to talk to Betty this morning." Borin surmises.

"No, when we searched Solberg's apartment, Betty had a threatening voice message on Solberg's voice mail and some nasty e-mails." Tony informs Borin.

"Photograph this entire room and then take the videos that Betty had saved into evidence." Gibbs orders them.

"Great, more porn for Abby to watch in her lab." Tony laughs.

Later that night in the Squad Room after Team Gibbs has finished up with their preliminary reports for Director Fornell, Gibbs suggests that they wrap up for the night. "Pick this up at 0800 Hours tomorrow morning." Gibbs nods over at them and gets up from his desk.

"0800 Hours!" Tony asks with a questioning eyebrow.

"It's a Sunday morning and remember I won't be in until eleven." Gibbs reminds them and shuts his desk light off.

"I know Jack's flight is at 1000 Hours." Tony answers.

"Good night!" Gibbs says to his team and walks off for the elevator.

"Good night Gibbs!" They call out to him.

Half an hour later at Gibbs' house, Gibbs descends the basement steps with a six pack of 16 ounce bottles of Budweiser. Jack is sitting at the work table playing a hand of solitaire. "Game of poker before we go to bed." Gibbs offers and approaches the table.

"Catch the bad guy yet." Jack curiously asks.

"Working on it and it's a female dirt bag." Gibbs grins and sits down at the table.

"I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving." Jack smiles.

"So am I." Gibbs smiles and hands his father a bottle of beer.

"Deer hunting hasn't been the same for me since you left Stillwater." Jack frowns.

"Well starting this year it's going to be a new tradition between us." Gibbs promises him and takes out a bottle opener from his pocket and hands it to Jack.

Jack pops off the cap. "I'll drink to that." Jack smiles and hands Gibbs the bottle opener.

Gibbs pops off the cap. "To tradition!" Gibbs smiles and taps his bottle of beer up against his father's.

"So what game do you want to play?"

"Seven card stud." Gibbs grins…

"I'll deal!" Jack answers and gathers the cards up on the table. "I'm going to miss you Leroy."

"I'm going to miss you too dad." Gibbs sadly answers.

"You'll have an empty house for a few days."

"Jenny should be back by the end of the week." "I can't wait to wake up in the morning with Jenny lying beside me in my bed, it's been eleven years." Gibbs sighs with anticipation.

"All good things come to this who wait." Jack snorts.

"I've waited long enough." Gibbs frowns.


	45. What Pool

NCIS Headquarters the next morning, Tony, Ziva, and McGee step out of the elevator. "Felt good to get that extra hour of sleep." Tony yawns as he walks over to his section with Ziva and McGee following him from behind. They find Borin sitting behind Gibbs' desk. "Agent Borin!" Tony says with surprise at seeing Borin in so early.

"Out checking up on a lead behind my back again." Borin angrily snaps.

"No, we were told by our boss to report to work at 0800 hours." Tony angrily answers and approaches Gibbs' desk. "There are other desks in the bullpen that you could be sitting at."

"Where's Gibbs?" Borin asks and positions her feet on the top of Gibbs' desk.

"He won't be in until 1100 hours, his dad is flying back home this morning." Tony answers and glares down at the direction of Borin's feet. "I sat at this desk for four months as Team Leader." "If you would have pulled that stunt under my watch you wouldn't be walking for a week." Tony warns her.

"You!" Borin laughs and gets up on to her feet. "That's more of Agent David's style than yours Agent DiNozzo; I would be more leery of her than you."

Abby steps out of the elevator as she approaches the entranceway to Gibbs' section. "Good morning!" She cheerfully calls out to her co-workers and walks off for the other elevator.

"Good morning Abby!" They shout over to her.

"Good morning Abby!" Borin calls out to her.

"It was!" Abby mutters in annoyance as she approaches the elevator.

"So where did you leave off." Borin asks.

"Finishing up our preliminary reports, which Gibbs has to read and then put in Director Fornell's in-bin on top of his desk.

"I can't picture Tobias Fornell as a Director." Borin chuckles.

"Neither can we." Tony laughs and walks over to his desk and sits down.

"Do I see a new pool?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"Oh yeah, I give it a month and Toby will be back at FBI Headquarters." Tony grins.

"I say a week." Ziva smirks.

"End of the year." McGee nods.

"Two weeks!" Borin answers.

"The question is who will be Director once Fornell resigns." McGee ponders.

"She's off on a Greek Island at the moment." Tony snickers.

"No way, Jenny said she was done with NCIS." Ziva laughs.

"And there is the rule where as Director she cannot date a subordinate." McGee reminds him.

"I think Jarvis will bend that rule." Tony answers and takes out his black betting book from his desk. "This one will be twenty dollars a pop."

"You are so on." McGee smirks and takes his wallet out of his pocket.

Half an hour later, Tony and Borin are down in Abby's Lab. "You are so on DiNozzo." Abby taunts him and hands Tony a twenty dollar bill. "I say three weeks and mommy will be back up on her perch."

"Perch?" Borin sheepishly asks.

"Balcony in front of MTAC where she pretended to work." Tony grins.

"Pretended!" Borin asks.

"They didn't think that anybody was watching them, but Gibbs and Jenny would exchange casting glances at one another." Tony smiles.

"I liked it when Gibbs would lean over your shoulder or McGee's on purpose when he would wear jeans to work." Abby giggles.

"Showing Jenny the merchandise that the other babes were getting." Tony smirks.

"Tony, she would do the same thing to Gibbs, tight slacks and turtlenecks, low cut skirts and blouses." Abby winks.

"Gibbs wasn't the only one who was being tortured." Tony groans.

"Well she had it and flaunted it." Abby snickers and gets back to the Solberg investigation. "I've been watching a little of Carver's homemade smut video's with Solberg."

"She's flexible on top of the kitchen table." Tony laughs.

"I didn't get to that DVD yet, just Carver having sex with Solberg inside of her S&M Room." Abby sighs in disgust and turns on the DVD. "Talk about whips and chains and poor Solberg is in the receiving end of it."

"If he didn't like it he wouldn't have been there Abby." Borin answers and raises an eyebrow at the 69 position that Carver and Solberg are in.

Tony rubbing his hand under his chin. "I wonder if I can try that out with my girlfriend."

"You're not flexible enough." Abby giggles.

"And how would you know that?" Tony protests.

"You got a cramp walking up the stairs a few weeks ago."

"Seems that somebody isn't keeping themself in shape." Borin laughs.

"I got out of shape during Ziva and Jenny's investigation; I ate a lot of take-out food." Tony answers.

"That's no excuse Tony." Abby playfully chastises him.

"Why you want me to be a walking skeleton like McGeek." Tony grumbles.

"No, Ducky and I have told Timmy over and over again that he needs to put some weight on, but he won't listen." Abby frowns.

"McGee wasn't always skinny." Borin curiously asks.

"No he had some love handles on his hips that McGee got rid of a few years ago." "He hired a fitness trainer and went on a diet." Abby answers…. "Fine he wanted to get the love handles off, but Timmy went to the extreme."

"It's the thin look these days Abs for both men and women." Tony shrugs and gets back to the subject at hand. "Has Carver reported in to work?"

"No she's went UA after Solberg's murder." Borin answers…. "I spoke with Commander Lyle Fitzpatrick, Carver's CO; Fitzpatrick said that he hasn't seen Carver since 1200 hours yesterday."

"What was Carver's role under Fitzpatrick?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Communications!"

"Abby check Carver's computer and cell phone maybe that might lead us to where she's hiding at." Tony instructs her.

"I could use some help." Abby pouts.

"I'll send McGee down." Tony nods and walks off towards the direction of the elevator with Borin following him from behind.

Abby's attention is drawn up to the plasma screen, with Carver in the reverse cowgirl position on the red leather full sized S&M bed inside of Carver's sex room. "Talk about kinky." Abby smirks….

Half an hour later, Abby and McGee are going through Carver's computer and cell phone call logs. "Carver has not used her cell phone since 1300 hours yesterday, she called Hoa Nam's Vietnamese restaurant for take-out." McGee sighs in frustration.

"I cracked the passwords to her Facebook, MySpace, and e-mail accounts and she has not logged into any of them since Friday night when she sent Solberg those elicit e-mails." Abby says.

"So she's hiding at an unknown location." McGee surmises.

"I guess this wasn't the results that Gibbs wanted to hear when he comes into work later on this morning." Abby frowns.

"Just blame it on me." McGee laughs.

"Did you participate in Tony's bet about Fornell?" Abby giggles.

"Oh yeah, I'm going to win that baby." McGee smirks.

"No you're not, I'm going to win it and the one thing that I agree with Tony, Jenny will back up in her office."

"Want to make a bet on that." McGee grins.

"Yes and it won't be a cheap one." "Fifty dollars!"

"Fifty dollars!" McGee grumbles.

"It's not like you can't afford it McGregor." Abby sighs.

"Alright and when I win this bet and Tony's I'll throw it in both of your faces." McGee laughs.

1100 hours, Gibbs steps out of the elevator coffee in hand and a take-out bag in his other hand. He approaches the entranceway to his section and finds Ziva alone busy working at her desk. "Where's DiNozzo and McGee?" Gibbs asks.

"Tony is down in Autopsy with Agent Borin, McGee is helping Abby out." Ziva answers.

"Who told McGee to help out Abby?" Gibbs asks as he makes his way over to his desk.

"Tony, Abby requested the help."

"Autopsy was finished yesterday, wonder why DiNozzo and Borin are downstairs." Gibbs curiously mumbles and puts his coffee and bag down on top of his desk. Gibbs pushes in the speakerphone button and dials Ducky's extension number.

Down in Autopsy Ducky and Palmer are handing Tony their respective twenty dollar bills. "First week in December." Ducky smirks.

"I say by Christmas." Palmer grins.

Tony writes down Ducky and Palmer's information down in his betting pool book. Suddenly the phone begins to ring. "I bet that's Gibbs." Tony answers noting the time up against the wall.

Ducky walks over to his desk and pushes in the speakerphone button. "Autopsy!"

"Tell DiNozzo to get back up in the Squad Room." Gibbs barks.

"I will relay the message." Ducky snorts and hangs up.

"I heard it." Tony groans.

"Since my name wasn't mentioned I'm heading to Abby's." Borin smirks and walks off for the elevator.

"I'm sure that will be his next stop." Tony laughs and chases after Borin.

"Do you actually think that Jenny will accept an offer from SecNav Jarvis?" Palmer sheepishly asks.

"We shall see Mr. Palmer." Ducky muses and takes a seat behind his desk.

Up in the Squad Room two minutes later, Tony is getting the Gibbs stare as he walks past Gibbs' desk. "Where's Borin?"

"You only asked for me to come upstairs, Borin went to Abby's Lab, to see if Abby and McGee have come up with anything." Tony answers.

Gibbs annoyed gets up from his desk. "She's not getting any answers without me being present in the room." Gibbs growls and starts off for the elevator.

"So are Ducky and Palmer in?" Ziva curiously asks.

"Oh yeah!" Tony grins and walks over to his desk.

"I'm going to win this one." Ziva smirks.

"Not a chance." Tony laughs.

Down in Abby's lab, Borin is looking over McGee's shoulder at Abby's workstation. "No activity on Carver's credit cards."

"None since last Wednesday." McGee answers.

Gibbs steps out of the elevator and walks inside of the lab. "Since you are following DiNozzo's orders, what do you have for me McGee." Gibbs asks as he approaches McGee from behind.

"Nothing boss, Carver has been keeping a low profile since she went UA yesterday afternoon." McGee sighs.

"She couldn't have disappeared out of thin air." Gibbs growls.

"Apparently she has." Borin grumbles… "I'm heading back to my office to do a background check on Carver's CO Commander Fitzpatrick." Borin nods and walks off for the elevator.

"Why a background check on Fitzpatrick?" Abby curiously asks.

"I don't care it gets her out of the building." Gibbs chuckles.

1300 hours, Gibbs is sitting at the table in the conference room talking to Jenny on his cell phone. "I just watched twenty minutes of homemade smut video's from a case that I'm working on." "Some of the positions that my suspect gets into, I use to get you in them eleven years ago." Gibbs smirks.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

Plaza Hotel

Jenny's Hotel Room

2000 Hours EEST

"I highly doubt that you can get me into them now." Jenny laughs from her hotel room couch.

"You never know unless we try." Gibbs grins.

"I've had a broken hip, need I remind you Jethro." Jenny sighs.

"You do not need to remind me of your war wounds Jen." Gibbs frowns and quickly changes the subject. "What time is your meeting with your dad's lawyer tomorrow?"

"Ten o'clock, hopefully I can have everything resolved by tomorrow morning, and then I'll fly off to Paris and see about renting out my apartment when I'm not using it."

"Good idea, make money off it while you're not using it." Gibbs shrugs.

"Keep your fingers crossed that I'll be home by Wednesday night the earliest." Jenny smiles.

"Finally!" Gibbs answers with anticipation.

"The only change I'm going to make in your house is that 1970's kitchen set has to go." Jenny groans in protest.

"I'll build you a new kitchen table." Gibbs smiles.

"Why build something when we can buy one?" Jenny softly asks.

"I would rather build it myself." Gibbs smiles and then glances down at his watch. "Lunch time is over for my team, I better go see what their up to."

"I love you Jethro."

"I love you Jen." Gibbs smiles.

Out in the Squad Room, Tony sitting behind his desk, is throwing paperclips over at Ziva. "Would you knock it off before I shove that box of paperclips up your ass?" Ziva angrily warns him.

Gibbs returning from the conference room. "DiNozzo you are going to pick up each and every one of those paperclips that are on the floor around Ziva's desk am I making myself clear." Gibbs growls.

"Crystal boss." Tony answers and gets up from his desk. Going down on his knees. "You going to help me?"

"Why should I?" Ziva laughs.

"Why me?" Gibbs grumbles and shakes his head at the childishness of his team.

"Because you love us boss." Tony smiles.

"Tomorrow morning it will be one week since Director Vance has been removed from his office." Ziva notes.

"So nice that I do not have to kiss my boss' ass." Gibbs grins and walks over to his desk and sits down.

"So you've accepted Fornell as Director?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Hell no, I give it a month and he'll be asking for his old job back." Gibbs laughs….Tony and Ziva look at one another. Gibbs catching Tony and Ziva with their knowing glances at one another. "Don't tell me you have a pool on this." Gibbs laughs.

"What pool?" Tony innocently answers as he gathers up the paperclips from the floor.

"Don't worry I'll get it out of Abby." Gibbs smirks.

Later that afternoon, Borin walks in with a call log from Carver's desk phone from Coast Guard Headquarters. "Looks like Solberg wasn't the only man that Carver was banging around with." Borin laughs and walks over to Gibbs.

Gibbs takes the call log sheet from Borin, squinting down at the paper. "Commander Fitzpatrick's home number."

"I bet you Fitzpatrick is hiding Carver somewhere." Borin informs him. Her cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Borin!" She answers and listens in. "We'll be right down there." Borin answers and hangs up. "Gibbs with me, I'm involving my team on this one since its Coast Guard."

"Since when do I have to go with you?" Gibbs growls.

"Commander Fitzpatrick's fiancée' Marnie found his body floating inside of his hot tub about an hour ago." "He had been shot in the head."

"DiNozzo hold down the fort, I'll be back." Gibbs nods over at him and gets up from his desk and walks off with Borin for the elevator.

"This case doesn't get easier." Tony frowns.

Commander Lyle Fitzpatrick's Condo

Out on the balcony on CGIS Special Agent Kyle Omagi is taking photos of Fitzpatrick inside of the hot tub. Inside, Gibbs and Borin are questioning Marnie Benson. "We were suppose to get married next Saturday." Marnie openly sobs.

"Besides work, was Fitzpatrick's off work relationship with Ensign Carver?" Borin gently asks.

"She was dating Fitzpatrick's sister Heather." Marnie sobs…. "Fitzpatrick found out about it."

"Well with the current military rules, Carver cannot be forced out of the Coast Guard because of her sexual orientation." Borin informs her.

"So why was Fitzpatrick threatening her?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Carver was sending Heather into the world of Sadomasochism." "Lyle raised Heather after their parents died and he wanted Heather to go to college and become a doctor like their mother." Marnie frowns.

"And the lifestyle she had chosen with Carver was preventing her from doing that." Gibbs nods.

"Where does Heather live at?" Borin asks.

"Lyle sent Heather to live with their cousin Monica up in Boston last Wednesday."

"Can we have an address for Monica; Carver may have fled to Boston." Borin asks.

Kyle walks out from the balcony. "Finished up boss."

"Just waiting for our ME to arrive." Borin mutters in annoyance.

"Ducky would have been here by now." Gibbs smirks.

"Rub it in my face Gibbs." Borin sighs and gets up from the table. On cue CGIS ME Wanda Davis and her assistant Richard Moss walk through the room.

"Sorry we're late, we got caught in traffic." Wanda apologizes.

Gibbs gets up from the table and shakes his head. "Shut up!" Borin chastises him.

"Did we miss something?" Moss sheepishly asks.

"No, just that Special Agent Gibbs is being a smart ass." Borin hisses.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are sitting around their desks laughing at Gibbs. "Poor Gibbs!" Tony grins.

"Him and Borin are so much alike." "If Jenny hadn't returned from the land of the dead Borin and Gibbs would have been a perfect match for one another." McGee smiles.

Abby walks in over hearing McGee. "Bite your tongue Timmy." Abby scolds him. "The perfect match for Gibbs unfortunately is no longer with him." Abby frowns.

"I was just saying if Gibbs needed a girlfriend." McGee shrugs.

"Face it McGeek, other than Shannon, the only other woman that the boss man ever loved is Jenny." Tony smiles.

"Borin may be Gibbs' match, but Jenny can read Gibbs like a book." Ziva smiles.

"And that's where I will always be envious of her." Tony frowns…Suddenly his desk phone begins to ring. "DiNozzo!" He answers.

Fitzpatrick's Condo

"Tell McGee to pack a carry-on bag and meet me over at Dulles." Gibbs instructs him.

"Going somewhere?" Tony curiously asks.

"Yeah to Boston."

"What for?" Tony shrugs.

"Might have a lead our investigation." Gibbs answers…"Borin is making our flight arrangements as we speak."

"An over nighter with Special Agent Borin." Tony grins.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barks.

"Sorry boss." Tony gulps…."Anything else?"

"No, just give McGee my message." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"McGee pack a carry-on bag and meet Gibbs and Borin at Dulles, you're headed to bean town."

"Boston, what for?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"It appears that Gibbs and Borin got a lead on our investigation."

McGee turns off his computer and gets up from his desk and walks off for the elevator. Abby pouts over towards the direction of the elevator. "Now I'm stuck in my lab all by myself again."

"And now I can resume my torture of Agent David." Tony grins and tosses an eraser over at Ziva.

Boston, Massachusetts

Monica Tate's House

2100 Hours

Gibbs pulls up out in front of the house and notices the police cars. "I bet Carver has been here already." Gibbs swallows and parks his rental car down at the end of the street.

Borin, McGee, and Kyle get out of the car. "When we started out investigation yesterday I didn't think that this was going to be a spree killing." Borin frowns.

Gibbs getting out of the car. "Neither did I." Gibbs answers and starts off for Monica's house with McGee, Borin, and Kyle following him from behind. They enter the house.

Detective Drew Young approaches Gibbs. "You can't come in here." Young instructs him.

Gibbs shows Young his badge. "NCIS, Special Agents Gibbs and McGee."

Borin shows Young her badge. "CGIS, Special Agents Borin and Omagi."

"I've heard of NCIS before but, CGIS?" Young curiously asks.

"Coast Guard Investigative Service." Borin abruptly responds.

"We have an ongoing joint investigation that may link your crime scene." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"We have two deceased, Monica Tate and her cousin Heather Fitzpatrick." Young informs them.

"Can we see the bodies?" Borin asks.

"They're in the kitchen slumped over at the table." Young sadly says and walks over to the kitchen with Gibbs, McGee, Borin, and Kyle following him from behind. Inside of the kitchen, Heather Fitzpatrick and her cousin Monica Tate are slumped down with their faces sitting inside of their soup bowls. "From what I can see they had just sat down to lunch."

"And somebody entered the house and put a round in the back of their heads." Gibbs notes.

Young hands Gibbs, McGee, Borin, and Kyle some latex gloves and some booties to put on their shoes. "We don't have a suspect at this time."

"You do now, Coast Guard Ensign Elizabeth Carver, she's wanted for the murder of Navy Lieutenant John Solberg." Gibbs roughly answers.

"And also for the murder of Coast Guard Commander Lyle Fitzpatrick the deceased brother of your victim Heather Fitzpatrick." Borin informs Young.

"So we have a three way investigation going on here." Young grumbles.

"I believe so." Borin answers.

"Are you going to call Tony and Ziva?" McGee curiously asks.

"No I need DiNozzo overseeing our investigation back in Washington and remember Ziva is still on desk duty." Gibbs reminds him.

"Ziva was searching Solberg and Carver's apartments yesterday."

"That's because Ducky had just left headquarters and Fornell wasn't at headquarters at the time." Gibbs grunts.

"Break the rules when nobody's looking I do the same thing." Borin laughs.

McGee remembering a conversation that he had with his teammates back at in the bullpen chuckles to himself and walks out of the room. "What was he laughing at?" Kyle asks.

"When it comes to my team at times it's better not to ask Omagi." Gibbs grumbles.

Days Inn Boston

Room 16

0000 Hours EDT

Gibbs is lying on top of his bed staring at the ceiling; his thoughts are on his lover. McGee steps out of the bathroom. Noting the expression on his boss' face. "You miss her." McGee quietly asks.

"I'm here doing my job, but every fiber of my being wants to be by Jenny's side in Kalymnos." Gibbs frowns in disappointment.

"Boss before you know it the week will go by fast and Jenny will be back." McGee nods over at him.

"Back in Washington, living at my house and sleeping in my bed." Gibbs smiles in anticipation.

"Boss from what Ziva has told me, Jenny can't cook." McGee laughs.

"Don't worry I already have that figured out?" Gibbs smirks and closes his eyes. "Night McGee!"

"Night boss!" McGee smiles.


	46. Dirty Talk With Mommy

Greek Island of Kalymnos

1200 Hours EEST

Jenny is in a taxi heading for the airport. "Thank god I got that over and done with in one day." Jenny sighs with relief.

Washington, DC

JW Marriot Washington, DC

0800 Hours EDT

Fornell is having breakfast with SecNav Jarvis. "I was hoping you would reconsider." Jarvis frowns.

"I told you I would only stay on as Director for a month until you found a replacement, besides my assistant Gwen will be off of desk duty at the end of October and is itching to get back out in the field." Fornell answers and takes a sip from his glass of tomato juice.

"Has Gibbs caught on yet?"

"No, not yet." Fornell snorts.

"I've been beating my head up against the wall at finding a replacement for Vance." Jarvis grumbles.

"I take it you didn't care for Leon." Fornell sheepishly asks.

"No and he did not care for me and now I understand why, he was bought and paid for by my processor." Jarvis sarcastically answers.

"You know the right person for the job had it stolen from right out under her." Fornell suggests.

"Jenny said she wasn't interested in the job and I don't know if I want to reinstate her."

"Give her a month." Fornell laughs… "You do not know Jenny Shepard like I do, by the first week in November; you will have her back up in the Director's chair." "She was good for NCIS, it got NCIS notoriety, funding it needed and not to mention female recruitment was up largely due to Jenny." "Besides, she'll keep Jethro in line better than I can."

"You keep forgetting something." Jarvis reminds him.

"Jenny will be moving in with Jethro and it's a conflict of interest." Fornell nods… "I don't think you will have to worry about that." "Once Jenny walks through that building she's Madame Director and is feared by everybody." Fornell laughs… "She'll be able to keep her off the job role and on the job role separate."

"I'll think it over." Jarvis swallows and gets into a discussion about work. "So Gibbs and McGee are off in Boston working with CGIS?"

"Not the first time he's worked with Special Agent Borin, they've worked together before." Fornell shrugs.

"What started out as a random killing is now turning into a spree killing." Jarvis answers.

"I'm hoping that Carver is captured soon, she's a ticking time bomb." Fornell anxiously answers.

NCIS Headquarters, Ducky is down in Autopsy reviewing Commander Fitzpatrick's X-rays that CGIS ME Wanda Davis had graciously drove over. "Gunshot wound did massive damage to the back of the cranium." Ducky grumbles.

"Omagi found the bullet lodged in one of the wooden panels from the hot tub." Wanda nods.

"Most likely it's a match for the bullet that I removed from Lieutenant John Solberg." Ducky surmises.

"I had given our forensic report to Agent David on my way down here, we shared the elevator down." Wanda smiles.

"First time at NCIS?"

"Yes, now I've been to all of the federal arms agencies buildings."

"I've been to all of them including the CIA." Ducky mutters in annoyance.

"I take it that you didn't hit it off with the CIA ME." Wanda curiously asks.

"NCIS does not hit it off with the CIA on any level including the ME's Office." Ducky snaps.

Abby's Lab, Abby is reviewing ballistic report on the bullet that was found inside of Commander Fitzpatrick's hot tub. "Same gun was that was used on both Solberg and Fitzpatrick's murders." Abby answers.

"And I bet the same gun was used on Heather Fitzpatrick and Monica Tate up in Boston." Ziva adds.

"Boston Forensics will fax me their ballistics report over and I'll compare the bullets that were removed from Heather Fitzpatrick and Monica Tate."

"I wonder how Tony's making out on searching Fitzpatrick's condo with a Probationary Status Agent and two CGIS Agents." Ziva snickers.

"Most likely making fun of them in his usual mocking way." Abby giggles.

Commander Fitzpatrick's Condo

Tony along with Probationary Status Agent Dave Dwyer is searching inside of Heather Fitzpatrick's bedroom. "Talk about an S&M Fetish." Tony smirks and he finds several catalogs under Heather's bed.

Dwyer inside of Heather's closet finds an empty gun case. "Agent DiNozzo, I found something." Dwyer shouts over to him.

Tony gets up off of the floor and walks over to the closet. "Looks like a gun case for a Berretta M9." Tony says and walks over to his field kit and pulls out a yellow marker.

"You think that's our murder weapon." Dwyer curiously asks.

"Could be since Ducky found a 9mm caliber bullet inside of Solberg and Omagi found a similar bullet inside of Fitzpatrick's hot tub yesterday." Tony answers bluntly.

CGIS Special Agent Dennis Bradshaw walks into the bedroom. "Find something?" Bradshaw curiously asks.

Tony aiming his digital camera down towards the direction of the gun case. "Yeah an empty gun case for a Berretta M9." Tony answers.

"Looks like Carver used her lovers own gun to kill her." Bradshaw sighs.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Police District D-4

Gibbs is in a conference room with Borin, talking to Tony on his cell phone via speakerphone so that Borin can listen in on to their conversation. "That explains how she got a hold of a weapon." Gibbs grumbles and writes down the make and model of the gun. "I'll pass this information on to Boston PD and on to McGee and Omagi."

"We're not 100% sure that it's Fitzpatrick's gun or not." Tony shrugs.

"Finish up searching Fitzpatrick's condo and then head back to headquarters and find out." Gibbs barks.

"On it!" Tony answers and hangs up.

Gibbs flips his phone closed. "Seems that Carver has vanished." Gibbs sighs in frustration.

"She'll trip up soon enough and when she does we'll be there to haul her ass in." Borin smirks and gets up from the table. Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "I'll go pass the information on to Omagi and McGee, then on to Boston PD." Borin nods and then walks out of the room.

Gibbs spotting Jenny's name on the caller ID. "Having fun at the lawyer's office." Gibbs chuckles.

Paris, France

Jenny's Apartment

1500 Hours CEST

Jenny sitting at her kitchen table drinking a latte. "No I'm having fun sitting at my kitchen table in my Paris apartment." Jenny smirks.

Gibbs' face softens. "You got it done in one day." Gibbs smiles.

"Thank god!" Jenny sighs with relief. "I gave some money to his staff that is now unemployed, dad gave them a three day weekend, so that was the reason why Iris chose to bump him off Friday morning, she knew that only Cyrus and Adrianna would be inside the house at the time." "The rest of the money is going towards tearing down what's left of my father's villa." "There are several offers for the land alone, between the sale of the land and what's left over from his estate I designated it for several charities." "I can't use his blood money, but charities can and they don't know where his money came from so they'll be able to sleep easy."

"So when are you coming home?" Gibbs hesitantly asks.

"I'll take a red eye out Wednesday night." "I have an appointment with a realtor tomorrow on the arrangements to rent my apartment out when I'm not using it, in between I'm packing up my personal stuff and shipping out to your place in Washington."

"Our place!" Gibbs corrects her.

"I'm not comfortable in saying that just yet; remember that's the house you shared with your first wife." Jenny frowns.

"I'll try and make it more of a place of your own." Gibbs smoothly says.

"You don't have to go through all the trouble for me." Jenny smiles.

"I want to."

Back over at Detective Young's desk, Borin is informing him, McGee, and Omagi on the gun case that Tony found back in Washington. "Can I borrow one of your computers?" McGee asks.

"There's an empty desk right over there." Young answers and points to an empty desk over in the corner.

"Thanks!" McGee nods and walks off towards the desk.

"There's been no trace of Carver at any of the bus and train stations, and she hasn't shown up at the airport." Young grumbles.

"It's like she vanished into thin air." Omagi groans.

"Like I told Gibbs she'll turn up soon enough." Borin reassures them.

Five minutes later, McGee walks over with a sheet of paper. "Heather Fitzpatrick owns a Berretta M9."

"I better tell my Captain." Young nods and gets up from his chair.

"Omagi call DiNozzo." Borin instructs him.

"On it boss." Omagi answers and flips open his cell phone.

"McGee come with me."

"Yes ma'am!"

Back inside the conference room. "What are you doing at the kitchen table?" Gibbs baits his lover.

"Drinking a latte." Jenny shrugs.

"Getting any flashbacks." Gibbs mischievously grins.

Jenny quivers with sexual excitement and flashes back to their encounter on top of the kitchen table after Gibbs has sprayed her chest with whip cream. The feel of his tongue licking off the whip cream off of her nipples. "I hate you." Jenny hisses.

"Which image do you have in your head?" Gibbs smirks.

"The feel of your tongue on my nipples licking off the whip cream." Jenny mutters in sexual frustration.

"Not my tongue-"

"Jethro!" Jenny interrupts him.

"The taste of peaches n cream." Gibbs grins….. Unknown to Gibbs, McGee and Borin are standing right behind him and have just overheard part of his conversation with Jenny. Borin and McGee narrows their eyes at one another. "I had you coming-"

"Jethro you're not doing me any favors." Jenny groans.

"That's what the shower nozzle if for." Gibbs laughs.

"I just got out of the shower."

"Then get another one then."

"Like hell I am, I'm ending this sexually frustrating phone conversation and I'm going to start packing." "I'll call you tonight before your bedtime and sexually torture you." Jenny smirks and hangs up.

"Damn it!" Gibbs grumbles in annoyance as Jenny got the last word in. He gets up from his chair and finds McGee and Borin watching him. "Find anything?"

"Yeah!" McGee answers and hands Gibbs a sheet of paper. "Young is talking to his Captain."

"I better go see what he has to say." Gibbs nods and walks out of the room.

"What was that conversation all about?" Borin curiously asks.

"Dirty talk with mommy." McGee snickers and walks out of the room.

"So Gibbs likes the taste of peaches and cream." Borin muses.

Half an hour later while, Gibbs and Borin are on a coffee run and Omagi is in the snack room taking a break, McGee steps into the conference room and flips open his cell phone. "I hope Tony is back at headquarters."

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Tony's desk phone is ringing, Ziva at her desk gets up and walks over to Tony's desk and picks up the phone. "David!" She answers.

"Tony's not back yet." McGee gathers.

Ziva glancing towards the direction of the elevator just as Tony steps out. "No he just got back."

Tony approaches his desk. "Who are you talking to?"

"McGee, he was looking for you."

Tony takes the phone from Ziva. "Something come up on the case?" Tony shrugs.

"No Borin and I walked in on mommy and daddy talking dirty to one another on the phone, while Gibbs was inside of the conference room." McGee laughs.

"Details!" Tony prompts.

"Something that he enjoyed the taste of peaches and cream, and something to the effect of Jenny coming, and it stopped from there, because I gather that Jenny had interrupted him before Gibbs could finish." McGee snickers.

"Peaches and cream lotion motion." Tony winks.

"He wasn't specific." McGee answers.

"Anything else?"

"Something about that's what shower nozzles are for."

"He must have been sexually torturing her on the phone." Tony laughs….Ziva slaps Tony on the arm. "Ow!" Tony whines and rubs his arm. "I have to fill in our two other conspirators."

"Omagi should be coming back from the snack room." McGee grumbles.

"Talk to you later." Tony answers and hangs up. "Abby's!" Tony laughs and runs off for the elevator.

"Tony!" Ziva calls out to him and chases after him.

Abby's Lab

"What?" Abby squeals from her desk in the back room.

"That's what McGee told me." Tony grins.

"Peaches and cream." Ziva answers and begins to think. "Ah ha, Jenny uses peach bath oil."

"The cream?" Abby curiously asks.

"Got me!" Ziva answers.

"I still say its lotion motion, why would Jenny be coming." Tony smirks.

"I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall when Borin overheard Gibbs' conversation with Jenny on the phone." Ziva answers and doubles over and begins to laugh.

"Yeah, she does have a thing for the boss man." Tony chuckles.

"Well he's taken." Abby defiantly answers.

"Oh one other tidbit, Gibbs told her to use a shower nozzle if their phone conversation was sexually getting to her." Tony laughs.

"Jenny will get even with him later on for the remark." Ziva wicked purrs.

At a Starbucks near the police precinct Gibbs and Borin are sitting around a table talking shop. "You think this case is going into the cold bin." Borin curiously asks.

"Ah huh!" Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his Jamaican Blend.

"I hope she doesn't kill somebody else." Borin sighs.

"The key targets were taken out, those who pissed off Betty." Gibbs answers.

"Until somebody else pisses off Betty again." Borin answers, hoping that they can apprehend Betty before she kills again.

That night in Gibbs motel room, Gibbs is lying on top of the bed when his cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Paris France

Jenny's Apartment

0300 CEST

"Still in Boston?" Jenny asks.

"Flying back to DC in the morning, we couldn't get a flight back until then." Gibbs grumbles.

"Well here's something for you to think about just before you go to sleep." Jenny sensuously warns him.

"What's that?" Gibbs smirks.

"The feel of my mouth taking you deep inside."

Gibbs begins to shift on top of the bed. "Don't do it."

"How I licked off the excess-"

"Damn it Jen!" Gibbs growls in sexual frustration as his erection begins to rub up against his jeans.

"Have fun in the shower." Jenny sweetly answers and hangs up.

Gibbs gets up from the bed and quickly runs off for the bathroom, McGee returning from a soda run, glances around the room. "Boss!" He calls out; suddenly he hears the water running in the bathroom. "Must be getting a shower tonight." McGee shrugs and walks over to his bed.

Inside the bathroom, under the shower head, Gibbs lets the cold water run down his shoulders. "You are going to be screaming when you get back from Paris." Gibbs whines and sexual frustration. Glancing down at his swollen shaft. "I hate taking care of this myself, when it's your fault that I got a hard on from hell." Gibbs groans and begins to give stroke on his length.

Back in Paris, Jenny rolls over on to her left side. "Serves you right you bastard." Jenny laughs and closes her eyes.


	47. Gasping In Completion

Tuesday morning, Tony and Ziva sitting at their desks have just finished up their reports. "We finished just in time before Gibbs walks through the elevator." Ziva smiles.

"Gibbs and McGeek's plane landed at Dulles about an hour ago." Tony notes.

"They took a 0700 hour flight from Logan to Dulles." Ziva answers.

The bell to for the elevator goes off, Gibbs and McGee step out, just as Gibbs and McGee approach their section Fornell's voice stops Gibbs. "Jethro can I see you up in my office for a minute?" Fornell calls down to him.

"I'll be right up." Gibbs nods up at him and walks off for the stairs.

McGee walks over to his desk and takes off his coat. "So glad to be back home." McGee grumbles.

"Didn't like bean town." Tony snickers.

"No Gibbs kept me up all night the past two nights." McGee yawns.

"Gibbs has always been a light sleeper." Tony answers.

"More than usual." McGee answers and raises a curious eyebrow over at Tony.

"I bet he wouldn't have been a light sleeper if a certain redhead had shared his bed." Tony winks.

"Really!" Ziva sighs in annoyance.

Up in Fornell's Office, Gibbs and Fornell are sitting around the conference table. "I spoke with Borin's boss an hour ago; we've agreed to put the investigation on the back burner for now." Fornell informs him.

"Carver is now invisible with no leads, it's like she's vanished into thin air." Gibbs sighs in frustration.

"She'll turn up again." Fornell answers.

"I'm hoping she doesn't blow somebody else with Heather Fitzpatrick's Berretta." Gibbs barks.

"Neither do I." Fornell frowns…

Down in the bullpen ten minutes later, Gibbs informs his team that their current investigation has been put into the cold files. "Fornell wants us to give up." Tony says in disbelief.

"Not just Fornell, Borin's boss as well." Gibbs answers and walks over to his desk and sits down.

"Face it Tony if Carver has left without a trace, we'll be wasting manpower hours, when we could be utilizing it on another investigation." McGee answers.

"That's when we get another case." Tony grumbles.

"In the meantime, I want your asses down in the gym." Gibbs orders them.

"Boss!" Tony whines.

"Did I shudder DiNozzo?" Gibbs growls.

"No!" Tony mumbles.

In the gym an hour later, Tony is lifting up some weights, Ziva is on the treadmill, and McGee is on the Stairmaster. Gibbs walks in wearing his sweats. "We've been eating way too much take-out of late." Gibbs nods over at them and walks over to a weight bench.

"When's Jenny coming home?" Ziva curiously asks.

"She's taking a redeye back on Wednesday night." Gibbs smiles and lies back on the bench.

"Abby had mentioned that you're showing Jenny your boat this weekend." Ziva softly answers.

"Hey you've never shown us boat number three yet." Tony protests.

"The only person who's seen boat number three is my dad." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Can we see her?" Ziva asks.

"After I show Jenny." Gibbs smiles.

After work that evening Gibbs is sitting at his workbench down in his basement repairing a picture frame. Borin walks down the stairs carrying two cups of Venti sized coffee cups. "So this is your infamous basement that your team has spoken of." Borin smirks.

"Case is put in the cold files, there's no need for a house call." Gibbs answers roughly.

Borin walks over to the workbench and hands Gibbs his cup of coffee. "But it's still open."

"Until my boss says otherwise, I'm keeping away from it." Gibbs shrugs.

"So Gunny Gibbs is a myth, from what I heard the old Gibbs would have kicked and screamed at his boss for putting a case like this in the cold files." Borin answers with surprise.

"Gunny Gibbs hasn't had a need to return."

"What happened to him?" Borin frowns.

"To much ass kissing the past three years, I guess I don't know any other way." Gibbs sadly answers and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"So you are a shell of your former self." Borin says with regret.

"I may be, but I still roll out of bed every morning and head to work and do my job." Gibbs smirks.

"What will it take for Gunny Gibbs to return?" Borin sheepishly asks.

"Ex-wife number two, and Madame Director." Gibbs barks.

"Which one was worse?" Borin laughs.

"They were both neck and neck, the difference between the two of them is Madame Director kept me from her bed and infuriated me even more, Diane I wanted no part of her in my bed." Gibbs smirks.

"You actually wanted to sleep with your boss." Borin laughs.

"Hell yeah she was a major tease, worse than her alter ego Jenny."

"I didn't know that there was a difference between them."

"Be glad that it's 2011 and not 2008." Gibbs snorts.

Borin's cell phone begins to ring. "Borin!" She answers…. "I'll be right there." Borin answers and hangs up. "Stolen weapons." Borin shrugs.

"Have fun!" Gibbs laughs.

"Don't worry I'm sure you'll be getting a case soon enough." Borin winks and walks off for the stairs.

Gibbs waits for the front door to close. "All I know is, if Noemi wasn't inside of your house the night you referred to me as a jealous husband, boss or no boss, I would have flung you over my shoulder and hauled your ass up to your bedroom." Gibbs growls.

Next afternoon down in the evidence room, Gibbs is looking inside of a stolen Hummer owned by an Admiral Vander Holden. "Talk about two Seaman having a party." Abby giggles.

"Hell of a place to throw a party and ruin your career in the Navy." Gibbs laughs.

"I heard their still sleeping it off inside of their holding cells." Abby laughs.

"They won't wake up until early evening and when they do they'll have a helluva a hangover."

"I guess you're excited that Jenny's coming home tomorrow morning." Abby smiles.

"Excited, try thrilled, I've been climbing the walls all day." Gibbs grumbles.

"You finally get her in your house."

"And I'm going to relieve the moment in my head over and over again, when I wake up Friday morning and find Jenny sleeping next to me inside of my bed." Gibbs smiles with anticipation.

That night in the bullpen, Gibbs and Tony return from Interrogation. "Cleaning crew is going to be thrilled at cleaning up Seaman Austin's vomit." Tony laughs.

"There was so much vodka inside of his throw up." Gibbs grimaces at the smell.

"Do we need to hear the play by play of this?" Ziva mutters from her desk.

"Yes I just ate." McGee grumbles.

"We'll pick this up tomorrow morning; I'll be in at 1000 hours." Gibbs smiles and turns off his light from his desk and then walks off for the elevator.

"He won't sleep a wink tonight." Tony winks.

"Tomorrow night is out of the question also." Ziva giggles.

After stopping at a bar for an hour Gibbs walks through the front door of his house. He closes the door behind him and then locks it. "I better get use to this." "I might even put in an alarm." Gibbs answers and takes off his jacket and tosses it on the back of the chair. "Not in the mood to start working on my model airplanes for the kids tonight." Gibbs sighs and walks up the stairs. After ascending the stairs and walking the length of the hallway Gibbs notices that there's a light on in his bedroom. "Did I leave that on all day?" He mumbles to himself. He steps inside of the bedroom and finds his lover sleeping naked under the covers. "You bitch!" Gibbs inwardly growls and pulls his polo shirt and t-shirt over his head at the same time. "You are going to pay for Monday night." Gibbs inwardly vows and quickly gets undressed. He joins Jenny under the covers and begins to ravish her neck.

"Jethro!" She whines in protest.

"Don't give me that crap." Gibbs barks and finds Jenny's mouth. Passionately he kisses Jenny on the mouth, between kisses. "God I missed you."

Jenny tired from her flight. "Can't this wait until morning?" Jenny begs him.

"Hell no!" Gibbs growls in sexual frustration and begins to kiss Jenny's neck and works his way down her chest.

Jenny feeling his mouth and tongue on her right breast. "A quick one." She cries out with pleasure.

"You got to be kidding me." Gibbs laughs and begins to ravish her left breast.

"I had a flight from hell." Jenny groans.

"To bad!" Gibbs smirks and begins to work his mouth down to her flat stomach. Jenny lies motionless on the bed as her lover masters his mouth and tongue over her hip and slowly works his way up to her mouth. Gibbs rolls on to his back and pulls Jenny on top of him, as he deepens his kiss, his hands glide over Jenny's butt, noting that his lover is on the passive side, Gibbs gets them into a sitting position, his hands go down in between Jenny's legs stroking on her arousal. "After that cold shower I had to suffer through on Monday night in my motel room, you better not be passive with me."

Jenny cries out as his fingers draw out her centre. "Oh god!" She moans out and wraps her legs around his waist. Gibbs impatient with need pulls Jenny up against his harden length and dives into her with a deep thrust. As he slips deeper inside of her, Gibbs continues to tease her, with his hands.

"You going to make love to me." Gibbs impatiently barks.

"I would do that if you would move your hands in between my legs." Jenny moans out with pleasure.

"I was getting off at watching you coming undone." Gibbs smirks and removes his hands. Jenny shoves Gibbs down on to his back and slowly begins to make love on top of him. Gibbs caught off guard, loses himself in his lovers body. "Don't stop!" He cries out with pleasure, Jenny leans over him, grinding her hips against him meet his upward thrusts.

"Looks like it's the other way around Leroy." Jenny purrs and begins to nip along his neck.

The slow love making cannot be maintained; aggressively they begin to make love to one another. Their bodies move in a frenzied fervor. "For someone who's suffering from jetlag, you suddenly have a lot of energy." Gibbs howls…Jenny screams out as Gibbs raises his hips from off of the mattress. From the light on the dresser, Gibbs makes eye contact with his lover, looking into the depths of her green eyes as her orgasm washes over her. Clasping a hold of her hands, Gibbs gets them into a sitting position. "I want to hear you say it."

"What?" She cries out as her muscles convulse around his shaft.

"That you fell apart when I had my way with you on top of the kitchen table in Paris." Gibbs smirks.

"I fell apart, well before you entered me." Jenny moans out.

"And I want you to have that memory from Paris." Gibbs smiles with satisfaction and flips Jenny on to her back.

Jenny digs her nails into his back as Gibbs moves against her seeking out his release. Their bodies clash and collide with each rhythmic push. "Jethro come on!" She whimpers and rose her hips up to meet his aggressive thrusts.

Riding the waves of wild ecstasy, Gibbs plunges over the edge in a fiery climax, gasping in completion as his release shudders through him. Gibbs buries his face up against Jenny's right shoulder, trembling with the after affects from their love making. "I love you." He says between breaths.

Jenny stroking his sweat soaked hair. "I love you Jethro." She softly answers.

Tired from the case he just came off of, and from her flight from Paris, Gibbs and Jenny fall asleep finally in Jethro's bed. During the night they would wake up and make love several times and fall asleep again in each other arms.


	48. Feeling Like A Wife

First light, Gibbs awakens with his arms and legs wrapped around Jenny from behind. "Damn it I have to go into work while you sleep it off." Gibbs inwardly growls and glances over at the clock. "0615 hours!" He yawns and quietly slips out of bed. "Took me eleven years to get you back in my bed." Gibbs smiles and watches over his lover as she rolls over on to his side of the bed in her sleep. "You always slept peacefully in my bed from what I can remember."

Fifteen minutes later after getting a shave and a shower, Gibbs dressed in his usual white t-shirt, plum polo shirt, gray casual pants and a black sports jacket with gray horizontal and vertical stripes. He quietly approaches the bed and leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. "I love you." He whispers and walks out of the bedroom closing the door behind him.

Ten minutes later, he steps out of Starbucks Coffee in hand talking on his cell phone. "I wasn't expecting you up this early." Gibbs smiles as he approaches his Dodge Challenger. "I don't know how long Jenny will be sleeping; she'll be surprised to see you when she wakes up."

At NCIS Headquarters, Tony and Ziva are bickering back and forth between one another, McGee returns from the lounge shaking his head. "The one thing about being in Boston that I enjoyed was the silence." McGee sighs in annoyance as he walks over to his desk.

"Jenny's flight from Paris should arrive at Dulles in another half an hour." "I bet the boss man will take her home and get in a quickie before he heads on back to work." Tony smirks.

"Is that so DiNozzo?" Gibbs mischievously answers him from behind.

"Boss!" Tony answers startled and surprised that Gibbs is in earlier than expected. "Aren't you suppose to be picking up Jenny at the airport?" Tony curiously asks.

"She took a flight in last night so that she could surprise me when I came home from work." Gibbs smiles and walks over to his desk and sits down.

Tony noting the hickey on the side of Gibbs' neck. "Made up for lost time."

"We'll do that this weekend on my boat." Gibbs smirks and gets into the subject at hand. "Since we do not have an open case at the moment, I want all three of you down at the gun range." Gibbs orders them.

"What for?" McGee shrugs.

"For gossiping about me behind my back." Gibbs barks.

"Tony was gossiping about you, not Ziva and me." McGee grumbles in protest.

"McCrybaby." Tony chastises him.

"Listening in on it is considered gossiping, now move it." Gibbs growls at his team.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee grab their guns from their desks and stalk off towards the elevator. "Thanks a lot DiNozzo." Ziva hisses.

"That gets them out of my hair for at least a half an hour." Gibbs laughs and clicks open the icon for his e-mail.

Around nine o'clock Jenny opens up her eyes and stretches out in bed, smelling her lovers scent on the pillows. "Saw dust and bourbon are missing." Jenny frowns and throws the covers back, grabbing her robe that had fallen on the floor, she puts it on. "I am not doing a damn thing today other than unpacking my suitcase." Jenny smirks and opens up the bedroom door and walks across the hallway for the bathroom.

Half an hour later, dressed in one of Gibbs' Marine t-shirts, pair of jeans and sheep skin Coquette slippers, Jenny descends the stairs and the smell of a fresh pot of coffee stops her in her tracks at the bottom of the steps. "Jethro you didn't have to stay home from work." Jenny playfully scolds him. She takes the final two steps, in Jethro's two steps at a time fashion and walks off for the kitchen, at the kitchen counter she finds Noemi pouring Jenny a cup of coffee. "Noemi!" She says with surprise.

"Senor Gibbs called me last week." Noemi smiles…"I haven't worked since you-" Noemi chokes and bursts into tears at the memory of hearing of Jenny are passing over the phone.

Jenny walks over to Noemi and affectionately hugs her. "I'm sorry that I had to put you and the people that I cared about through that." "Believe me I had no choice in the matter." Jenny apologizes with tears streaming down her face.

Noemi tightens her arms around Jenny's back. "No need to apologize Senora." Noemi softly answers and pulls back from Jenny. "You look good."

"I'm still the same Noemi." Jenny smiles and walks over to the table and sits down.

"The same Senora Jenny before she left for Europe in 1998 with Senor Gibbs." "You have love in your eyes again." Noemi winks and walks over to the table and hands Jenny her cup of coffee. "There's cream and sugar on the table, I know when Senor Gibbs isn't around you prefer cream and sugar in your coffee."

Jenny begins to fix her coffee, two and a half sugars and lightens her coffee with the cream. "So Jethro hired you as his house keeper." Jenny asks and takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

"Yes, because he said that he doesn't want you burning down his house while Senor Gibbs is at work during day, remember you can't cook." Noemi playfully teases her.

"There's a thing called the microwave" Jenny mutters in annoyance. Noemi walks over to the stove and pulls the oven door back. "Something smells good." Jenny sighs in anticipation.

"I use to make this for you and Senor Gibbs when the two of you would sleep in during the week." Noemi answers and takes out Jenny's breakfast from the oven.

"Tortilla Green Chili Quiche!" Jenny drools as Noemi approaches the table with her breakfast.

"Ah huh I haven't gotten a reaction like out of you in a long time." Noemi smiles and dishes out Jenny's breakfast on to her plate. "While you're eating I wash your clothes from your trip." Noemi nods over to her and closes the oven door.

"There's no-"

Noemi quickly interrupts her. "I'm getting paid to cook, clean, and do the laundry four days a week; I don't want to hear any arguments from you." Noemi scolds her.

Back at NCIS Headquarters Gibbs is sitting on a stool beside Ducky's desk down in Autopsy. "Jethro you spoil Jenny." Ducky chuckles.

"Spoiling her, it's keeping Jenny from setting my kitchen on fire." Gibbs growls.

"Jethro!" Ducky laughs.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring, he notices Jenny's name on the caller ID. "Speaking of which." Gibbs laughs and flips open his phone. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

"Don't give me that innocent answer; you know damn well I was calling you." Jenny playfully hisses at her lover.

"I take it that Noemi fed you already." Gibbs grins.

"I'm eating breakfast right now." Jenny says between bites from her quiche.

"What did she make you?"

"Tortilla Green Chili Quiche!" Jenny smirks.

"Damn!" Gibbs groans.

"Don't worry, you can nuke up the left overs when you come home for lunch."

"That's if I don't have a case to work on." Gibbs shrugs and gets up from the stool. "Sleep well?"

"Other than my bedroom in Paris, I haven't slept that good in about three years." Jenny smiles.

"I hated leaving you this morning." Gibbs frowns.

"You won't have to do that on Saturday morning."

"Sunday morning you'll be waking up in my boat." Gibbs smirks.

"I've been looking forward to that all week."

"So have I." Gibbs smiles…"So what are your plans for today."

"Absolutely nothing!"

"Good, kick back and lounge on the couch and I want you to get some ideas about making the place your own."

"Jethro!"

"Don't argue with me." Gibbs protests…."We'll talk about this when I get home, in the meantime enjoy your breakfast and do nothing today."

"I will, I have a book planned out already."

"Hopefully it's something that-"

Jenny annoyed with his line of thinking quickly interrupts him. "It's a mystery novel Jethro; get your mind out of the gutter for once."

"Can't help that around you." Gibbs snickers and notices that Ducky is raising a curious eyebrow at him. "If I don't get a case between now and noontime I should be home."

"See you then." Jenny smiles and hangs up.

Gibbs flips his phone closed. "Wish she would quit being so stubborn." Gibbs grumbles.

"About Noemi?" Ducky muses.

"No I want her to make my house our house, so that it's not so much of Shannon." Gibbs sighs.

"It's kind of hard when you lived part of your life with Shannon and Kelly in the house, competing with the memory of the love of your life."

"She doesn't have to compete; Shannon is the love of my life." "Jenny is my soul mate and what I feel for her is on a different plane then what I felt for Shannon." Gibbs smiles.

"Jethro give her time."

"That's all we have time." Gibbs nods and walks off for the door.

Ducky waits for Gibbs to walk out of the room. "Cherish it this time around my friend."

Georgetown Mall

1210 Hours

Tony, Ziva, Abby, McGee, and Palmer are gathered at their usual spot in the food court. "Remember when we use to come here and Cynthia would fill us in on Gibbs and Jenny's argument from inside of her office." Tony laughs.

"She would give you a play by play via speakerphone." McGee snickers.

"The good ole days." Tony smiles.

"You still think that Jenny is going to be the next NCIS Director." Ziva softly asks.

"Oh yeah, first week in November she'll be standing on top of her perch in front of MTAC drooling over Gibbs' butt in the bullpen." Tony smirks.

"And don't worry as I remember Gibbs would also check Jenny out, keep in mind towards the end Jenny was dressing more casually to the office." Ziva winks.

"Teasing goes both ways." Abby giggles.

"Did you see the hickey on Gibbs' neck?" Tony grins.

"I haven't seen him yet today." Abby answers…"Been busy working down in the Evidence Room all morning."

"I'm amazed that people at Gibbs and Jenny's age still give one another hickeys." McGee says with surprise.

"Age is irrelevant in the throes of passion McGeek." Tony snickers.

While the Gibblets gossip about their parents, Gibbs and Jenny are up in the bedroom making love. The sound and fury can be heard down into the living room. "Yes!" Jenny screams out.

Noemi walks in carrying several grocery bags. "Senor Gibbs, Senora Jenny!" She calls out to them.

Up in the bedroom, Gibbs is slumped on top of Jenny soaked in sweat. "We'll be right down." Jenny calls out. "Good you can't sneak attack me in the shower." Jenny mischievously grins.

"There's always Saturday morning." Gibbs says between breaths and leans up and kisses Jenny on the mouth.

After getting a quick shower, Gibbs and Jenny walk down the stairs. Noemi noting their wet hair. "Conserving water again Senora." Noemi snickers from the kitchen entranceway.

"Really Noemi!" Jenny mutters and walks into the kitchen with Gibbs following her from behind.

"I put your quiche in the oven Senor." Noemi smiles over at Gibbs.

"Good, I've been looking forward to that all morning." Gibbs smiles and pulls out a chair for Jenny.

"One thing about you is you are always a gentleman."

Twenty minutes later, Gibbs is standing in the middle of the front door kissing Jenny goodbye. "If I don't get an open case between now and 1800 hours I'll be home by then." Gibbs smiles and walks off towards his Dodge Challenger.

Jenny folds her arms and glances towards the direction of his car. "I'm driving that baby." Jenny inwardly smirks.

Gibbs opens the driver's side door and glances back towards the direction of his lover. "You're not driving my car." Gibbs shouts.

"Mental note, castrate DiNozzo for snitching on me." Jenny hisses as she watches Gibbs get inside of the car.

"So sweet that you're watching Senor Gibbs drive off to work." Noemi smiles at her from behind.

Jenny closes the door. "Not watching Senor Gibbs driving off to work, I want to drive his car." Jenny grins.

"You know what they say about driving a man's car Senora." Noemi giggles.

"I know and it's where us women get off when we drive their cars to piss them off." Jenny laughs and goes over to the couch; she grabs her book and glasses from the coffee table.

"Senor Gibbs has his hands full with you." Noemi laughs and walks off for the kitchen.

"It's the other way around Noemi." Jenny sighs and settles herself on the couch.

After lunch the Gibblets are settled at their desks, Abby sits on the corner of Tony's desk waiting to catch a glimpse of Gibbs' latest hickey. The bell for the elevator goes off, Gibbs steps out. "In coming!" Abby snickers.

"Right side!" Tony whispers.

"That must be her favorite side." Abby giggles.

Gibbs steps inside of the bullpen and gives Abby the stare. "Any reason why you're sitting on DiNozzo's desk?"

Abby noting the small bruise on the right side of Gibbs' desk. "None!" She laughs and rushes off for the elevator.

"Jenny taking a nap?" Tony curiously asks.

"No she's on the couch reading a book; I don't want her doing much of anything."

"She's going to be bored out of her mind within a week Gibbs." Ziva laughs.

"Don't worry; I'll have a project that will keep her busy." Gibbs smiles and walks over to his desk. With nothing to do, Gibbs clicks on his internet browser and finds a modular home design site. "I'm going to rebuild it and this time there will be a hot tub out on the deck." Gibbs inwardly smirks.

"By the way Ducky told us that you hired Noemi." Ziva smiles over at Gibbs.

"You think I want Jenny burning down my house." Gibbs growls.

"She that bad in the kitchen." Tony laughs.

"I would rather eat at Quito's Taco Shack then Jenny's cooking." Gibbs chuckles.

"What's wrong with Quito's Taco Shack?" Tony asks raising a curious eyebrow over at Gibbs.

"When you've eaten the real thing in Mexico, why eat something that's a bad cast off." Gibbs grumbles.

"You ever think of retiring there." McGee sheepishly asks.

"Yes, Mike left me the land; he never got the chance to rebuild his house before he died."

"Since when do you have the time to build a house?" Tony asks.

"Mike never built his original house, it was a modular." "I'll just redesign his house on a modular home site and tweak it that it will be livable for Jenny." Gibbs answers.

"Mike's original house wasn't livable for Jenny." Tony laughs.

"Jenny likes taking baths and I want the new house to have a master bathroom suite."

Tony giving McGee and Ziva a knowing look. "McGeek likes taking baths." Tony snickers.

"What's wrong with taking a bath?" McGee protests.

"I take baths also DiNozzo, so I don't know where you're getting at." Gibbs barks.

"And at least McGee bathes every day." Ziva baits her partner.

"Yeah I do not want my co-workers to inhale the essence of McGee." McGee smirks over at Tony.

Gibbs makes a face over at Tony. "No wonder you can't keep a woman longer than a week." Gibbs laughs.

"Hey how did this turn into a pick on DiNozzo segway?" Tony whines.

"You started it and your siblings are finishing it." Gibbs snorts.

"I'm going down to Abby's." Tony grumbles and gets up from his chair and walks off for the elevator.

McGee IM's Abby to alert him. 'DiNozzo on his way down because we were picking on him about bathing three times a week.'

'Ew!" Abby types back.

'Exactly!' McGee types back.

Ziva gets up from her desk and walks over to the back of Gibbs' desk. Spotting the build your own modular site on Gibbs' computer monitor. "Thinking about retiring." Ziva asks.

"No, vacation time in Baja, I'm hoping to get Jenny down there for New Year's Eve." Gibbs smiles.

"I didn't know that you had serious thoughts of going down to Baja with Jenny." Ziva says with surprise.

"It's all I thought about after I helped you out when I came back to Mexico." "My thoughts were on Jenny and what it would be like having her with me on the beach in Baja."

"So Jenny was the reason why you returned from Mexico." Ziva smiles.

"Yes, then I got the cold shoulder from her when I came back." Gibbs frowns.

"Unlike the kids, mommy didn't welcome you back with open arms." Ziva giggles.

"No!" Gibbs growls…."I got a year of sleeping on the couch from her." Gibbs laughs and shakes his head.

"I noticed that things were getting better between the two of you after you and Hollis broke up." McGee nods from his desk.

"As Tony had stated, the both of you resembled a married couple." Ziva winks at him.

"In some ways Jenny is wife number four." Gibbs chuckles.

"Well you didn't have to worry about divorcing her or paying alimony." McGee laughs.

"There would never have been a divorce between Jenny and me." Gibbs defiantly answers and gets up from his chair and walks off towards the direction of the lounge.

"He says that with a cocky arrogance." McGee shrugs.

"Unlike his other wives, Jenny was not a replacement for Shannon." Ziva smiles.

That night, Gibbs is glancing over the printed pages of the modular home he's having built. "They said that it will be ready by Christmas." Gibbs smiles and suddenly hears Jenny's footsteps on the stairs. He closes the folder up. "Bored with your book." Gibbs playfully teases her.

Jenny walks over to him. "Finished it up."

Gibbs reaches over and finds a Jack Daniel decanter on the shelf. "Now that we're alone." Gibbs smiles and finds two Mason jars on top of the workbench. "The last time I drank bourbon was just before I called you on your cell phone-" 

"On the day I died." Jenny interrupts him.

Gibbs dumping the screws that were inside of the jars on top of the workbench. "I could not stomach drinking it afterwards."

"Neither could I." Jenny swallows.

Gibbs takes off the top of the decanter. "I took my first sip of bourbon when I was fourteen years old on a hunting trip with my dad and grandfather."

"I took mine when I was eighteen with several of my friends." Jenny grimaces at the memory.

"I told you it was an acquired tasted." Gibbs smirks and pours the bourbon into the Mason jars. Handing Jenny her jar. "To us!"

"To our future." Jenny smiles and takes a healthy gulp from her jar.

Gibbs downs his jar in one sip. "A future without limitations." Gibbs smiles and leans down and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth, Jenny wraps her arms around his neck and deepens his kiss tasting the bourbon inside of his mouth. Breathlessly Gibbs pulls away. "Since you're done with your book, you want to go to bed?"

"As I recall the worktable use to be our bed." Jenny purrs and leans up and kisses him on the mouth, she guides Gibbs off of his stool and over towards the worktable.

Just as Jenny's butt presses up against the table, Gibbs gently shoves her on to the table. "Difference between now and then is you do not have nothing to grab on to without 'The Diane' being over top of you.

Jenny grabbing a hold of his hands and pulling Gibbs on top of her on the table. "That's what your ass is for." She seductively says finding his neck.

"Great another love bite for Tony to bust on me with." Gibbs inwardly grumbles. Gibbs is about to unbutton her blouse when his cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers, listening to dispatch on the other end of the phone. "We'll be right there." He answers and hangs up. "Dead Lance Corporal." Gibbs groans in sexual frustration.

"We'll pick this up later." Jenny answers and crawls out from under Gibbs.

Gibbs gets up from the table and slowly walks off for the steps. "This better not interfere with out plans for Saturday." Gibbs growls and starts up the stairs.

Jenny silently sits on top of the table and waits for Gibbs to get out of view. "So this is how it feels to be a wife, watching their husband getting called out to work." Jenny frowns.


	49. The Shepard

The next afternoon, Jenny and Cynthia are having lunch together at a small restaurant. "Surprised that you wanted to eat here." Cynthia laughs and takes a sip from her glass of ice tea.

"I'm trying to eat at the low profile places for the time being, media wouldn't look for me here." Jenny giggles.

"I called Ducky the other day and asked for your current phone number, I had to see you." "I didn't know that you were living with Gibbs." Cynthia says with surprise.

"Cynthia it's not a surprise, Jethro and I broke a rule that partners should never break thirteen years ago, we became more than partners."

"So Tony and the Gibblets were right?"

"Yes, I accidently slipped it out when I was on the phone with Tony, while Gibbs was in his coma." "While I was Director our relationship stayed platonic, the job at the time was more important than resuming our romance."

"What made you get back together with him this time around?"

"We loved each other to much." Jenny smiles.

Waitress approaches the table and puts their food down in front of them. Cynthia waits for the waitress to walk away from their table. "I still can hear Abby's scream in my head, that's how I knew something was wrong on that day, I was coming out of your office and was just about to sit down at my desk." "It was a piercing scream that went right through me." "I walked out on to the balcony; Ducky was cradling Abby in his arms." "McGee sat at his desk with a stunned look on his face." "Then my desk phone rang and it was Assistant Director Vance informing me of your death and giving me SecNav Davenport's orders."

"Cynthia I had no say in what happened out in California." Jenny sadly answers.

"So you were wounded in the diner?"

"Yes and I had survived, I got shot in the right shoulder."

"And you had to live through that knowing that the people you loved thought that you were dead." Cynthia frowns.

"My life has been a living hell the past three years, the people that I loved and cared about the most were here." "I felt empty and lonely."

"What kept you going?"

"The few times I was able to be me Jenny Shepard, not the assumed identity that I was going by." Jenny bitterly snaps and grabs a French fry from her plate.

"For the few weeks that I did work with Vance all I could remember is how cold the office was." "He did have some photos of his wife and kids, but it seemed so emotionless to me." "The only emotion that I saw after you were gone was when I would walk out of my outer office and I would catch Gibbs staring up at your familiar spot on the balcony in front of MTAC." "Not only was his partner dead, but Vance sent his entire team away with the exception of McGee, he stayed in the building heading his own team in the Cyber Division."

"Was that the reason why you moved to Homeland Security?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Some of it, I got a better paying job offer." "A week and a half after your death I overheard Vance and Davenport talking on Vance's phone, Vance had the speakerphone button pressed in and they were both laughing that they had accomplished their goal by getting you out as Director." Cynthia angrily fumes.

"Ding dong the witch is dead." Jenny icily answers.

"I put in a week's notice." "I wasn't going to work another week with that bastard."

"I would have quit on the first day." Jenny laughs.

"The job at Homeland Security was great, but they didn't have the same cast of characters that were at NCIS and I would frequently call up Abby and Tony at headquarters." Cynthia laughs.

"Was?" Jenny asks narrowing her eyes over at Cynthia.

"Yes, due to budget cutbacks I got laid off a few weeks ago."

"I'm so sorry." Jenny apologizes.

"I got a job, actually it's my old one before I became your assistant, MTAC Technician Aaron Porter got transferred out to San Diego, of all things Director Fornell called me up and knew that I was out of a job and offered me Porter's position, so I'll be working at NCIS starting Monday morning." Cynthia smiles.

"That's great!" Jenny smiles.

"Pay cut but it's a job and I'll be back with the gang again." "It won't be the same without you of course." Cynthia sadly says.

"I can't go back Cynthia, besides there are rules about dating subordinates."

"And I don't think Jethro would want you to be his boss again." Cynthia snickers.

"We would kill one another." Jenny laughs and shakes her head.

"Speaking of Jethro, I didn't see him at the office this morning when I was doing some paperwork for Navy Human Resource."

"That's because he's down in Lynchburg on a murder investigation."

"Never stops for the Major Case Response Team."

"But at least it's a crime scene investigation and not the investigation of your dirty former SecNav and Director."

Lynchburg, Virginia

Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee walk into the home of Lance Corporal Lenard Munroe. "McGee search the bedroom, Tony and Ziva help me with the living room."

Ziva approaches the fireplace mantle and spots a wedding photo; the man in the photo is dressed in his Marine dress uniform. "Gibbs!" Ziva calls out to him.

Gibbs walks over to her. "Who's that?"

"I was about to ask you the same question?"

Tony walks over. "You sure we have the right house?"

"According to his CO at Quantico, this is Munroe's home address; he's on a six week leave." Gibbs roughly answers. Suddenly his cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

Ducky sitting on top of the counter on Abby's workstation with Abby standing nearby. "Jethro it appears that the finger prints that were taken from our victim in Lynchburg do not match Lance Corporal Lenard Munroe's, I have his finger prints taken from his file that was sent over from Quantico, plus Munroe is blood type 0, our victim is blood type B." Ducky informs him from Abby's speakerphone.

"So I'm staring at the real Munroe, there's a photo of him up on the mantle."

"Abigail is sending a photo to Timothy's PDA."

McGee walks out of the bedroom. "Boss, Abby just sent me a photo." McGee calls out to him and walks over to the mantle.

Gibbs takes the PDA from McGee and puts it up on the mantle with the wedding photo. "This is the real Lance Corporal Munroe."

"So who is our victim down in Autopsy?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Working on it." Gibbs grunts.

Munroe and his wife Lucinda walk in through the front door. "What the hell is going on here?" Munroe shouts.

"We'll get back to you Duck." Gibbs answers and hangs up. Showing Munroe his badge. "NCIS, Special Agent Gibbs." "There was a man wearing your dog tags murdered inside of a bar."

"Henry!" Lucinda hisses.

"He must have taken my dog tags." Munroe groans.

"Any relation to you?"

"Yeah, Lucinda's younger brother." "I've told him time and time again to not use my dog tags to pose as a Marine to pick up women in bars." Munroe sighs.

"Henry's dead?" Lucinda asks.

Gibbs show's Munroe Henry's body from inside of the bar. "That's Henry!" Munroe swallows.

"He kept hinting up on the bar owners wife and wouldn't take no for an answer." Gibbs sadly informs him. "He pulled a shotgun on Henry from behind the bar."

"I warned him over and over again." Munroe groans.

Lucinda breaks down up against her husband's chest. "Not my baby brother!" She sobs.

Gibbs nods over at his team to give the Munroe's some privacy and they walk out of the house. "I guess it's Lynchburg PD's investigation now." Tony smirks.

"Their investigation and we did all of the legwork." McGee sighs…Ziva narrows her eyes over at McGee.

"He means that we did all of the work in the investigation and they won't have to do a damn thing." Tony answers.

"Either way we get to go home." Gibbs grins.

"I'll take the weekend off as a fair trade." Ziva smiles.

Later that night at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs is down in Autopsy reading Henry Kendal's autopsy report. "Desperate to pick up women that he had to borrow his brother-in-law's dog tags." Gibbs snorts.

"And look where it brought him, to my autopsy table." Ducky mutters…

Tony walks in with two funeral home assistants from Lynchburg, Virginia. "Ducky the funeral home is here to pick up Kendal's body." Tony nods over at him.

"He's in drawer number ten." Ducky answers and walks over to the mortuary chamber with the two assistant's following him from behind.

Gibbs and Tony start out for the door. "I'm beat!" Gibbs sighs with exhaustion.

"Long drive over, we didn't get any sleep last night and not to mention we had the long drive back." Tony yawns.

"Pointless investigation all because a guy needed his brother-in-law's dog tags to get laid." Gibbs groans and walks out the door and over to the elevator.

Tony following bursts out laughing. "I saw some of the babes in that bar."

"Double desperation!" Gibbs laughs and presses in the elevator button.

"As tired as I am, I may stop at the bar before going home."

"I'm going straight to bed and passing out." Gibbs grumbles…The elevator door opens, Tony and Gibbs step inside.

"What if Jenny has other-" Gibbs hand goes to the back of Tony's head. "Ow!" He grimaces and rubs the back of his head.

"Remember what I said to you on our flight over to Palm Springs, I meant it." Gibbs warns him as the doors close.

"I was trying at humor boss." Tony shrugs.

"Use someone else's sex life, not mine." Gibbs growls.

Half an hour later, Gibbs walks through the front door and finds Jenny sleeping on the couch in a pair of kaki lounging pants and one of Gibbs' old gray flannel shirts. She had fallen asleep reading one of her books. Quietly Gibbs takes off his jacket and tosses it over to the back of the chair; he walks over to the couch and gently takes off Jenny's glasses and takes the book from her. He puts her book and glasses on top of the coffee table. "I'll sleep good tonight." Gibbs smiles and climbs on top of Jenny on the couch, passionately kissing her on the mouth.

Jenny half asleep breaks away from his kiss. "What time is it?" She yawns.

"Almost eleven o'clock." Gibbs yawns and leans over and kisses Jenny on the mouth, his hands unbutton the flannel shirt, noting that she's not wearing anything underneath of it; his hands begin to feel up Jenny's breasts.

"Jethro!" She cries out as his thumbs circles around her harden peaks.

"This was my next move if the phone hadn't rang and interrupted the mood last night." Gibbs frowns in sexual frustration. "This will have to wait until morning."

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

Gibbs gets up from the couch and pulls Jenny up on to her feet. "Get ready for bed and I'll turn the lights out and lock the doors."

"This is a first for me, you actually locking the doors." Jenny laughs and starts for the stairs.

"I have somebody other than me to think of for a change." Gibbs smiles and turns off the living room lights.

Five minutes later upstairs, Gibbs crawls into bed. "I'm beat!" Gibbs sighs in exhaustion.

Jenny rolls into his arms; she leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. "Night!" She softly says to him and buries her face up against the top of his left shoulder.

"Night Jen!" Gibbs slurs half asleep, closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.

Around dawn, Gibbs wakes up with his arms and legs wrapped around Jenny from behind. Jenny feeling him stirring behind her. "Go back to sleep." She mumbles.

"I'm up!" Gibbs smirks.

"So I felt you up against the back of my thigh." Jenny yawns.

"I let you off the hook the other morning; I could have woken you up and had my way with you before I went off to work."

"Like I would have cared, keep in mind I can roll over and go back to sleep afterwards." Jenny laughs.

"Not this morning." Gibbs grins and begins to nip along the back of Jenny's neck, his hands venture down in between her legs.

"You have something in mind didn't you?" Jenny moans out as his fingers stroke on her centre.

"Ever since I watched Carver's smut DVD's."

"I told you I'm not as flexible as I use to be." Jenny cries out.

Gibbs rolling on his back and pulls Jenny on top of him from behind. "For this position you do not have to be flexible."

Jenny straddling his waist. "Flexible my ass I'll be doing all the work." Jenny hisses.

"That's the general idea." Gibbs laughs and sits up and reclines back against the pillows,

"Oh god!" Jenny moans out as he enters her with a driving thrust as he slips deeper inside, his fingers continue to stroke on her arousal. "That isn't helping matters." She protests.

"The wetter you are the better it is for me."

"You bastard!" Jenny screams out as her lover brings his knees up. Gibbs brings his hands up on to Jenny's waist and pulls her back against him. Slowly she begins to make love against him.

"This is for the cold shower I had to endure Monday night."

"I thought you got even with me Wednesday night." Jenny moans out as she slowly thrusts her hips against him.

"Not even close." Gibbs smirks at his lover from behind, getting off at watching Jenny lose herself in his body.

"Yes!" She screams out with pleasure, her muscles begin to contract around his shaft.

For five minutes Gibbs holds off on his release, so that he can share the ultimate release that lovers achieve in making love from behind. Jenny leaning over with her palms facing forward on the bed, screams out Jethro's name, her body shudders uncontrollably, reaching the pinnacle of her passion. Gibbs feeling her wetness up against him. "About damn time." He inwardly grins.

"Jethro come on!" She begs him. With a final thrust, Gibbs climaxes inside of her. Jenny falls over on to her right side trembling from the after effects from their love making. Gibbs slumps his knees down on to the bed. "Son of a bitch!" Jenny pants.

Gibbs glances down with a satisfied smirk on his face. "Been about eleven years since anybody has screwed your brains in like that."

"Try the other way around, you just lied back on the bed while I did all of the work." Jenny hisses.

Gibbs rolls over and leans over Jenny from behind, noting that she's still trembling from the after affects from her orgasm, he tenderly kisses Jenny on the face; gently he guides Jenny on to her back, finding her mouth. "I'll give you ten minutes to recover, before I attack you in the shower."

"Thanks a lot!"

Fifteen minutes later inside of the shower, Gibbs has his Jenny pressed up against the wall aggressively making love to her. "Harder!" She screams out with pleasure.

"Harder, I'll fall on my ass." Gibbs growls.

"Good then you'll break my fall." She moans out, grabbing on to the back of his butt as he thrusts harder and faster against him, she captures his mouth to stifle out an oncoming cry. Gibbs groans out as he feels her tongue circling inside of his mouth. Jenny noting that her lover's defenses are weakening, she teases the inside of his mouth.

Breaking away from her kiss. "Damn it!" He cries out, his body convulses and shudders in an explosive climax. Jenny exhausted wraps her arms around his neck. "First time in my shower in over eleven years and you almost killed me." Gibbs pants and gently brings Jenny down on to her feet.

"What a way to die, having a heart attack while having sexual intercourse in the shower." Jenny snickers and grabs the bottle of shampoo.

"And the only one who could give me a heart attack is you." Gibbs snorts, grabbing the shampoo bottle from her. "Turn around!"

Jenny turns around. "What time are we heading out?"

Gibbs pops the cap back and pours the shampoo in Jenny's hair. "Around eight?" He shrugs and begins to lather up her hair.

Jenny sighs out as his fingers dig into her hair. "That feels good."

"After we make love tonight, I'm giving you a complete rub down in bed, your body is a train wreck."

"Like yours is any better."

"One body at a time and yours first."

Jack Creek Marina

0750 Hours

Gibbs with a cooler in his hand walks Jenny over to the pier where he has his boat docked at. Jenny carrying an overnight bag walks beside him. "Which one is it?"

"You'll see!" Gibbs smirks and walks the length of the pier with Jenny following behind him. As they near the end of the pier, Gibbs stops her in front of a 22 foot sailboat, on the stern painted on the back with the Eiffel Tower in the background is his partner's name 'The Shepard'.

"You son of a bitch, you named the boat after me." She hisses.

"I named it after my partner." He playfully shrugs and is about to board the boat when Jenny tugs him from behind.

"Which is me?" She chastises him.

"I started working on her in the summer of 2002 after my divorce with Stephanie finally came through." "I named my boat after my partner and as a lost love." "If I couldn't have you, then a part of you would have always been with me when I went out on my boat." Gibbs smiles.

"You would have finished her if it wasn't for the explosion on 'The Kymira'." Jenny sadly answers.

"When I came back from Mexico, I interrupted my work on 'The Shepard' and started building 'The Kelly'." "Two months before you died I began to work on 'The Shepard' again." "It's what got me through grieving for you and Vance breaking up my team; I worked on my boat nonstop for four months."

"When did you finally finish her?"

"Ten months after you died." "I took 'The Shepard' out in March of 2009 on an over nighter." "It was the first time in ten months that I slept good." Gibbs sighs.

"First time I slept good after I died is when my father finally took his leash off of me and I settled into my apartment in Paris." "It was the first time in well over a year that I slept for twelve hours straight."

Gibbs nudges Jenny on board the boat. "I doubt that there will be any sleeping on board tonight." Gibbs mischievously grins.

"How big is the bed?"

"Full sized V-berth bed under the bow." "I have a small kitchen sleeping berth as a second bed; I slept on that when I took my dad out last spring." Gibbs smoothly answers and climbs on board.

Jenny drops the carry-on bag and glances around on top of the deck. "How far are you going out?"

"I'll take her five miles out into the bay and drop anchor."

"At least you picked a warm weekend to take her out." Jenny smiles.

"All luck!" Gibbs smiles and walks over to the companionway. "Grab the carry-on bag." He calls over his shoulder and heads down below.

Jenny picks up the bag and follows Gibbs below deck, at the bottom of the stairs she finds a small galley, Gibbs unpacks the cooler. "I guess the necessities are in the cabinets already."

"I took care of that while you were away."

"When did you have the time?"

"I made the time." Gibbs smirks and walks over to Jenny and takes her by the hand.

"Now where are you taking me?"

Gibbs leads Jenny over to the V-berth sleeping cabin. "I figure once the weather breaks during the spring, you could meet me here during lunch."

"Right you don't want Noemi listening in on us." Jenny laughs.

"You're louder than me?" Gibbs barks.

"That's because I'm on top most of the time." Jenny mutters.

"You do it so well."

"A woman's work is never done." Jenny purrs and walks around the corner finding a door, she opens it up. "What's in here?"

Gibbs approaches Jenny from behind and flips on the light switch. "The Head!"

Jenny noting the small shower enclosure next to the toilet. "Oh no you don't!"

"Oh yes, and notice the folding bench that goes above the head, I can get more leverage on you." Gibbs snickers and walks away.

"You're sick!"

"Keep in mind you weren't alive when I built the thing." Gibbs calls out.

Jenny glaring down at the shower nozzle on the wall. "You still had that with me in mind." She sighs.

That afternoon, Gibbs drops anchor five miles out in the Chesapeake Bay. He walks over to Jenny as she lounges on deck absorbed in her book. "Put that thing away, your attention should be focused on me." Gibbs growls.

"Focused on you as you toss your fishing line out into the bay, I don't think so Leroy." Jenny sarcastically answers.

"I thought that we would fish together."

"You want a female fishing partner, call Hollis." Jenny baits him.

"Funny!" Gibbs snorts and walks over to the bow of the boat. "I guess you'll have to starve tonight." Gibbs teases her as he puts a lure on to the fishing hook.

"I saw a jar of peanut butter in the cabinet and you brought a loaf of bread, I won't starve." Jenny smirks.

"And I won't have to worry about you setting the galley on fire."

"That will teach you for naming the boat after me."

"I might as well quit while I'm a head." Gibbs grumbles and tosses out his fishing line out into the water.

"As usual he sticks his foot in his mouth and can't finish it." Jenny inwardly laughs and continues to read her book.

That evening Gibbs and Jenny are having a romantic dinner on deck. "I haven't had fresh flounder in ages." Jenny answers as she bites into her fish.

"I caught some Blue Fish and some Speckled Trout also." Gibbs smiles.

"You can keep the Blue Fish." Jenny grimaces.

"Ducky eats it; I'll give it to him."

"In between long weekends in Paris this spring and summer I want us to also go out on the boat."

"Can we squeeze in one winter date in Paris, I was hoping for Valentine's Day." Jenny softly asks.

"Just as long as I get New Year's down in Baja."

"Pax!" Jenny smiles.

"You mean that." Gibbs says in awe.

"I've had my fantasy come true already, you should get yours also."

"When we both retire I want us to go between Paris and Baja, fall and winter months we'll stay in Mexico, and spring and summer we can live in Paris."

"You'll give up your house in the states." Jenny says with surprise.

"Why keep something that we'll hardly use." Gibbs shrugs and takes a bite out of his fish.

"By then it's a possibility that your team may be reassigned elsewhere, Tony, McGee, and Ziva eventually will be Team Leaders." Jenny softly notes.

"Abby will have a fit." Gibbs chuckles.

"People have to move on, that's part of life, who knows another agency may offer Abby a better job, she's had job offers in the past and keeps turning them down."

"She wants to be with her family." Gibbs sighs with a heavy heart.

"I know and she wants to feel safe." Jenny nods.

"Pretty soon DiNozzo and I will be working together for ten years, McGee for nine years, and Ziva for seven."

"Longest agents serving Team Gibbs." Jenny smiles.

"Most of my agents within three to five years are appointed as Team Leaders." "DiNozzo turned down your job offer back in 2006; McGee had his own team for four months in the Cyber Division."

"Vast difference between computers and field work, I don't blame Tim one bit I would have went back as a field agent as a Junior Field Agent." Jenny groans out of sheer boredom.

Gibbs finishing up his fish puts his plate off to the side. "Tomorrow when we get back home I want us to have a talk about remodeling my house."

"Jethro-"

"Don't argue with me." Gibbs barks…"Subject is not open for debate."

Jenny getting up from the deck. "For now, I'll continue the argument tomorrow night." Jenny sweetly answers and walks below deck.

Gibbs annoyed that she got the last word in again, picks up his plate and gets up and follows Jenny below deck. "You did it again." He sighs in exasperation.

Jenny taking his plate from him. "Didn't you say you had something romantic planned above deck tonight?" Jenny asks.

"Yeah!"

"I'll clean up the galley."

Gibbs leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. "The one area of the kitchen where I know you're safe at is at the sink doing the dishes." Gibbs laughs; he opens up a cabinet door and retrieves a bottle of bourbon and two glasses.

"Ha, ha!" Jenny sighs in annoyance.

A half an hour later above deck, Jenny emerges from the entrance of the companionway and finds the deck lit up with candles, Gibbs lying on top of a blanket, with his back reclined against several pillows along the portside wall. "Perfect setting with the clear sky over head." Jenny smiles over at him.

"Clear sky and it's in the low 60's, it's as perfect as we'll get."

Jenny walks over to her lover and joins him on top of the blanket, Gibbs hands Jenny a glass of bourbon. "Continuing where we left off the other day." Jenny laughs and takes a gulp from her drink.

"Down below we will." Gibbs mischievously smirks.

"It's dark out who's going to see us." Jenny laughs at Gibbs' sudden modesty.

"Dark but a bit drafty, especially since one of us will be on top from time to time."

"Hopefully you for a change, I've been on top way to much this time around."

"I get off on having you on top."

"You get off on having me screaming my brains out, I still hadn't recovered from our exploit in the bedroom and when you attacked me in the shower this morning." Jenny protests.

"We hadn't done the reverse cowgirl position yet."

"Can I be more awake the next time I get into that position?"

"You were able to pace yourself with me half asleep."

"You're too much." Jenny giggles and cuddles up against him.

Quietly they lie in each other's arms, Jenny listening in on her lover's heartbeat, Gibbs caressing the back of Jenny's hair running his fingers through it; finally they can enjoy one another without interruptions. "I haven't had you all to myself since you sneak attacked me on board your father's private plane." Gibbs mentally notes, the last time that him and Jenny was alone together.

"Jethro!" Jenny breathes out his name.

"Hum!"

"As much as I've enjoyed getting back to reality, I miss us being alone together." Jenny frowns.

"I was just thinking the same thing." Gibbs snorts.

Jenny looks up into the depths of his blue eyes. "New Year's Eve can't get here fast enough as far as I'm concerned."

"We still have Thanksgiving; remember I promised my dad that I would go deer hunting with him."

"Right, my first adventure up in Stillwater." Jenny giggles.

"Don't listen to DiNozzo." Gibbs growls.

"I won't, remember I'm use to roughing it." Jenny smiles and leans up and kisses him on the mouth.

"I know I can put you on a horse and go camping with, DiNozzo forget about it." Gibbs grumbles.

"Pampered rich kid."

"To poppas like his father." Gibbs laughs.

"Ziva has told me the stories on DiNozzo Senior." Jenny laughs.

"We used him on an op last year and he almost put NCIS in debt with hotel bill he rung up." Gibbs grumbles.

"And also couldn't keep his hand off of Ziva's ass, when she posed as his dinner date."

"I better keep a mental note not to beat the crap out of him if and when he bumps into you."

"You haven't beaten Tony up and I still catch his eyes on me from time to time."

"Trust me I've warned him." Gibbs barks.

"Well he can look all he wants, I'm not into horny teenagers and besides Tony wouldn't know what to do with me or Ziva."

"Tony wouldn't have the stamina for you and Ziva." Gibbs chuckles and pulls Jenny close to him.

"What about Abby?" Jenny giggles.

"I don't think Tony is into having sex inside of a coffin."

At a movie theater later that night, Ziva and Abby are watching the closing credits. "This is what I needed." Ziva smiles.

"So did I." Abby smiles in agreement.

Ziva gets up from her seat and begins to stretch. "So glad that Fornell relented half way through last week and got me off of desk duty, I was pulling my hair out." Ziva groans and walks off for the aisle leading out of their theatre.

Abby following behind. "So glad that I don't have to go through with that in my line of work."

"Remember a few years ago when Gibbs had his arm in a sling for almost a month." Ziva sighs.

"Gibbs is a lousy patient." Abby giggles and remembers that Jenny wasn't a good patient at Ducky's either. "I could say the same thing about Jenny also."

"I know I stayed by her side at the hospital when Jenny got wounded by a suicide bomber in Darfur."

"Gibbs was telling me about that the other day." Abby frowns.

"It wasn't a pretty sight Abby." "What Jenny doesn't remember, is when she was out of it on the morphine drip, she called out for Gibbs."

"Does Gibbs know that?"

"No and I would keep this between the two of us, no sense in upsetting the both of them." Ziva advises her.

"Yeah they look so happy right; I wouldn't want to mess things up." Abby shrugs.

"I wonder how their making out on the boat?" Ziva curiously asks.

On board 'The Shepard', Gibbs is folding up the blanket and then blows out the remaining candles, and heads below deck. As Gibbs nears the V-berth sleeping cabin, he spots the light on under the door at 'The Head'. "Don't take all night!" Gibbs barks and pulls his t-shirt over his head. He kicks off his Docksides and takes off his jeans and boxes, Jenny naked sneaks up from behind, touching his lower back with her hands, Gibbs turns and faces her. "I thought you were putting a night gown on just to aggravate the crap out of me."

"I would have put a Teddy on to piss you off." Jenny purrs and leans up and passionately kisses him on the mouth. Gibbs deepens Jenny's kiss and backs her up against the bed, where they drop down on top of the mattress.

Gibbs wanting to be on top for their first time on board 'The Shepard', breaks away from her kiss and begins to ravish Jenny's neck and shoulders and slowly works his way down to her chest, Jenny cries out with pleasure as his tongue circles around the nipple on her right breast. Jenny lies motionless on the bed letting him have his way with her body with his mouth and tongue, as his mouth nips along her ribcage, his hands venture in between her legs, slipping his fingers up inside of her. "You want it bad." Gibbs smirks.

"Yes and that's not helping matter much." Jenny hisses in sexual frustration.

Gibbs removes his fingers and leans over her with his lean muscular body. "I get off knowing that I'm the only man that has that power over you." Gibbs grins.

Jenny wrapping her legs around his waist. "And I have that over you." She sensuously answers, arching up into his throbbing length. Gibbs buries himself deep inside of her. Jenny digs her nails into his back as his hot flesh impales into her. "Take me!" She moans out, lifting her hips upward.

Gibbs aggressively moves his body against her. Jenny meets his thrusts and matches them. "Damn it!" He cries out as she moves against him in hot wild abandonment.

"Yes!" She screams out, pressing her heels up against his lower back, urging his body to move harder against her.

"She trying to kill me." Gibbs inwardly says to himself. They buck and collide together in perfect harmony, their bodies moved together simultaneously, Gibbs to stifle out an oncoming cry, bites down on Jenny's neck. Jenny with her muscles tightening around his shaft, scratches on her lovers back to urge on his release. "Watch the nails."

"You're making me insane." Jenny cries out, her hips frantically rising up to meet his urgent thrusts.

Gibbs trying to fight off his own release, the feel of Jenny's wetness contracting around his length is more than he can bear. "Oh god, don't stop." He moans out, his body shudders and convulses losing control. Jenny cries out her lover's name, her body shuddering uncontrollably as the ripples of ecstasy flood through her. At the same time they climax in unison. "Jenny!" Gibbs cries out, slumping on top of her.

Jenny trembling from the after affects from their love making. "I love you." She says above a whisper. Gibbs finding Jenny's mouth he tenderly kisses her to bring Jenny down from her release, he rolls on to his back and brings Jenny on top of him, pulling a throw blanket over them that was at the end of the bed.

Running his fingers through Jenny's sweat soaked hair. "Not bad for our first time on the boat." He gloats.

"Don't get to full of yourself Jethro, I let you be the dominate partner." Jenny mumbles against his chest.

"I'll be full of myself tomorrow morning when I have you howling in the shower." Gibbs smirks.

"Two things to torture me with, your lower anatomy and the shower nozzle." Jenny sighs and looks up into the depths of his mischievous blue eyes.

"As much as you're complaining about it now, you will be enjoying ever torturous moment of it."

"Just remember paybacks are a bitch and mine are always unexpected." Jenny seductively warns him and leans over and kisses him on the mouth.

An hour later as promised, Gibbs has given Jenny a complete body massage. Jenny lies on her stomach in contentment as Gibbs continues to wander his hands over her body. Coming across the scars on her lower back from the suicide bombing in Darfur. "If I have any say in what your future job plans are, I don't want you going back out into the field as an agent." Gibbs frowns as he continues to touch the scars on Jenny's lower back.

Jenny rolls on to her side and glances over at him. "You don't have a say in it Jethro, and keep in mind that I go through the same thing emotionally when you leave the house every day."

"It's different with me." Gibbs growls.

"No it's not." Jenny frowns and pulls away from him. "The other night when you got called out by dispatch, it suddenly dawned on me that I was in familiar territory on what your wives felt when you got called out in the middle of the night."

Gibbs rubbing Jenny's calf. "I thought I lost you forever." Gibbs chokes up. "And now that I got you back I don't want you putting yourself on the line." "If you take a job with another agency, do something that won't be putting yourself at risk." "NSA, Homeland Security!"

"I keep forgetting on what you went through with Shannon." Jenny softly answers and goes over to him on the bed.

"Not just Shannon, I lost somebody that I loved while I was in boot camp." Gibbs sadly admits for the first time and goes down on to his back.

Jenny instead of being angry at him for keeping this from her, she leans over him on the bed. "I'll keep this in mind if and when I decide on my future job plans, but in the meantime my focus is on being me and on making up on the lost time that the both of us were cheated out of it." She tenderly says to him and passionately kisses him on the mouth. Throughout the night Jethro and Jenny passionately make love to one another, at first light they fall asleep in each other's arms, content in the knowledge that when they wake up that they are both loved and that their no longer alone.

Around nine, Gibbs blinks his eyes open and finds himself with his head propped up against Jenny's stomach. "Good morning sleepy head." She smiles at him, taking off her glasses and tossing her book on the other side of the bed.

"How long have you been awake?" Gibbs yawns.

"I got up around seven-thirty." Jenny answers and hands Gibbs her cup of coffee. Gibbs sits up and drinks her coffee. "I only made coffee, so the galley is perfectly safe." Jenny teases him.

"It's the only thing you can make in the kitchen without me worrying about calling in the fire department." Gibbs snorts.

"What's so hard about it, you put the coffee grounds in, pour some water in the coffee pot and press in a button." Jenny sighs and climbs out of bed.

"Soon as we eat breakfast and get our showers, we'll head home."

"What's for breakfast boss?" Jenny sarcastically says to him.

"You'll find out soon enough Probie." Gibbs smirks.

Half an hour later out in the galley Jenny is digging into her pancakes, Gibbs eating across from the table from her. "You'll burn off those extra calories inside of the shower in another half hour." Gibbs grins.

"So will you."

"Is that a threat?" Gibbs asks raising a curious eyebrow at her.

"No it's a promise." Jenny smirks.

"Maybe later on in the bedroom back home." Gibbs laughs and takes a sip from his glass of orange juice.

"Did you inherit this from your father, torturing women inside of the shower?" Jenny sighs.

"I only get off in torturing you, just the sight of you falling apart."

"It works both ways; keep in mind the cheap shot in the dark in our sleeping compartment in the train."

"That was a night from hell, I couldn't sexually do anything to you and you pull that stunt on me at the crack of dawn." Gibbs barks.

"It gave you some relief with your little problem." Jenny giggles.

"Remember cowgirl I solved your little problem in Paris on top of the kitchen table and in my bed yesterday morning."

"It's been eleven years since I had an orgasm like that." Jenny smiles and squeezes her lover's hand on top of the table.

"That's because I know what I'm doing to you." "The other guys are clueless."

"I could say the same thing about your other women after me." Jenny laughs and gets up from the table taking her plate, fork and knife with her over to the sink. "You and Stephanie were only married for fourteen months."

"We were fine when we were in Moscow, soon as we came back to Washington is when everything fell apart." Gibbs frowns and takes in a deep breath. "She wasn't-"

"Shannon!" Jenny finishes.

"No you!" Gibbs sadly answers and gets up from the table with his plate, fork, knife, and walks over to the sink. "You can clean up after we get out shower." Gibbs smirks and picks Jenny up and flips her over his right shower.

"Jethro!" Jenny protests as he walks them off towards 'The Head'.

"The only protests I'll be hearing from you in another two minutes is ones of pleasure."

Two minutes later while getting a shower, Jenny on Gibbs lap on top of the fold up wooden bench seat that is placed over top of the head, she presses her feet up against the wall. "Oh god!" She cries out.

"Took you two minutes to fall apart." He smirks.

"Confined spot, keep that in mind." She moans out as he slowly moves his body against her. Gibbs picks up the shower head and sprays it in in between her legs. "That isn't helping matters much." She screams out.

"I still don't know what you're complaining about; you love every minute of it." Gibbs laughs as he watches his lover writhe on top of him.

Battle weary Jenny gives into him. Her hips frantically move against his body, Gibbs feeling the first wave of her orgasm, increases the tempo of his strokes. "Don't stop!" She cries out, her muscles convulse around his shaft.

Gibbs conserving on water turns it off, he pulls Jenny closer against his body. "That's it lose yourself in me." He smiles at looking into the depths of her passion filled green eyes as she surrenders to him.

"I lost myself in you a minute ago." Jenny moans out in ecstasy.

Gibbs just as he climaxes inside of her. "I love you." He groans out, his body shudders against her in completion. Jenny falls against his chest wrapping her arms around his neck. Her body heaving from coming down from her orgasm. "I bet this was better than inside of the bathroom on the flight from London to Stockholm." Gibbs says between breaths.

"Of course it was you didn't have a shower nozzle to torture me with in between my legs." Jenny pants.

Jack Creek's Marina

1700 Hours

Gibbs walking over to his car carrying the cooler with Jenny following behind him is carrying the overnight bag in her hand. Patting his pockets for his car keys. "Damn it, I left my keys inside of my boat." Gibbs grumbles and puts the cooler down by the car and starts off for the pier.

Jenny mischievously takes out the car keys from her pocket. "No I stole them from on top of the kitchen table when you weren't looking Leroy." Jenny laughs and unlocks the driver's side door and gets inside of the car. She waits for Gibbs to get half way over the pier when she honks the car horn.

On the pier Gibbs turns in glances over at his car and finds Jenny behind the wheel. "Absolutely not!" He snarls and stalks down the pier across the parking lot and walks over to his car. "Out!" He barks at her. Jenny turns up the car radio and ignores him. "Jen!"

Jenny cracks the window down. "Did you say something Leroy I couldn't hear you over the radio?" Jenny sweetly answers.

"I said get out of my car." Gibbs growls.

"I can sit here all night or I could drive home and you could call Abby up to pick you up." Jenny smirks.

"No female is driving my Challenger."

"Your dad did most of the work restoring her, so technically it's his car." Jenny baits him.

"I bought her originally." Gibbs angrily answers back. Jenny turns the key and starts up the car. "Jen I'm warning you."

"No male is ordering me around." "I gave you a set of options; I drive or call Abby to pick you up." Jenny grins and bats her eyelashes at him. Gibbs rolls his eyes and grabs the cooler. "That's what I thought." Jenny laughs and reaches over and unlocks the passenger side door.

Gibbs stalks over to the passenger side door, opens it up and tosses the cooler in the back seat. "Keep it under fifty-five." He warns her and gets inside of the car slamming the door behind him.

"I can't drive fifty-five." Jenny grins and floors the car out of the parking lot.

"Jen!" Gibbs screams at her. On cue on the radio, Sammy Hagar's 'I Can't Drive 55' can be heard as Jenny speeds out of the parking lot.

At home fifteen minutes later, Gibbs slams the house door behind him glaring over at his lover. "I should arrest you for stealing a federal officer's car and for driving without a driver's license." Gibbs snarls and takes his car keys away from Jenny.

"I drove on Friday." Jenny mumbles and walks off for the kitchen.

"While I'm retrieving the cooler and the bag from the car, order Chinese take-out." Gibbs shouts.

Jenny finding a Chinese take-out menu on the refrigerator door. "Since you're being a baby, I'll order what I want instead of you usual Chow Mein." Jenny smirks as she hears the front door slamming.

Down in the basement sitting at the worktable an hour later, Gibbs and Jenny are eating dinner. "I think I'll have you order more often." Gibbs smiles as he digs into his Egg Foo Young with his chopsticks.

"I get bored out of my mind with Chow Mein." Jenny sighs.

"Now that we're home, come up with any ideas for making the house your own."

"I told you other than the 70's kitchen table, I'm perfectly happy living in your house the way it is." Jenny smiles.

"You need a place of your own to go to."

"What do you mean?" Jenny shrugs narrowing a curious eyebrow over at him.

"I mean, at your house in Georgetown you had your dad's study to go into." "Here I have my basement to go into when I need to think."

"Living room is fine."

"Not when we're arguing." "We'll both need to go to a neutral spot."

"My neutral spot will be heading for M Street to go shopping." Jenny laughs and takes a bite from her shrimp roll.

"Jen!" Gibbs growls.

Abby at the top of the steps is listening in on her bickering parents. "This sounds familiar, mommy and daddy arguing." Abby giggles and walks down the steps.

"What are you doing here?" Gibbs asks and takes a sip from his bottle of beer.

"I wanted to see how your weekend was." Abby smiles.

"We had a great time." Gibbs grins.

"Then why are you arguing?" Abby asks and folds her arms up at him.

"I want to remodel the house to make it livable for Jenny."

"And I told him other than the kitchen table the house is fine." Jenny hisses.

Abby walks over to the table. "You two need a compromise." "Can't you give into him for one room?"

"Where on earth could I possibly go in this house that will be neutral?" Jenny mutters.

"Back bedroom, I could make that as a small study." Gibbs suggests.

Abby taking in Jenny's facial expression. "I think she's giving in Gibbs." Abby snickers.

"Small hide away desk near the window, I'll build some bookshelves against the wall and build a futon into it with drawers so if we have company coming over they can sleep in it."

Jenny gets up from the chair and walks over to him. "Pax!" She softly says to him and tenderly kisses him on the mouth; she starts off for the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm getting a plate, since we have enough food for three." Jenny smiles.

Abby waits for Jenny to get out of sight. "Pax?" She sheepishly asks.

"One of John Wayne's quotes that I stole from him." Gibbs shrugs and dips his Moo Shu Pork into the soy sauce.

"Want me to help?" Abby volunteers.

"Sure, besides the bedroom I'm remodeling my kitchen, I had planned on redoing the cabinet doors for Shannon twenty years ago, I was going to build glass doors, but I never-"

"Got around to it and after she died." Abby sadly finishes.

"I'm getting around to it now, Noemi needs a real stove and sink to work with and I've wanted a new refrigerator for months."

"My boyfriend can do a tile back splash for you above the sink and stove." Abby offers.

"I hadn't thought about tile in the kitchen, but now that you suggested it, I'm going to take you up on your offer."

Abby making sure that Jenny isn't at the top of the stairs. "Ziva told me about the modular you're designing for Baja." Abby whispers in his ear.

"What are you whispering in Jethro's ear?" Jenny playfully scolds her dysfunctional daughter at the top of the stairs.

"Gibbs is remodeling the kitchen." Abby lies.

"Jethro I told you the table only." Jenny sighs and walks down the steps.

"Kitchen needs to get updated also." Gibbs growls.

"I'm helping him." Abby smiles.

Jenny walks over to the table and hands Abby her plate and bowl. "Gibbs has a six pack of Bud over on top of the workbench."

Abby walks over to the bench and retrieves a bottle of Budweiser. "I got a phone call from Cynthia, she got laid off from her job at Homeland Security a few weeks ago." "Conveniently there was an opening for an MTAC Technician and Fornell had offered her a job."

"That won't be a problem since Cynthia will be working inside of MTAC and not behind her old desk and her former boss no longer works at NCIS." Gibbs snorts.

"Cute Jethro!" Jenny admonishes him and gets back on to the subject matter at hand. "You are to remodel the kitchen and the upstairs bedroom and that's it, nothing else." Jenny warns him and takes her seat back at the table.

"Nothing for the bathroom." Gibbs smirks.

"No and if you have ideas about installing something, the answers is no." Jenny chastises him.

"Installing what?" Abby innocently answers as she approaches the table.

"Never mind!" Jenny quickly answers.

NCIS Headquarters

Autopsy

0900 Hours

Gibbs and Ducky are sitting around Ducky's desk. "I'm glad that she enjoyed the weekend away on your boat."

"It was just the two of us without interruptions; it reminded me of when we were in Paris eleven years ago." Gibbs smiles.

"Weekend away without interruptions is what this doctor had ordered for the both of you, it is well deserved." "So what are Jenny's plans now that she's no longer Harriet Jones?"

"Government has to reimburse Jenny on everything that was hers at the time of her death, which includes the sale of her house." Gibbs smiles… "Only thing that will be different is her social security number."

"So by weeks end she legally will be Jennifer Shepard." Ducky surmises.

"Yes right down to her driver's license." Gibbs grumbles.

"I gather she took a spin in your car." Ducky laughs, noting the irritated expression on Gibbs' face.

"Spin, I was waiting for her to get pulled over." Gibbs growls and gets up from his stool. "Sneaky bitch stole my car keys while my back was turned."

"When Jenny has her mind set on something, not even Leroy Jethro Gibbs can stop her?" Ducky teases him.

"The same thing can be said about Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Gibbs smirks and starts off for the door.

Palmer walks in and passes Gibbs on his way out. "Good morning Agent Gibbs!" He nods over at him.

"Good morning Palmer!" Gibbs nods back at him and walks off for the elevator with a smile.

"What's with Agent Gibbs?" Palmer curiously asks.

"You should know the answer to that Mr. Palmer; the two of you share something in common?" Ducky muses and pours himself a cup of hot tea.

"What's that?" Palmer shrugs glancing back at Gibbs through the window of the door as he steps inside of the elevator.

"The both of you are in love." Ducky winks at Palmer.


	50. Stand Off

October 17th 2011

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

800 Hours

Team Gibbs is gathered in the middle of the bullpen looking up at the plasma screen next to Gibbs' desk glancing up at his newly remodeled kitchen. "So what does Noemi think?" Ziva curiously asks.

"I'll find out at lunch time." Gibbs smiles.

"Abby told me you made the glass cabinet doors yourself." McGee nods over at him.

"I was suppose to surprise Shannon with that twenty years ago and I never got around to it." Gibbs frowns with regret.

"So you're now on to the next phase of your project." Tony grins.

"Yeah remodeling the back bedroom so that Jenny has a room to call her own." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Why would Jenny need a room to call her own?" Tony shrugs.

"DiNozzo Jenny would spend most of her time in her dad's study in her house in Georgetown, besides it also gives us a neutral place to go into when we're fighting." Gibbs snorts.

"You think if you would have had a room made up for your ex-" Before Tony can finish, the back of Gibbs' hand smacks the back of his head. "Ow!" He grimaces and rubs the back of his head.

Meanwhile over at Gibbs' house inside the kitchen, Noemi smiles at the work that Gibbs, Abby, and her boyfriend Grigoryi had put into in the kitchen. "The tile work is beautiful Senora." Noemi smiles.

"Jethro refers to it as peaches n cream." Jenny softly answers.

"What color is the stain on the cabinets?" Noemi curiously asks.

"Mahogany and the kitchen table and chairs will be in the same color once he's finished with it." Jenny answers.

"I see he put in a double sink and tell him I love the new stove, five burners with a warming drawer." Noemi smiles in appreciation.

"One part of the house is now in the 21st Century." Jenny laughs…

"I was surprised that he went for a French door refrigerator." Noemi nods.

"As long as it has a built in ice cube maker and water dispenser I'm a happy camper." Jenny smirks… suddenly her cell phone begins to ring. "Hello!" She answers.

Office of the Secretary of the Navy

"Jenny this is SecNav Clayton Jarvis, do you have some free time available this morning." Jarvis asks as he glances out a window from behind his desk.

"I'm always have some free time now." Jenny sarcastically reminds him.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Jarvis snaps.

"Yes, I have nothing planned for this morning." Jenny sighs in exasperation.

"Good can you stop by my office in an hour?"

Jenny glances down at her robe and lounging pants. "Try an hour and a half; I need to get a shower."

"Good I'll see you then." Jarvis answers and hangs up.

"Senor Gibbs?" Noemi asks.

"No just going to meet somebody." Jenny answers and walks out of the room.

Ten o'clock, Jarvis' assistant leads Jenny inside of his office, dressed in jeans, black leather books with a matching black leather jacket, and a brown casual blouse. "I wasn't expecting you to arrive at my office dressed so casual." Jarvis says with surprise from behind his desk.

"Because I'm arriving at your office as Jenny Shepard." Jenny smirks over at him and takes a seat at the center conference table.

"Always blunt and to the point." Jarvis laughs and gets up from behind his desk and takes a seat at the head of the conference table.

"What do you want from me?"

"Fornell only took the Director's position on a temporary basis."

"I knew it." Jenny laughs and shakes her head. "The answer is no."

"Are you really content playing house with Gibbs?" Jarvis baits her. Jenny avoids Jarvis' intense gaze. "That's what I thought; you're bored out of your mind."

"The answer is still no." Jenny angrily snaps and gets up from her chair and is about to walk out of the office.

"What if you could have both?" Jarvis calls out to her. Jenny turns and narrows her eyes over at Jarvis. "Fornell said that you could keep you're off the job relationship with Gibbs out of the office once you step inside of the building."

"You mean my relationship with Jethro will have no implications with me taking back my old job as Director."

"As long as you can keep it separate."

"Let me think it over." Jenny swallows and walks out the door.

With Jarvis' desk phone on speakerphone. "End of the day Clayton." Fornell shouts.

"You're on; the loser has to buy the other dinner at a five star restaurant." Jarvis smirks.

Around lunch time, Gibbs walks through the front door of his house. "Jen!" He calls out.

"She's not home." Noemi shouts from inside of the kitchen.

Gibbs walks in raising a curious eyebrow. "She didn't say anything about going out." Gibbs shrugs.

"She got a phone call this morning and left around 9:30, Senora didn't say where." Noemi answers and approaches Gibbs with his lunch. "Chicken Enchilada's."

Gibbs sits down at the table. "Wonder why she didn't call me?" Gibbs asks.

"Maybe she went shopping and lost track of time." Noemi guesses and puts Gibbs' plate down in front of him.

Anacostia Park

Jenny sits in her Silver Dodge 2012 Avenger R/T that she recently purchased, glancing over at the Navy Yard across the river. Her cell phone begins to ring, glancing down at the caller ID display she spots Gibbs' name. "I'm not in the mood to talk to him right now." Jenny sighs.

At headquarters an hour later, Gibbs glares down at the direction of his cell phone. "Problem boss?" Tony curiously asks.

"Mind your own business DiNozzo." Gibbs growls and gets up from his chair storming towards the direction of the lounge.

"Him and Jenny get into a fight?" Tony curiously asks.

"Who knows and as he stated its none of your business Tony." Ziva reminds him.

"Abby was over the house yesterday, maybe she knows." Tony ponders and gets up from his chair and walks off for the elevator.

"And he wonders why Gibbs head slaps him on the back of the head all the time." McGee laughs.

Two minutes later in the backroom of Abby's Lab. "They were fine when I left the house last night." Abby answers.

"Gibbs was pissed off when he came back from lunch and kept glaring down at his cell phone."

"Well maybe something happened during lunch time, I don't know." Abby frowns.

"Either way the boss man doesn't look like he's happy with her."

Abby getting an idea begins to type on her keyboard and does a GPS trace on Jenny's cell phone number. "She's in Georgetown."

Tony noting that Jenny is over on Prospect Street. "Isn't that where Jenny use to live at?"

"I believe your right." Abby answers.

"Maybe she's checking out her old house seeing how it looks after the insurance company rebuilt it." Tony guesses.

"The house she grew up in, a lot of good and bad memories."

"Most of the memories involve her father." Tony frowns…

While Tony and Abby are gossiping about their dysfunctional parent's current standoff, Jenny sits in her car parked across the street from old house. Memories of rushing into her father's arms as he got out of his car, decorating the front for house with Christmas lights with her mother, and reliving the memory of staggering through the front door drunk and clutching her Glock in her hand after putting a bullet in the front of La Grenouille's head. Suddenly a woman carrying a toddler walks out the front door; Jenny glances down at her belly and notices that she's five months pregnant. "I hope you and your family have happy memories inside of that house, other than my childhood memories, that house is nothing but a dark hole in my heart." Jenny frowns and starts up her car and pulls away from the curb.

That evening at headquarters, Gibbs and his team are sitting behind their desks working when Jenny walks in carrying three pizza boxes. "I love you Jenny." Tony drools and walks over to her.

Gibbs giving his lover the stare. "Conference room!" He barks at her.

Jenny hands Tony the pizza boxes. "Remember to share with your siblings." She playfully scolds him and walks off for the elevator with Gibbs following her from behind.

Inside the elevator between floors. "Where the hell were you?" Gibbs snarls.

"Shopping!"

"Do you know how many voice mail messages I left on your phone?"

"I know, why don't you think I didn't call you back." "I can't leave the house without you up my ass." Jenny hisses.

Gibbs spotting Jenny's right eye twitching. "Besides shopping where else were you?" Gibbs demands.

"I drove over to my old house." Jenny sighs.

"Brought up some memories." Gibbs nods.

"Yes, some good some bad." Jenny frowns.

"Jenny I have some good memories inside of your old house." Gibbs mischievously grins.

"Yes they involve my bedroom." Jenny laughs and reaches over and flips over the switch to the elevator. "Pizza is getting cold."

Just as the elevator starts up, Gibbs corners Jenny in the elevator and passionately kisses her on the mouth, as he deepens his kiss the doors open on the Squad Room floor. "I see they made up." Tony says in awe to his siblings.

"I bet you've been dying to do that Gibbs." Abby giggles at her flushed parents as they step out of the elevator.

"I've kissed Jenny inside of this elevator before as a Junior Agent." Gibbs smirks with Jenny following behind him over to Tony's desk.

Ziva and McGee return with soda's for everyone. "What did we miss?"

"Mommy kissing daddy in the elevator." Abby snickers.

"That all!" Ducky chuckles over hearing her as he walks over to Gibbs' section.

"Any place else that he kissed her in the building." Tony curiously grins.

"Classified!" Ducky snorts taking two slices of sausage pizza.

Five minutes later, the Gibblets along with their parents and dysfunctional Grandfather sit amongst themselves. "The last time you ate in the bullpen is when I use to have my late night campfire sessions." Tony smiles over at Jenny.

"Right!" Jenny laughs and shakes her head.

"Notice the only time there's a campfire since I came back from Mexico is when I'm out of the building." Gibbs growls.

"Thank god they ended." McGee sighs in exasperation.

"So boss who do you think our suspect is on the Vaughn murder investigation?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"I say it's his wife?"

"Why?" Ziva curiously asks.

As Gibbs and his team discuss their current investigation, Jenny sits on the sidelines and listens in, she misses the banter between Gibbs and his team, up on the balcony she spots Fornell rushing into MTAC with his assistant Gwen running in behind him. Can she return to her job that was stolen away from her by Leon Vance?

Gibbs cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He says between bites of his pizza. Listening in on to dispatch. "We'll be right there." He answers and hangs up. "Vaughn's wife has been found dead inside of her bedroom." Gibbs shouts over to his team. He opens up his desk drawer and retrieves his badge and Sig. "Sorry to eat and run." He frowns and leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth.

"I'll go fetch Mr. Palmer; he was on the phone with Breena and couldn't join us for pizza." Ducky nods and gets up from his chair carrying his slice of pizza.

Gibbs and his team rush off for the elevator leaving Jenny and Abby alone in the bullpen. "I guess it's just you and I." Abby smiles.

Half an hour later Abby returns to her lab, Jenny moves over to Gibbs' chair at his desk, Fornell steps out of MTAC with Gwen and Cynthia, his eyes locked down on to Jenny down in the bullpen. "Cynthia get me SecNav Jarvis on an MTAC feed." Fornell orders her. "And tell the other MTAC Technicians to clear out of the room with the exception of you."

"Yes Director!" Cynthia nods over at him and walks over to the eye scanner.

"You won your bet with Jarvis." Gwen laughs.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch." Fornell grumbles and walks over to the balcony. "You make a decision yet." Fornell shouts down to Jenny. Before Jenny can answer him the MTAC Technicians walk out of MTAC. "I want everybody to stay in the lounge until further notice." Fornell orders them.

"Yes sir!" They answer in unison and walk down the stairs.

Jenny gets up from her chair; she walks over to the elevator. "Smart thinking so that the technicians don't see you going inside of MTAC." Fornell smirks…

A minute later inside of MTAC Jenny is standing in front of the plasma screen looking up at SecNav Jarvis. Cynthia and Fornell sit behind her in the front row. "Well do I have an answer from you?" Jarvis grins down at her.

"My answer is-"

To Be Continued


	51. My Answer Is

Previously On NCIS

Office of the Secretary of the Navy

Jenny seated at the conference table with Jarvis. "What do you want from me?" She cryptically asks.

"Fornell only took the Director's position on a temporary basis."

"I knew it." Jenny laughs and shakes her head. "The answer is no."

"Are you really content playing house with Gibbs?" Jarvis baits her. Jenny avoids Jarvis' intense gaze. "That's what I thought; you're bored out of your mind."

"The answer is still no." Jenny angrily snaps and gets up from her chair and is about to walk out of the office.

"What if you could have both?" Jarvis calls out to her. Jenny turns and narrows her eyes over at Jarvis. "Fornell said that you could keep you're off the job relationship with Gibbs out of the office once you step inside of the building."

"You mean my relationship with Jethro will have no implications with me taking back my old job as Director."

"As long as you can keep it separate."

"Let me think it over." Jenny swallows and walks out the door.

NCIS Headquarters

MTAC

1900 Hours

Jenny standing under the plasma screen with Fornell and Cynthia sitting in the front row behind her. "Well do I have an answer from you?" Jarvis grins down at her.

"My answer is yes. " Jenny says to him with a smirk on her face.

Cynthia raises a curious eyebrow over at Fornell. "Yes to what?"

"The reason why I hired you as an MTAC Technician is so that you can take your place back at your old desk at the end of the month."

"I'm going to be your assistant." Cynthia says with surprise.

"For the week, starting November 1st, you will be working for your old boss again." Fornell chuckles.

"You're quitting as Director of NCIS?" Cynthia asks in confusion.

"I've been Acting Director of NCIS until things smoothed over after Davenport and Vance's arrests." "I knew Jenny would have been bored out of her mind over at Jethro's by the middle of the month and would cave in." "By the way Clayton you owe me a dinner at Marcel's." Fornell smirks up at him.

"I always pay up my bets." Jarvis grins down at him.

Cynthia gets up from her seat and walks over to Jenny and affectionately hugs her. "You do not know how this makes me feel working for you again." Cynthia smiles.

"Did you tell Gibbs about the job offer?" Fornell nods up at Jenny.

"No I was weighing the pros and cons about Jarvis' job offer." Jenny sighs.

"Don't tell him, I want to see the look on his face when Jethro walks into your office on November 1st." Fornell laughs.

"Brilliant!" Jarvis cackles…

"We promised that we wouldn't keep things from each other." Jenny frowns.

"What will Jethro say to you about taking back your old job?" Fornell sheepishly asks.

"Hell no!" Jenny laughs.

"You are taking the job whether he likes it or not, might as well get a few less stressful weeks in before you settle in behind your old desk." Fornell suggests.

"So how are we going to handle this from here on out?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Starting the week of October 24th, the excuse I'll give Jethro if he asks why Cynthia is sitting behind Gwen's desk is I'll tell him that Gwen's on her honeymoon for two weeks." "Gwen is off of desk duty that week and will be returning out on to field."

"I want Jenny read into all active cases from the past month." Jarvis orders him.

"I'll get Cynthia and Gwen started on that tomorrow." Fornell answers.

"Looks like I need to go out shopping for my Madame Director attire." Jenny laughs and flops down in a seat next to Fornell.

"Anything with a short skirt to tease Jethro." Fornell winks.

"Problem with teasing Jethro in the office now is I'll pay for it when I get home from work." Jenny groans in protest.

"Jenny I want you to come over to my office at some point tomorrow so that I can swear you in as Assistant Director of NCIS." Jarvis instructs her.

"I'll come over after lunch, Jethro was pissed off that I wasn't at the house when he came home from lunch." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"Treating you like a wife already." Cynthia snickers.

"I guess I will have remind him that there isn't a ring on my left finger."

Around midnight, Gibbs exhausted from work crawls into bed and cuddles up to Jenny from behind. Jenny with her eyes open stares off at the red numbers from Gibbs' alarm clock. Gibbs squeezes on to Jenny's hand. "You didn't have to stay awake for me." Gibbs yawns.

"I wanted to make sure that you got in ok." Jenny lies.

"It was a suicide as I said during dinner she's my prime suspect and I should have the case wrapped up by tomorrow." "I'm hoping to working on your room tomorrow night." Gibbs mumbles against the back of her head.

"No need to rush on it." Jenny yawns and closes her eyes.

"I want to get the room finished by Christmas." Gibbs answers with his voice slurring from lack of sleep.

Feeling the rise and fall of her lovers chest from behind her, Jenny opens up her eyes. "And even if you would have said no Jethro, my answer would have been yes and you would have had to live with it." Jenny inwardly says to herself.

October 23rd 2011

Gibbs' House

1400 Hours

"Damn it he fumbled the ball." Gibbs barks up his TV from his workbench down in the basement.

Abby walks down the steps with Grigoryi. "I take it your losing Tony's football pool." Abby giggles.

"I usually do." Gibbs growls.

"Grigoryi and I are here to help out with the wall bed that you're going to install in the bottom of the bookshelf."

"This thing is a lot of work." Gibbs grumbles and opens up the do it yourself sheet.

"You could buy one." Abby suggests.

"I'm way ahead of you on that, between building the kitchen table, the house in Mexico and the project in the back bedroom I got too much going on at once."

"So what did you pick out?" Abby curiously asks.

"English study set, the bed is built in at the bottom of the bookshelf like the way I wanted it." "It's made of oak." "I'll set the desk in front of the window so that Jenny has the view of the backyard."

"Ducky has been online looking into some old book sets that you can put into the shelves." Abby smiles.

"I'm sure she'll have it filled up soon enough." Gibbs snorts.

"Where is Jenny?" Abby asks.

"Out with Ziva."

"Oh girls day out."

"It gets her out of my hair while I'm watching football." "DiNozzo constantly calls me up when I'm losing my football pool, it drives Jenny nuts."

"I hate it when he does that to me." Abby pouts.

Gibbs getting back to the subject at hand. "So I really do not need any help with the wall bed."

Grigoryi looks down at the plans for the kitchen table that Gibbs is building. "Need any help with that?"

"No this project I want to do myself." Gibbs smiles.

The next day at headquarters, Gibbs angry with Fornell storms into the outer office. "Agent Gibbs you can't go in there." Cynthia scolds him.

Gibbs stops in his tracks and does a double take when he finds Cynthia sitting behind Gwen's desk. "You're not Gwen." Gibbs growls.

"No, Gwen is on her honeymoon for two weeks." Cynthia sweetly answers.

"Great I get to deal with you." Gibbs groans and storms into Fornell's Office and slams the door behind him.

"You better get use to it Jethro." Cynthia laughs.

Two hours later down in Abby's Lab, Tony has a meeting set in the backroom with his Director pool conspirators. "I told you." Tony taunts them.

"Why because Cynthia is filling in for Gwen for two weeks?" Ziva sighs.

"But why Cynthia?" Tony smirks.

"Because she's done the job before." McGee shrugs.

"I'm not buying it." Palmer chuckles.

"Neither am I." Ducky answers.

"There are no coincidences people." Tony grins over at them.

"I believe you're over reacting as usual." Ziva grumbles.

Suddenly Gibbs storms inside of the lab. "Why are you sitting around doing nothing?" Gibbs snarls at his team.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee quickly rush off for the elevator. "That's because Palmer was showing them photos from his vacation in Hawaii." Ducky sighs in disgust and walks out of the room with Palmer following behind him.

"Technically that's not a lie doctor." Palmer nods over at him at the elevator.

"Thankfully for me Gibbs will apologize to his team for making an ass out of himself." Ducky winks.

October 30th 2011

Squad Room

1500 Hours

Marnie Benson walks out of the elevator and is directed over towards Gibbs' section. "Can I help you?" McGee offers from his desk.

"I'm here to see Special Agent Gibbs." Marnie nods over at him.

Gibbs returning from a coffee run. "Miss Benson!" Gibbs calls out to her.

Marnie hands Gibbs a printed out copy of one of her credit cards accounts. "I've never been to Boise, Idaho in a day of my life."

"Why are you showing me this?" Gibbs shrugs.

"I have not used this card since a week before Lyle's murder."

"Did you leave this at Lyle's condo?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes I did."

Gibbs walks over to McGee and hands him the sheet of paper that Marnie gave him. "I think we found out where Carver's hiding at?"

"I didn't call the credit card company up, that may have tipped off Betty." "I also didn't call up Special Agent Borin from CGIS; I wanted the best working on Lyle's murder investigation." Marnie smiles at Gibbs and walks off for the elevator.

"Are you going to call Borin up?"

"Hell no!" Gibbs smirks and flips open his cell phone. He pushes in the speed dial button in for Tony's cell phone. "DiNozzo we got a break in the Carver case, bring David with you." He orders and hangs up.

October 31st 2011

Boise, Idaho

Boise Police Department Headquarters

Crimes of Violence Division

1000 Hours MST

Gibbs and his team are seated in a conference room reviewing the Solberg, Fitzpatrick, and Tate murder investigations with the Crimes of Violence Division. "Ensign Elizabeth Carver is our prime suspect and also Boston PD's prime suspect, where Heather Fitzpatrick and Monica Tate were murdered inside of Tate's house." Gibbs smoothly informs them.

Detective Gates takes a file from Gibbs and begins to read into the investigation. "What's CGIS?"

"Nothing important." Gibbs smirks and winks over at Tony.

Out in the hallway five minutes later. "Borin is going to be pissed off when she finds out that Gibbs isn't playing ball with her." Tony groans.

"Poor Fornell!" Ziva giggles.

NCIS Headquarters

Fornell's Office

1900 Hours EST

Fornell sitting behind his desk decides to keep it to himself that Gibbs isn't playing nice with CGIS. "Have fun Jenny." Fornell chuckles and begins to pack up his desk.

Gibbs' House

0530 Hours

Jenny dressed in her brown suit for work for the first time in three and a half years. "What have I gotten myself into?" She sighs and grabs her briefcase.

Outside a familiar face is waiting for Jenny in her Towne Car. Jenny walks out of the house, Melvin gets out of the car and walks over to the passenger side door and opens it up. "Good morning and welcome back Director." He smiles at her.

"Good morning Melvin and thank you." She smiles back at him and gets inside of her car.

Melvin closes the car door and rushes over to the driver's side door and gets inside. "Starbucks!"

"Yes it's going to be a long day."

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

0600 Hours

Jenny walks out of the elevator coffee in hand, carrying her briefcase, several agents stop in their tracks as Jenny walks past them. "You're not seeing things check your e-mails." Jenny laughs at them and walks off for the stairs.

Up on the balcony Fornell and Cynthia are waiting for her. "She looks good." Cynthia smiles.

"Wait until Jethro gets back from Boise." Fornell snickers.

Jenny walks up the stairs over the catwalk. "What are you laughing at Fornell?"

"Jethro!"

"Is he still in Boise?" Jenny laughs as she walks up the stairs.

Cynthia walks over to her and takes Jenny's briefcase and pocketbook from her. "SecNav Jarvis is onscreen as we speak in MTAC." Cynthia informs her.

Jenny gets out of her coat and hands it over to Cynthia. "I'm in the building for two minutes and he wants to talk to me." Jenny laughs and walks over to the eye scanner.

"Conveniently Abby is away for the day over in Norfolk and Ducky is at Bethesda with Palmer." Fornell grins.

"At least Jenny is spared for the day from the wrath of Jethro." Cynthia giggles.

Inside of MTAC Jenny is speaking with SecNav Jarvis. "First order of business is I'm reopening the investigation into Bernardo Suárez." "I'll have Cassie Yates and her team take him down."

"Good thinking, I have no clue as to why Vance had a case agent working on the investigation." Jarvis grumbles.

"Easy he was on the take with Suárez." Jenny mutters.

"Gibbs still in Boise?"

"Oh yeah, DiNozzo must be whining that he's freezing his butt off." Jenny laughs.

An hour later after settling into her office and answering various e-mails Jenny is about to review the current case that Gibbs is working on when she hears Borin's voice out in the outer office. "You cannot go in there." Cynthia chastises her.

"Watch me!" Borin defiantly answers and flings open the office door and is stunned to find Jenny sitting behind Fornell's desk. "Where's Director Fornell?" Borin curiously asks.

"You mean FBI Special Agent Fornell; he's happily sitting behind his desk back at the Hoover Building." Jenny answers and narrows her eyes over at Borin. "You don't have an appointment so would you mind leaving before I have my assistant throw you out of my office."

"Your office?"

Cynthia standing behind Borin. "Ma'am!"

Borin walks over to the conference table and flops down in the chair. "My name is CGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin." "I'm the co-lead investigator in the Solberg, Fitzpatrick, and Tate Murder investigations." "I was tipped off that Gibbs and his team went to Boise, Idaho Sunday night about a possible location on Coast Guard Ensign Elizabeth Carver our prime suspect."

"Son of a bitch!" Jenny hisses and takes off her glasses. "Why on the first day Jethro." Jenny angrily snaps and gets up from her desk taking the file from the investigation with her. She opens up the file and glances down for the name of Borin's boss. "Cynthia get a hold of SAC Janice Evans."

"Yes ma'am!" Cynthia nods over at her and walks out of the office.

"Not speaking to my Director." Borin sarcastically smirks up at Jenny.

"Wipe the smirk off of your face Special Agent Borin I know all about you." Jenny warns her and takes a seat at the head of the conference table.

"Right Gibbs warned you." Borin laughs.

"No Agent David did, she told me you are a mirror image of him as a CGIS Agent." "It doesn't work with me with Jethro and I'm going to warn you it won't work with you so quit while you are a head." Jenny orders her.

"We were suppose to have a joint jurisdiction on the Carver investigation under orders from my Director, since Lieutenant Solberg was murdered at Coast Guard Headquarters."

"I'm read into all aspects of NCIS Investigations since Fornell took over as Acting Director." "He did not inform me that Gibbs was Idaho freelancing on the Carver investigation without cooperating with CGIS."

"You don't seem surprised." Borin chuckles.

"No, Gibbs doesn't play nice with the other agencies, and with CGIS on the lower level of the totem pole below NCIS he gets off on it." Jenny sighs…Suddenly the buzzer from the intercom goes off on Jenny's desk, she walks over and leans over the desk. Pressing the button in. "Yes Cynthia!"

"Special Agent In Charge Evans is on the phone."

"Put her through!" Jenny instructs her.

Boise, Idaho

Rodeway Inn Boise

0900 Hours MST

Room 6

"Boss these accommodations really suck." Tony whines.

"If it ain't the Ritz or the Hyatt you ain't happy." Gibbs growls from inside of the bathroom.

McGee walks in. "Their decent!" He calls over to Ziva carrying breakfast.

Ziva walks in and finds Tony lying on the bed. "What's the matter Tony?" She teases him.

"This bed sucks, this motel sucks." Tony grumbles.

"Our room was fine last night." McGee grins over at him.

"You mean Ziva's snoring." Tony laughs.

"Like you don't snore." McGee groans and walks over to the table and puts the bag of food down.

Gibbs walks out of the bathroom shirtless. "I thought you said that they were decent." Ziva playfully scolds McGee.

Tony noting the love bites on Gibbs ribcage. "Damn talk about going south." He inwardly says to himself.

Gibbs pulling his white t-shirt over his head. "We'll take over watching Carver's room at 1100 hours."

"I'm trying to figure out where she went to." McGee ponders and takes a seat at the table.

"From the looks of things in her motel room she may have a night job." Gibbs answers and walks over to the table and takes a cup of coffee from the coffee tray that Ziva is carrying.

"According to the motel manager she stays in her room all day long and then leaves around eight o'clock every night." McGee nods.

"Just hope she shows up so we can go home, it's freezing here." Tony pouts.

"Freezing and boring the two things you hate the most." McGee snickers.

"And the heat, he was a cry baby in Phoenix a few years ago." Ziva sighs.

"Hey I like the perfect climate weather." Tony grins…"It's the reason why I'm into Magnum, Hawaii living in a mansion with a pool, the beach nearby and driving a red convertible Ferrari."

"Still a chick show." McGee laughs and takes a bite from his sandwich.

"Is not!" Tony argues and sits up on the bed and glares over at McGee.

"Is too!" McGee argues back.

"Enough!" Gibbs barks at them. "Arguing over a stupid TV show." Gibbs growls in annoyance.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, Jenny steps out of MTAC after having a joint conference call with the Director of CGIS, Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Intelligence, and with SecNav Jarvis, Borin waiting over at the railing and takes in Jenny's body language. "You look like you want to kill him." Borin laughs.

"It's a toss-up between him and Fornell." "I can't do anything about Gibbs until he returns from Boise, but Fornell." Jenny fumes and stalks off for her office, once inside Cynthia's outer office. "Get me Special Agent Fornell ASAP."

"Yes Director!" Cynthia's answers and picks up her desk phone.

Half an hour later Fornell is sitting at the conference table with Jenny furiously pacing behind him. "I should have had you explaining to the Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Intelligence, CGIS Director Butler, and of course SecNav Jarvis on the reason why you did not brief me about the reason why Gibbs and his team went to Boise, Idaho Sunday night." Jenny shouts at him.

"Call me a coward I wasn't in the mood to deal with Madame Director right away." Fornell cringes.

"Well you're dealing with her right now." Jenny screams…"I didn't need this crap the first day on the job Tobias; keep in mind Jethro doesn't know I'm his boss yet."

Down in the Squad Room Ducky and Palmer return from Bethesda and can hear the wrath and fury coming from the Director's Office. "Odd I recognize a familiar voice shouting at Director Fornell." Palmer curiously says to Ducky.

Ducky notices Special Agent Borin standing up on the balcony in front of MTAC. "I wonder if she has anything to do with it." Ducky muses and walks off for the elevator with Palmer following behind him, as they near the elevator they bump into several Evidence Technicians as they wait to take the elevator downstairs.

"I guess you're surprised that Director Fornell stepped down as Director." Marty nods over at Ducky.

"This is the first I've heard of it." Ducky shrugs at him.

"Director Shepard is back up in her office again."

Ducky finally figuring out the reason why Cynthia was hired back by Fornell. "So Tony was right." Ducky grumbles and walks off for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Palmer asks.

"To put a muzzle on her mouth." Ducky snorts as he starts up the stairs.

Up in Jenny's Office. "Sorry doesn't cut it, now I'm going to have to sleep in the spare bedroom, because I'll have to bring the Director home from work, we'll be at each other's throats day and night." "I told you and Jarvis that Gibbs should have been told about me getting reinstated as Director of NCIS."

Ducky walks in and over hears her. "Not only Jethro, but we should have been told as well." Ducky chastises her.

Jenny turns and glares over at Ducky. "I didn't ask for your opinion Doctor."

"Agent Fornell did you have to bring her alter ego out so quickly." Ducky mutters and takes a seat at the conference table.

"Gibbs got a lead on the Carver Investigation and failed to share it with CGIS." "I had Special Agent Borin ranting in my office this morning." "Oh and Fornell failed to pass that information on to me." "I was blindsided in my office first thing this morning." Jenny hisses and takes a seat at the head of the conference table.

"Jethro not playing nice with CGIS." Ducky chuckles.

"He didn't play nice the first day of the investigation." Fornell laughs.

"So I read!" Jenny sighs in annoyance.

Abby bursts into the room. "I just heard the news." "Why didn't you tell us?" Abby folds her arms and scolds her dysfunctional mother.

"Because you would have blabbed this information on to daddy." Jenny groans and rubs her temple with a pounding headache.

"First day on the job and daddy's giving you a headache." Abby frowns.

"Yes and Uncle Toby!" Jenny snaps and gets up from her desk. "I have an MTAC feed coming up with Cassie Yates." "Abby and Ducky the both of you are under orders not to tell anyone from the Major Case Response Team that I was reinstated as Director."

Ducky gets up from the table. "I better pass on that information to Mr. Palmer." Ducky mumbles.

Abby rushes over and affectionately hugs Jenny. "Welcome back!"

"Thanks, it would have been a better home coming if Gibbs would learn to play nice with the sister agencies." Jenny grumbles and walks out of the office.

"She's back!" Abby giggles.

"With a vengeance!" Fornell Laughs.

"The lungs that woman has, we could hear her mouth soon as Mr. Palmer and myself stepped out of the elevator." Ducky grimaces.

"I would like to be a fly on the wall when Gibbs sees Jenny sitting behind her desk again." Abby grins.

Boise, Idaho

Rodeway Inn Boise

1300 Hours MST

Gibbs and Tony are sitting in their rental car observing Betty Carver's motel room. Ziva and McGee are in the next room over from Betty's. "It's freezing out here." Tony whines.

"DiNozzo if you don't shut the hell up I'm going to apply duct tape to your mouth." Gibbs snarls.

"We're in a nice warm motel room." Ziva snickers from Tony's two way radio.

"That goes for you David." Gibbs barks into his radio.

Suddenly a blue '78' Chevy Camaro pulls into the parking lot. "Ooo look boss, a classic Camaro." Tony grins.

"That baby needs a lot of work." Gibbs grunts at the condition of the car.

"Some primer and paint." Tony smiles.

"Like you would put that much effort into restoring a classic car." Gibbs laughs.

"I would pay somebody to do it."

"If I couldn't do the work myself I wouldn't bother buying the car." Gibbs answers, suddenly Carver gets out of the passenger side door. "David, McGee stand down, Carver just got out of the car." Gibbs instructs them from the radio. Tony on his two way radio is talking on another channel is informing Boise PD that Carver has returned to her motel room. "Tell them to block off that Camaro from leaving the parking lot." Gibbs says to Tony.

"Do we take Carver now or wait until she gets into her room?" Tony asks.

"Now!" Gibbs answers and gets out of the car with Tony. He motions for Detective Gates and his partner to follow them over as back up. "David and McGee I want you to enter Carver's room from the adjoining door."

Carver approaches her door and fumbles around for her keys inside of her pocketbook. Gibbs and Tony approach Carver from behind. "Ensign Elizabeth Carver!" Tony calls out to her.

Carver turns and notices the NCIS logo's on Gibbs and Tony's caps and jackets and is about to run, when Gibbs slams her up against the wall. "Ensign Elizabeth Carver, you are under arrest for the murder of Navy Lieutenant John Solberg." "You are also wanted for the murder of Coast Guard Commander Lyle Fitzpatrick by the Coast Guard Investigative Service and by Boston Police on the murders of Heather Fitzpatrick and Monica Tate."

Two hours later on a flight back to DC. Gibbs and Tony are sitting next to one another on the flight back. "Borin is going to be pissed off at you boss." Tony warns him.

"Like I care DiNozzo." Gibbs growls.

"You look tired."

"My mind set is getting back to headquarters and breaking that bitches ass in interrogation, finishing up my reports, and then I'm heading home and crawling into bed with the woman I love." Gibbs sighs with exhaustion.

"You haven't spoken to Jenny much today." Tony notes.

"I've been busy and every time I called her, she was out shopping." Gibbs grumbles.

"Gibbs that's normal for Jenny." Ziva laughs from her seat across the aisle.

"Unlike her house in Georgetown I have no place to put it at my place." Gibbs laughs.

"Build her a bigger closet." McGee suggests.

"What for when all she's wears anymore are jeans and my old t-shirts and flannel shirts around the house." Gibbs shrugs and closes his eyes.

NCIS Headquarters

2100 Hours

Gibbs and his team step out of the elevator, Tony and Ziva haul Betty down to the Interrogation Room, Gibbs and McGee walk over to their section and find Borin sitting behind Gibbs' desk with her feet perched up on top of his desk. "Nobody sits behind my desk." Gibbs snarls at her.

"How was Boise?" Borin hisses.

"Great!" Gibbs smirks.

"You managed a major pissing war between our two agencies today." Borin snaps at him.

"Like I care?" Gibbs shrugs and is about to walk off towards the Interrogation Room when his desk phone begins to ring. Grabbing his phone. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Cynthia's Reception Area

"The Director would like to see you." Cynthia instructs him.

"Fornell still in." Gibbs says with surprise.

"Just do as you're told." Cynthia sighs and hangs up.

Gibbs hangs up. "You coming with me."

"No I'll listen in from down here." Borin smirks.

Gibbs walks off for the stairs. "What do you mean by that?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"You'll see!" Borin grins.

Cynthia's Reception Area

Gibbs walks in giving Cynthia the stare. "Putting in Shepard's hours." Gibbs laughs and approaches the front of her desk.

"I will be from now on." Cynthia cryptically answers.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Gibbs walks into the office and finds it empty. "Fornell are you inside of the head?" Gibbs calls out.

Balcony In Front Of MTAC

Jenny walks out of MTAC, down in the bullpen McGee's jaw drops, noting the six inch black Stiletto heels, the brown skirt, matching vest, with Jenny's signature high collar white blouse with her sleeves neatly folded up to her elbows storming off towards her office. "DiNozzo won his bet." McGee laughs.

"First day on the job and Gibbs has to play jurisdiction bull crap with me." Borin frowns.

McGee flips open his phone and dials Tony's cell phone number. "Oh Tony you and Ziva better head on over to the bullpen."

Cynthia's Reception Area

Jenny walks in closing the door behind her. "You better not have your phone on speakerphone giving DiNozzo a play by play of our argument." Jenny warns her.

"Don't worry he'll hear you all the way downstairs." Cynthia laughs.

Inside the office, Gibbs impatiently sits at the conference table waiting for Fornell. "Tobias I don't have all day long." Gibbs barks at him. Suddenly the office door behind him slams. "Fornell since when do you slam your office door." Gibbs laughs.

"That's because his name is no longer on that door." Jenny screams at him.


	52. Ice Queen

November 1st 2011

Madame Director returns to her throne up in her office, on her first day back on the job, she finds out that her favorite agent and lover Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs isn't playing nice with one of the sister agencies. Gibbs and his dysfunctional children along with Ducky and Palmer are unaware that Jenny has taken her job back as Director of NCIS, that afternoon after returning from Bethesda and Norfolk, Abby, Ducky, and Palmer learn of Jenny's reinstatement, Abby affectionately welcomes back mommy up in her office and Ducky chastises Jenny for her boisterous mouth after hearing her screaming at Fornell up in her office when he stepped out of the elevator with Palmer returning from Bethesda.

In Boise, Idaho Gibbs and his team along with Boise PD arrest Carver at a Rodeway Inn motel, that night they return to NCIS Headquarters in Washington with Carver, Gibbs walks into the bullpen with McGee and finds Borin sitting at his desk with her feet propped up. "Nobody sits behind my desk." Gibbs snarls at her.

"How was Boise?" Borin hisses.

"Great!" Gibbs smirks.

"You managed a major pissing war between our two agencies today." Borin snaps at him.

"Like I care?" Gibbs shrugs and is about to walk off towards the Interrogation Room when his desk phone begins to ring. Grabbing his phone. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Cynthia's Reception Area

"The Director would like to see you." Cynthia instructs him.

"Fornell still in." Gibbs says with surprise.

"Just do as you're told." Cynthia sighs and hangs up.

Gibbs hangs up. "You coming with me?"

"No I'll listen in from down here." Borin smirks.

Gibbs walks off for the stairs. "What do you mean by that?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"You'll see!" Borin grins.

Cynthia's Reception Area

Gibbs walks in giving Cynthia the stare. "Putting in Shepard's hours." Gibbs laughs and approaches the front of her desk.

"I will be from now on." Cynthia cryptically answers.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Cynthia snickers.

Gibbs walks into the office and finds it empty. "Fornell are you inside of the head?" Gibbs calls out.

Balcony In Front Of MTAC

Jenny walks out of MTAC, down in the bullpen McGee's jaw drops, noting the six inch Stiletto heels, the brown skirt, matching vest, with Jenny's signature high collar white blouse with her sleeves neatly folded up to her elbows storming off for her office. "DiNozzo won his bet." McGee laughs.

"First day on the job and Gibbs has to play jurisdiction bull crap with me." Borin frowns.

McGee flips open his phone and dials Tony's cell phone number. "Oh Tony you and Ziva better head on over to the bullpen."

Cynthia's Reception Area

Jenny walks in closing the door behind her. "You better not have your desk phone on speakerphone giving DiNozzo a play by play of our argument." Jenny warns her.

"Don't worry he'll hear you all the way downstairs." Cynthia laughs.

Inside the office, Gibbs impatiently sits at the conference table waiting for Fornell. "Tobias I don't have all day long." Gibbs barks at him. Suddenly the office door behind him slams. "Fornell since when do you slam your office door." Gibbs laughs.

"That's because his name is no longer on that door." Jenny screams at him.

Gibbs bursts out laughing and gets up from the conference table. "Fornell come on out of the bathroom."

"If you're looking for Fornell he's more than likely laughing his ass off at the two of us at a bar right about now." Jenny snaps and takes a seat at the head of the conference table.

"This is a joke?" Gibbs smirks.

"No it's not Jethro, I wasn't expecting this shit the first day back to work." Jenny frowns up at him.

Gibbs glares down at his lover. "How long have you known about this?" Gibbs snarls.

"Two weeks!"

Gibbs finally getting where Jenny was at when he was looking for her two weeks ago. "You weren't shopping."

"SecNav Jarvis had called me up that morning and asked to see me." "I was only in his office for about ten minutes." "I told him that I would think it over."

"When did you decide to take your old job back?"

"That night!" Jenny smiles…"When I was sitting around the bullpen listening in on you and your team as you discussed your case that you were working over dinner." "Then I glanced up on the balcony and Fornell kept popping in and out of MTAC, he look so out of place up in the office." Jenny laughs and shakes her head. "After you and your team had got called out by dispatch, Ducky went down to Autopsy; Abby had stayed with me for a half an hour and went back down to her lab." "I moved over to your chair behind your desk, Fornell had left MTAC with Gwen and Cynthia and approached the railing." "He saw it in my eyes that I wanted my job back."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gibbs swallows hurt that Jenny would keep this from him.

"What would your answer would have been if I would have told you?"

"Hell no!" Gibbs screams.

"That's what I thought." Jenny screams back at him. "This way I got two weeks of sanity."

"You lied to me."

"I was under orders not to tell you from Jarvis and Fornell."

"Like you were under orders the last time from the previous SecNav and Vance and look where it got us."

Down in the bullpen, Tony and Ziva stand in the middle of the aisle with their jaws dropped. "How did Jenny get involved with this?" Tony curiously asks.

"Go read your e-mails." McGee grins.

Tony and Ziva rush over to their desks, Abby runs in getting tipped off by McGee. "Seems like old times huh." She winks.

"I won!" Tony smirks and pumps his fist up in the air.

"She kept this from us for how long?" Ziva laughs.

"Two weeks!" Abby smiles.

"Now we know why she kept it a secret, Gibbs would have tried to talk her out it." Tony laughs.

Up in Jenny's Office. "I followed Davenport's orders, because it was a better alternative than the both of us going to prison." Jenny hisses in protest.

"I don't believe this." Gibbs growls and flops down on one of the chairs at the conference table.

"Believe it, eventually I would have went back to work Jethro." "Being up in this office is a safer alternative."

"How, since you'll be itching to get out of your office to play field agent?"

"Not this time around." Jenny softly answers and gets up from her chair. "And I'll be putting less hours in."

"There will be a mark on you every time you walk out of this office, I don't like it." Gibbs shouts.

"There will always be a mark on me whether I'm Director or not." "I ran classified Black Op's as a NCIS Agent and CIA Operative." Jenny reminds him with a frown.

"Personally I would rather you stay at home." Gibbs grunts.

"And do what?" Jenny sarcastically asks.

"I'm building a room for you to keep yourself occupied with." Gibbs sighs in exasperation.

"Oh yeah, while you're out of the house for eighteen hours a day at work you expect me to read all day long." "I'm not a stay at home lady of the house." "Whether you liked it or not I was taking my old job back, so you're going to have to live with it Jethro." "Now on to NCIS business."

"Do we have to?" Gibbs grumbles and sucks in his teeth.

"Oh yeah since I got my ass chewed out this morning by my boss, Director Butler wasn't a happy camper and neither was his boss, then I had all three on a conference call in MTAC today." "Not to mention I had Special Agent Borin, your CGIS mirror image at 0800 hours this morning storming into my office and by the way she has the Gibbs door slam down pat." Jenny angrily chastises him. "Fornell never bothered to brief me on what you were doing in Idaho." "The both of you made a total ass out of me."

"There were too many players involve with the investigation." "So I decided-"

Jenny quickly interrupts him. "You were under a direct order from Acting Director Fornell and from CGIS Director Butler to work with Borin on the Solberg Case."

"She didn't play ball with me day one Jen."

"Right I read your report about Borin giving you video footage of Carver leaving the murder scene after Solberg was killed, two wrongs don't make a right." Jenny viciously snaps.

Gibbs tired from his flight back to Washington. "Is that one of your unwritten rules?" Gibbs laughs and gets up from his chair.

"No I don't have my own set of rules I steal yours."

"Jen I'm tired can we continue this pointless argument tomorrow morning?"

"No I'm finishing it now." "You will continue to cooperate with Special Agent Borin, failure to do so and I will have your team removed from the investigation, am I making myself clear Special Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs walks over to the door and opens it. "Crystal Madame Director!" He angrily shouts at her and storms out of the office violently slamming the door behind him.

Jenny presses her head back against her chair. "I need a drink." She sighs and gets up from her chair and walks over to the mini bar pouring herself a glass of brandy.

Down in the bullpen at the sound of Jenny's Office door slamming, Tony and Ziva duck down under their desks so that Gibbs doesn't see them lurking in the Squad Room. "Unbelievable!" He snarls as he storms out of Cynthia's outer office slamming the door behind him.

"Abby you better get out of here." McGee warns her.

"Right!" Abby whispers and rushes off for the elevator.

Borin smirks over at Gibbs as he starts down the stairs. "Bravo, I enjoyed every moment of that." Borin laughs and claps her hands.

"Shut up Borin!" Gibbs barks at her.

"Was that Gunny Gibbs?" Borin grins over at McGee as he stands in the center aisle.

"Most definitely." McGee laughs.

Gibbs stalking into the bullpen head slaps McGee on the back of the head. "Is that so McGee?" He growls at him. "I'm joining DiNozzo and David down at interrogation." Gibbs icily says to McGee and Borin… Glaring over at Borin. "You can observe the NCIS interrogation." Gibbs seethes at her and storms out of the room.

McGee waits for Gibbs to get out of view. "It's safe to come out now." McGee shouts over to Tony and Ziva.

"That was close." Tony sighs.

"The federal government is not paying you to be standing around like a bunch of teenagers gossiping about something that is none of their business." The voice of Madame Director can be heard from the top of the balcony in front of MTAC.

"Welcome back Director." Tony smirks up at her and rushes off towards for the Interrogation Room with Ziva chasing after him from behind.

Borin glances up towards the balcony watching Jenny going inside of MTAC. "So that is the infamous Madame Director, 'Ice Queen of the Beltway'." Borin laughs.

"Oh yeah, but as bad as it was to listen in on that, the one thing I'll say is, god I've missed that the past three years." McGee smiles and walks over to his desk and sits down.

"I'll see if Gibbs has cooled off yet." Borin snickers and starts off towards for the Interrogation Room.

"Doubt it!" McGee grumbles.

Over at the Observation Room, Gibbs is chewing out Tony and Ziva for leaving the room. "The three of you are working this weekend." Gibbs snaps.

"We both had to use the head." Tony innocently answers.

"Bullshit you were over in the Squad Room listening into my argument with Madame Director, McGee tipped you off." Gibbs barks.

Borin walks into the room. "Veins are still popped out on both sides of your neck."

"They'll be like that until he gets on the Director's good side again." Tony grins.

"That will be a long time." Ziva laughs.

Inside the Interrogation Room five minutes later Gibbs and Ziva are trying to break Carver. "I'm not answering any of your questions until my lawyer gets here." She defiantly answers.

"Your lawyer is in Chicago and won't be available until Thursday." Ziva informs her.

"I can wait." Carver smirks up at them.

Inside the Observation Room. "She murdered four people in cold blood and is going to waste our tax payers money by making us wait for her lawyer." Tony angrily says in disbelief.

Borin watching Gibbs and Ziva storming out of the room. "When Betty's lawyer arrives, Gibbs will wipe the floor with her for having him wait for two days to question her." Borin grins and walks out of the room, where she finds Gibbs and Ziva talking. "That didn't go over very well."

"You still have to wait in line to question her." Gibbs smirks.

Tony walks out of the room. "So what's our next move?"

"Go home and get some rest." Gibbs instructs them and starts down the hallway flipping open his cell phone, pressing in the speed dial button in for Fornell's cell phone, Gibbs waits for Fornell to answer. "Our usual bar ten minutes, I have a major bone to pick with you." Gibbs growls.

Borin waiting for Gibbs to disappear around the corner. "So how long will Gibbs and the Director be angry with one another?" Borin curiously asks.

"I've seen Jenny pissed off at him for well over a year." Tony grins.

"It's different this time around Tony, soon as Gibbs and Jenny step out of the office they live together in the same house." "They'll have to learn to keep work and home life separate." Ziva answers with a frown.

Ten minutes later Gibbs and Fornell are sitting at a corner booth. "Thanks a lot!" Gibbs snaps and takes in a healthy gulp of his glass of bourbon.

"You're welcome, to bad I wasn't in the office like I had planned when you found out about your new boss." Fornell grins.

"Yeah it's my old boss from three years ago." Gibbs groans in protest. "All I wanted to do when I came back to Washington was question my witness in Interrogation, not deal with the Ice Queen reaming out my ass, because I won't play nice with the sister agencies, further which you never bothered to tell her why I was in Idaho, we both got submarined."

"You've missed her Jethro." Fornell grins at him. Gibbs looks the other way. "You miss the fights, the bickering, towards the end as you stated to me before Jenny's death, that the two of you were like an old married couple minus the sex."

"Problem is I'm sleeping with my boss now." Gibbs grumbles.

"You had no problem with it a month ago when you were the boss." Fornell reminds him.

"It's different when I'm the boss."

"How so?" Fornell shrugs.

"I like being in control of her, she's just Jen my partner."

"And Madame Director!"

"I want to put her through a wall."

"You want to sleep with her admit it." Fornell snickers.

Gibbs pressing his head back against the booth. "So bad that I would give anything to throw her down on top of the conference table." Gibbs sighs in sexual frustration.

"Difference is, unlike Special Agent Gibbs and with his Junior Agent, Madame Director has better control of her urges and it's the reason why Jarvis reinstated Jenny as Director." Fornell grins and takes in Gibbs' defeated look. "Jethro she's good for NCIS."

"Good for NCIS, but what about us?" Gibbs frowns with worry. "We just got back together and were finally happy." "I've been waiting eleven long damn years to get her back into my bed." "I thought that it would be nice coming home from work and finding Jenny lounging on the couch reading a book or up in her study."

"That's not Jenny's style and you know it Jethro." Fornell sadly answers and gets up from the table. He tosses an invitation down on the table. "I won't be needing this since I'm not Director anymore."

Gibbs glances down at the invitation. "Marine Corps Birthday Ball." Gibbs reads out loud.

"Now's your chance to finally take her." Fornell smiles and walks away.

Gibbs flashes back to the night when Ducky had stood in front of him dressed in his uniform. "I thought that you were going to the ballet that night, but instead you took Jenny to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball." Gibbs frowns in disappointment and closes his eyes at the memory of Jenny appearing up on the balcony dressed in her green gown and matching green shawl, she slowly walked the length of the balcony, down the stairs, over the catwalk, Ducky approached her as Jenny walked down the stairs and looped his arm around hers, they briefly stood in front of the entranceway of Gibbs' section to give Gibbs a sneak peek at Jenny in her gown before they walked off for the elevator. "You took my breath away that night." Gibbs smiles at the memory and opens up his eyes. Holding up the invitation in his hand. "This time around I get to take you."

Half an hour later at home, Gibbs walks into his empty bedroom. "Damn it she better not be staying at the office." He angrily snaps, and then remembers that Jenny had mentioned in her office that she was going to cut her hours back. He walks down the hallway and opens up the door to Kelly's old bedroom and finds Jenny sleeping on the bed. "I'll let this slide to night because I'm tired and we're both pissed off at one another but tomorrow night your ass better be back in my bed." Gibbs inwardly growls and walks off for the bathroom.


	53. Tease Pt 1

Jenny awakens the next morning at 0430 hours; she gets out of bed and turns the light on the nightstand next to the bed. "So glad I decided to take my shower last night, the last thing I need this morning is an argument with Jethro before I go to work." Jenny frowns and sits on the edge of the bed. Yesterday she had planned on settling back in her old job as Director of NCIS. She expected an argument with Gibbs over taking back her old job as Director, what she didn't expect was getting blindsided by jurisdictional pettiness by Gibbs on her very first day at work. "Why can't he play nice for once?" Jenny sighs in frustration and gets up from the bed. "I'm still debating on who I want to castrate first Gibbs or Fornell."

In the bathroom fifteen minutes later Jenny decides to wear her hair down, Jethro loves her hair down. Her choice of outfit for the day is to wear a burgundy skirt that comes barely above her knees. To compliment her skirt Jenny decides to wear a Gray Soytopia Long-sleeve Henley blouse that conveniently shows off as much as her chest as possible to tease her lover in work. "Might as well show off on what you will not be having." She smirks…After applying her make up Jenny is about to walk out of the bathroom, spotting Jethro's towel she suddenly gets a mischievous idea. "You're bad Jen." She snickers, grabbing her perfume on top of the sink; she sprays her lover's towel.

Outside at 0528 hours, Melvin waits in the Towne Car, Jenny walks out of the house wearing her coat, carrying her briefcase and pocketbook. Melvin gets out of the car and walks over to her taking Jenny's briefcase from her. "Good morning Director."

"Good morning Melvin." She smiles at him.

Melvin walks over to the passenger side door and opens it up for her. "I gather you want to go to Starbucks again." He nods over her.

"Definitely it's going to be another long day in work for me." Jenny groans and gets inside of the car.

Up in Gibbs' bedroom his alarm goes off, feeling for Jenny on her side of the bed. "Jen!" He mumbles half asleep. Hearing a car door slam, Gibbs gets out of bed and walks over to the window, spotting Melvin getting into the Towne Car below on the street. "I thought it was all a bad dream." Gibbs grumbles.

Ten minutes later inside of the bathroom, Gibbs is in the shower rinsing off, he shuts off the water, pulls the shower curtain back and grabs his towel from the towel rack and begins to dry himself off, smelling Jenny's familiar perfume on the towel. "You bitch!" He snarls in protest and tosses his towel in sexual frustration; he glances down at his erection. "You are going to pay for this later on when this little impasse is over with." He vows closing the shower curtain behind him.

NCIS Headquarters

0700 Hours

Gibbs walks out of the elevator coffee in hand and walks over to his desk. "Good morning boss." Tony smiles over at him.

"Morning DiNozzo!" Gibbs grunts and walks over to his desk and puts his coffee down on top of his desk.

"Sleep good!" Tony baits him. Gibbs glaring over at Tony as he takes off his coat. "I take that as a no."

Upstairs Ziva and Abby walk out of Cynthia's outer office giggling. "Daddy's in for a long day." Abby snickers.

Ziva taking in her dysfunctional father's glare of warning from down in the bullpen. "You better head down to your lab."

"I was way ahead of you." Abby laughs and scurries off for the elevator.

Ziva rushes down the stairs and joins her co-workers. "Good morning!" She sweetly says to him.

"For me it is." Tony laughs.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs snarls at him.

"I was trying to lighten up the mood." Tony innocently answers.

"You're begging for a permanent indentation on the back of your head." Gibbs barks and takes a seat behind his desk.

McGee returning from the lounge tosses a Bear Claw down on top of Tony's desk as he walks over for his desks. "Good morning boss, Ziva." He nods over at them.

"Good morning McGee." Ziva smiles at him.

"Morning!" Gibbs grunts and takes a sip from his cup of coffee

McGee narrows his eyes over at Tony and Ziva. "So besides working on our reports what is the plan for the day?" He asks.

"We wait!" Gibbs answers.

"Right, Carver's lawyer." McGee sighs in frustration.

Jenny walks out of her office. Gibbs glances up at the short skirt and Henley blouse she's wearing. "Damn it!" He says under his breath as he watches Jenny make her way over to the elevator.

Tony and McGee raise a curious eyebrow over at Gibbs. "Problem boss?" Tony asks.

"There will be if your reports aren't on my desk by lunch time." Gibbs growls and gets up from his desk just as Jenny steps inside of the elevator. "I'm heading for Ducky's." He nods over at his team and walks off for the elevator.

Upstairs inside the elevator Jenny is holding in the doors open button and waits for Gibbs to pass under the overhang for the stairs. "Problem is I won't be in the elevator Jethro." Jenny smirks and steps out of the elevator.

Ziva who had her attention focused on Jenny the whole time doubles over at her desk and bursts out laughing, Tony and McGee glance up towards the balcony. "I get it." Tony laughs as he watches Jenny walk over to the eye scanner to unlock the door for MTAC. "She suckered Gibbs to go into the elevator and jumped out when he walked out of the bullpen."

"Man she's good." McGee grins.

Over at the elevator, the elevator doors open, Gibbs peaks his head in and finds the elevator empty. "Going up or down Jethro." Ducky muses from behind.

"Down!" Gibbs groans and steps inside of the elevator with Ducky following behind him.

"Judging by your body language I see that you and our newly returned boss are back to business as usual." Ducky laughs and pushes in the button for Autopsy.

Gibbs waits for the doors to close before answering. "The difference between now and three years ago is, when we're finished with this little impasse there's a penalty for teasing Jethro and unlike three years ago I can do something about it since off the job since Madame Director shares my bed." Gibbs answers with a cocky grin on his face.

"Remember to keep it out of work." Ducky warns him.

Gibbs presses in the button for Abby's floor. "I fully intent on keeping it out of work." Gibbs smirks.

"I've heard this before when the roles were reversed." Ducky sighs.

"Yeah I know, it sucks when Jenny's the boss." Gibbs groans in sexual frustration, the elevator stops.

"I hate to tell you Jethro, Jenny was the boss back then." Ducky laughs.

The doors open. "Only in the bedroom." Gibbs grins and steps out of the elevator and walks over to the lab.

"And out of the bedroom." Ducky chuckles.

Up in MTAC Jenny is getting briefed by Cassie Yates in her hotel room in Riohacha, Colombia. "I'll have Abby check into Vance's computer down in the Evidence Room to see if Suárez has a base of operations in the US." Jenny nods up at her.

Riohacha, Colombia

Hotel Gimaura

Room 14

0730 Hours COT

"I already have two members of my team out on the marina." Cassie informs her.

"Suárez is smart I want you and your team to be careful." Jenny warns her.

"We will ma'am!" Cassie smiles…"I'm glad to see you back as Director."

"It's good to be back as Director." Jenny smiles.

Two minutes later Jenny is in her office with her coat on and carrying her pocketbook. Cynthia walks in. "Melvin will meet you outside near the Evidence Room garage door."

"I only should be about five minutes, but with Abby it may be longer than that." Jenny giggles and walks out of the office.

Down in the Evidence Room Jenny impatiently waits for Abby. "What could possibly be taking her so long?" Jenny sighs in annoyance. The elevator door opens, Abby walks out dressed in her red Evidence Room Technician jump suit.

"Sorry, I got sidetracked by Gibbs up in my lab." Abby apologizes and walks over to her.

"I need you to go over Vance's computers that were put into the evidence after he got arrested." Jenny instructs her.

"Something else come up?" Abby curiously asks.

"No, I'm going after Bernardo Suárez and Vance was on the take with him and I need to see if he has a base of operations in the US."

"I'll get right on." Abby smiles and notices that Jenny is wearing her coat and clutching on to her pocketbook. "Going somewhere?"

"White House with the SecNav." Jenny smiles.

"Ah you finally get to meet President Obama."

"Meet and greet and he wants to be briefed on Vance's arrest and on my reinstation." Jenny softly answers and walks off for the exit.

Abby waits for Jenny to walk out of the room. "We're back!" She cheerfully says out loud. The Evidence Room technicians glance over at Abby like she's crazy. "You better get use to it guys; my dysfunctional work family is back together." Abby smiles.

Cynthia's Reception Area

1150 Hours

Gibbs walks in with his teams finished reports from the Carver Investigation, finding Cynthia busy working at her desk. "She's not in her office."

"I wasn't looking for her royal highness anyways." Gibbs grunts and steps inside of the office.

"Yes you were." Cynthia snickers.

Gibbs approaches Jenny's desk and drops the reports in the in bin, noting that her coat and pocketbook are not hanging on her coat rack. "You're out of the building, I bet your kissing ass up on the hill." Gibbs growls.

Cynthia standing in the doorway listening in on him. "No she's at the White House with SecNav Jarvis." Cynthia sarcastically corrects him.

Gibbs turns and glares over at Cynthia. "You're enjoying this." Gibbs barks.

"Unlike the previous Director's assistants, there were so many that Tony frequently would refer to them as secretary number five, stealing a TV reference from 'Murphy Brown'." "I am not intimidated by you Gibbs." Cynthia reminds him.

"Murphy who?" Gibbs shrugs.

"Never mind!" Cynthia sighs.

"When will she be back?"

"Don't know since the Director's schedule is light for the upcoming week." Cynthia answers and walks back out to her desk and sits down.

Gibbs walking out. "Remind Madame Director once she leaves this building that her alter ego will be punished at some point for her actions today." Gibbs smirks.

"And what actions are they?" Cynthia sweetly answers.

"She knows damn well what they are." Gibbs answers over his shoulder as he walks out of the office.

"Knee length skirt and the Henley top." Cynthia giggles…. Suddenly her desk phone begins to ring. "Director Shepard's Office, how may I assist you?"

Tony inside the bathroom. "Care to join us at our old haunt for lunch?" Tony grins.

"Definitely yes since the parents are at each other's throats." Cynthia laughs.

"Boss leave the Director's Office yet?"

"Yes he left me a cryptic message for the Director that I'll reveal at lunch time."

"I can hardly wait." Tony laughs and hangs up.

Shops at Georgetown Park

Food Court

1215 Hours

The familiar gang, the Gibblets along with Cynthia and Palmer are sitting around the food court eating lunch together for the first time in three years. "He said to tell Madame Director once she leaves this building that her alter ego will be punished at some point for her actions today." Cynthia laughs.

"Knee length skirt." Tony drools.

"Not to mention the Henley shirt." Ziva winks at him.

"She always manages to find a Henley shirt that reveals so much of her chest." Tony smiles.

"It's only been technically one day so far into it, I'm thoroughly enjoying this." Abby giggles.

"That's what I told Borin last night." McGee smiles.

"How long do you think their little tiff will go on?" Tony curiously asks.

"Another bet?" Palmer grins over at Tony.

"Oh year, this one is a dollar." "I say mommy gives daddy the cold shoulder for another week." Tony smirks.

Ziva tossing a dollar on top of the table. "Tonight they'll kiss and make up."

McGee tosses a dollar on top of the table. "Saturday!"

"How will you know?" Tony asks.

"Because I'll be there." Abby smiles and tosses a dollar on top of the table. "After lunch!"

"I say two weeks." Palmer grins and tosses a dollar down on top of the table.

"Friday!" Cynthia answers and tosses a dollar on top of the table.

"God this feels good." Tony says between bites of his hotdog.

"Gossiping about mommy and daddy." Abby smiles.

"And I'm back to my betting pool." Tony smiles.

After lunch Jenny returns to her office. "Anything major!" Jenny asks as she approaches Cynthia's desk.

"No just some phone calls that you will have to return, I left your messages on top of your desk." "I also have one message from Gibbs."

"Figures he would drag his ass up here after I left the building." Jenny sighs and walks into her office with Cynthia getting up from her desk and following Jenny from behind. "Go ahead shoot."

"Your alter ego will be punished once she leaves the building at some point today and you know damn why?"

Jenny bursts out laughing. "That all!"

"I've never seen Gibbs worked up like that before."

Jenny taking off her coat and hanging it up on the coat rack. "The difference between 2008 and now is off the job we're living together."

"So because he hasn't had sex in a few days you're deliberately pushing his buttons." Cynthia giggles.

"Correct!" Jenny smirks…."Could you make me a fresh pot of coffee?"

"I'll do that now." Cynthia smiles and walks out of the office.

"Problem with his threat is I will be on the receiving end of his assault." Jenny answers and shakes her head.

That afternoon in Abby's Lab, Gibbs walks in and finds Abby busy working on Vance's computer. "At least you have other cases that you can work on to keep you busy." Gibbs sighs in boredom as he waits for Carver's lawyer to arrive from Chicago.

"I'm working on something for the Director."

"Jen has an investigation already." Gibbs says with surprise.

"I guess so." Abby shrugs and decides not to disclose what she's doing at this time. "So how long are the two of you going to be fighting?" Abby frowns.

"Don't know, I don't like it, hated sleeping alone last night." Gibbs sighs.

"How are you going to fix it?"

"I don't have an answer to that question either Abs." Gibbs sadly answers.

Up in the Squad Room, Jenny having Bernardo Suárez' satellite phone number walks over to McGee at his desk. "Tim I need you to do a GPS trace on this phone number." Jenny asks and hands McGee a piece of paper with Suárez' phone number.

"Sure!" McGee smiles at her and glances down at the number, narrowing his eyes over at her. "Bernardo Suárez?" He asks with surprise.

"I'm reopening the investigation on him that Vance closed." Jenny informs him.

McGee types in the number and puts Suárez' location up on the plasma screen next to his desk. "He's in Riohacha, Colombia."

"I want his where a bouts monitored off and on throughout the day." Jenny orders him and is about to walk away from McGee's desk.

"Is this need to know?"

Jenny stops and glances back at McGee. "No, I don't keep non classified investigations from Gibbs." Jenny softly answers and walks off towards the direction of the lounge.

Gibbs returns and glances up at the plasma screen. "Free lancing with the Director also." Gibbs barks, noting that there's a marker on map of South America.

"No I'm not free lancing, she's reopening up the case on Bernardo Suárez."

"Great she involves my team without informing me." Gibbs growls and takes a seat behind his desk.

"She said it's not need to know, that she doesn't keep non classified investigations from you."

"How long ago was Jenny in the room?"

"You just missed her; I have no clue as to where she went off to." "I know it wasn't her office."

Down in the lounge, Jenny and Ducky are sitting around a table. "I'll end the impasse tonight."

"Good, before Jethro explodes."

"I hated bringing the Director home last night, he had me infuriated." Jenny snaps.

"The feeling was mutual my dear." Ducky winks at her.

"I know I should have told him about me getting reinstated, but Jethro would have tried to talk me out of it for two weeks."

"You had your reasons and they are excusable, Jethro's actions in Boise." Ducky cringes.

"I bet you if the CGIS Agent wasn't a woman, Gibbs would not have pulled his little stunt."

"How did you like Agent Borin?"

"When she wasn't acting like Jethro's twin, fine." Jenny shrugs.

"She even head slaps members of her own team."

"Not as hard as Gibbs." Jenny grimaces from pain memory response.

"Actually Mike Franks hit Jethro harder." Ducky laughs and gets up from the table. "It's good to have you back." Ducky smiles.

"It's good to back at NCIS where I belong." Jenny smiles.

That night at Gibbs' house, Gibbs is sanding the top of the kitchen table over at his worktable. Absorbed into the task at hand, he doesn't hear Jenny walking down the stairs with a bottle of beer in her hand as a peace offering. "Jethro!" She calls out to him. Gibbs turns and faces her. "We need to talk."

Gibbs tosses his sand paper block down on the table. "Jen we have to learn to keep work at work." Gibbs frowns and takes the bottle of beer from her.

"I know that's the reason why I came down here." Jenny sighs.

"I will go on record stating that I'm pissed off that you took your old job back, and doing it behind my back." Gibbs growls.

"I gave you the reasons why I didn't tell you, it was the same reason why I didn't tell you about my job offer in Paris." Jenny frowns.

Gibbs sitting down in a chair that's in front of the table and pulls Jenny down on to his lap. "We worked so hard at getting back together; this is going to be impossible."

"We were made for the impossible."

Gibbs shakes his head and begins to laugh and puts his beer on top of the table. "You should make a t-shirt up with that phrase on it."

"It's the only way to describe us." Jenny smirks.

"This is the only way that describes us." Gibbs smiles and pulls Jenny's face up; passionately he kisses Jenny on the mouth. Jenny deepens his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. Breathlessly Gibbs breaks away. He tightens his arms around Jenny pulling her close to him. "I love you."

"I love you Jethro." Jenny whispers up against his ear.

Gibbs with his hand on Jenny's knee pulls her face up and looks into the depths of her green eyes. "Did you get my message from Cynthia?"

"Oh yeah!" Jenny sighs.

"I still have another hour to work on this table top, when I'm done your ass better be up in the bedroom."

"Since I'm going to have my body getting ravished all over by you I might as well prepare myself for it." She seductively says to him, before getting off of Gibbs lap, Jenny kisses him on the mouth.

"What I have planned for you is beyond ravishing." Gibbs warns her.

"I know I have something picked out in mind." Jenny sensuously says to him and walks up the stairs.

Forty minutes later inside the bathroom, after getting a bubble bath Jenny pulls the sash to her pink satin robe. Her choice of bubble bath oil, 'Orchard Pear' which she recently purchased on one of her shopping sprees. "Jethro won't be expecting it." She seductively says to herself and walks out of the bathroom; she walks into the bedroom and finds her lover lounging on top of the bed shirtless wearing his usual powder blue boxers. "I thought you said an hour."

Gibbs gets up from the bed and walks over to her. "My lower half of my body had other ideas in mind." Gibbs smirks and leans over and nuzzles Jenny along her neck smelling her bath oil. "You smell like pears."

"Orchard Pear!" Jenny softly says to him.

Gibbs leans down and kisses Jenny on the mouth, his hands work open the sash on Jenny's robe and slowly he backs her over towards the direction of the bed, just as the back of Jenny's knee's hit the bed he drops her robe on to the floor. He shoves Jenny on to the bed. "Never ever torture a horny Marine who hasn't sexually had his way with your body in well over seventy-two hours."

"I'm in big trouble." She inwardly says to herself as her lover drops his boxers down on to the floor.

Gibbs crawling on top of Jenny on the bed. "You will be sexually tortured in three phases."

"Three!" Jenny gulps.

"Ah huh three!" "The first infraction is for spraying your perfume on my towel this morning." Gibbs smirks and begins to ravish Jenny's neck.

"I only did two things to you." Jenny panics as his hands go in between her legs.

"Three, the towel, the way you wore your hair today in work and for wearing a short skirt and tight blouse today."

Jenny begins to tremble as his mouth works his way down to her breasts. "I should tease him more often." She says to herself as his tongue flicks around her right nipple.

"You smell so good." Gibbs says as he works his way over to her left breast.

Jenny stroking his hair. "I decided to try something different this time around." She cries out with pleasure.

Gibbs begins to work his way down to her flat belly. Jenny lies motionless on top of the bed. "End result will have you screaming in about another minute."

"Just as long as you stay the hell out of me after you're finished with me." "You almost killed me in Paris." Jenny hisses.

"Peaches n cream on top of the kitchen table." Gibbs laughs and slowly nips along the top of Jenny's right hip, working his way down to her inner thigh.

"Jethro!" Jenny protests as he leaves a trail of love bites down on her inner thigh. "Ducky is suppose to give me a physical on Friday."

"It's not like he hasn't seen them before." Gibbs smirks and works his way over to her left inner thigh.

"You bastard!" She protests once again as Gibbs nips along her inner thigh, his right hand in between her legs, drawing out her arousal.

With the light on in the bedroom, Gibbs decides to tease his lover before having his way with her, with her centre exposed. "I'm going to drag this out."

Jenny arching up against his probing fingers. "Just don't drag out until I reach unconsciousness." She cries out.

"It won't be that long, once I have you screaming your brains out, I'll jump in the shower." Gibbs laughs and continues to tease her, with her muscles convulsing with need, Gibbs lowers his mouth and tongue in between her legs.

Jenny biting down on her lower lip trying to stifle an oncoming cry. "Don't give in." She inwardly says to herself. Gibbs wanting Jenny screaming flicks his tongue on her centre. Bucking up against his mouth. "Yes!" She screams out, clutching on to the back of his hair.

"That took all of two minutes." Gibbs inwardly smirks as he continues to torture her with his mouth and tongue.

"Don't stop!" She moans out arching up against his probing tongue.

"Stop I've only just begun with you." He inwardly laughs.

Jenny in full orgasm moves her hands on top of the bed grabbing at the covers. Her body exploding in a thousand pieces. "Jethro!" She begs, thrashing against his exploring tongue.

"I can't hear you Jen." Gibbs says to himself and continues to have his way with her.

Jenny over the edge presses her heels on top of his shoulders. "I'm begging you son of a bitch." Jenny screams out.

Gibbs flings Jenny's legs over to the side and with a satisfied grin on his face glances over at Jenny as she pants on the bed. "Ten minutes!" He laughs at her and gets up from the bed.

"Thanks a lot!" Jenny screams at him and rolls on to her side burying her face into the pillow. "Damn it!" She breathes out.

Ten minutes later after getting a shower, Gibbs returns to the bedroom finding Jenny lying on her side with her back facing towards him. "Getting you from behind isn't out of the realm of possibilities." He smirks over at her. Jenny rolls on to her back and helplessly looks up at her lover. "The helpless expression on your face won't work, you should have thought about that before decided to tease me in work today."

"Before you climb into bed turn off the lights, so that afterwards I can fall asleep."

Gibbs flips the switch over on the wall and walks over to the bed. "What time are you getting up tomorrow for work?" He asks and climbs into bed.

"0530 hours!"

"You're coming in with me." Gibbs smiles at the prospects of Jenny coming into work with him on a daily basis.

"On the days I don't have early morning MTAC ops or overseas briefings."

Gibbs leans over Jenny. "I use to drive us into work every day when we were stationed in London."

Jenny rubbing her knee up against the back of his butt. "We use to make love all night and come into work with little or no sleep." Jenny whispers against his ear.

"Sleep is a waste of time and energy for the two of us." Gibbs grins and begins to ravish the side of Jenny's neck.

"With the Director's job I can't be up all night making love to you, I'll at least need about two to three hours of sleep."

"I'm still tired from lack of sleep from my trip to Boise and not having you beside in bed last night."

"So I'll just get phase two." Jenny purrs.

"Phase three will be tomorrow morning." Gibbs warns her and captures Jenny on the mouth.

Passionately they kiss one another, feeling his arousal up against her inner thigh, Jenny arches up against him. Jenny breaks away from his kiss. "You going to punish me." She purrs.

Gibbs rolling on to his back, he brings Jenny on top of him. "Yeah with you doing all of the work." He grins, his hands go along her waist, pulling Jenny down on against him, he drives into her fully with a deep driving thrust, he leans his body up so that she can slip further and deeper inside of him.

Jenny moans out as her muscles tighten around his length. "I wasn't expecting to be on top."

"Nothing like having you fall apart on top of me." He laughs, thrusting his upwards.

Jenny complies with her lover by moving against him in fine subtle circles. Gibbs break an oncoming cry finds Jenny's right breast. The feel of his tongue on her harden peak drives Jenny over the edge. "You're making me crazy." She cries out, aggressively she begins to make love to him.

Gibbs caught off guard for a moment. "Damn it!" He moans out, going down on to his back, he changes the angle of his hips.

"Oh god!" Jenny cries out.

"If you're going to tease me in work this is the price that you are going to have to pay when we get home at night." Gibbs says with a cocky grin on his face.

Jenny leans over and presses her hip against him. Gibbs counter acts his lover by thrusting harder and faster against her. His hands still on Jenny's waist, pulls her down against him as his strokes increase. "For crying out loud did you take a pill tonight?" Jenny screams out.

"I don't need a pill." Gibbs laughs, getting off at watching Jenny through the glow of the nightlight fall apart on top of him, her body soaked with sweat, the feel of her muscles convulsing against his shaft as he thrusts harder and faster against her.

Jenny lost in her orgasm, frantically moves on top of her lover. "Quit holding back on me on purpose." She hisses.

"If I wasn't tired I would go another five minutes." Gibbs laughs to himself, with a final thrust, he climaxes inside of her. Jenny collapses on top of his chest heaving with exertion. Gibbs strokes her sweat soaked hair. "Rest up for phase three tomorrow morning."

Jenny raises her head up from his chest and looks into the depths of his mischievous blue eyes. "You got to be kidding me after this." She says between breaths.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Gibbs playfully growls at her.

"No!" Jenny yawns and buries her face up against his left shoulder.

"Good night Jenny!"

"Good night Jethro!" She mumbles against his shoulder.

Gibbs feeling Jenny shivering against him, he reaches for the blankets and covers them up. With their impasse finally over with, they drift off to sleep in each other's arms, tomorrow morning for the first time they will arrive to work together as Special Agent Gibbs and Director Shepard.


	54. Tease Pt2

0530 hours the next morning Gibbs' alarm clock rings, Jenny groans in protest. "Shut that thing off."

"I will if you would get off of me." Gibbs mumbles.

Jenny rolls over on to her side and buries her face into her pillow, Gibbs reaches over and slaps at the button. "Rise and shine Shepard."

"Do I have to?" Jenny whines.

"You're the one who decided to go back to work remember."

"Right!" Jenny sighs.

"Ready for phase three?"

"You got to be kidding me."

"No I'm not." Gibbs growls.

"Which position this time around?" Jenny yawns.

"You howling up against the wall inside of the shower." Gibbs smirks and throws the covers back. "Move!"

Jenny reluctantly throws her legs over the side of the bed. "Can't this wait until Saturday morning?"

"No!" Gibbs laughs and shoves Jenny off of the bed.

"Good thing about phase three is you won't be able to torture me for very long, Noemi should be coming over around six o'clock." Jenny laughs and walks off for the doorway.

"Don't under estimate me." Gibbs snorts and climbs out of bed.

A minute later inside of the shower, Gibbs has Jenny pinned up against the wall. "Harder you bastard!" She screams out with pleasure, digging her nails up against the back of his shoulders.

"Harder, I'll have to retile my shower enclosure." Gibbs groans.

"Good, because your bathroom is stuck on the '80's and needs to be upgraded." Jenny moans out.

Downstairs Noemi has come to work a half an hour earlier, hearing the sound and fury of her two bosses from the upstairs bathroom with the water running inside of the shower. "I see Senora has made up with her little body." Noemi giggles and walks into the kitchen.

Back upstairs, Jenny runs her tongue along Gibbs jawline. "Damn it!" He moans out as his body loses control, with a final thrust he explodes inside of her in a fiery release. Jenny wraps her arms around his neck. "Any more teasing and I'll have your ass up in bed as soon as we walk through that door tonight." Gibbs says between breaths.

"Impossible!" Jenny mumbles against his shoulder.

"Why is that?"

"I have to oversee an op in MTAC at 2300 hours tonight."

"You have to come home at some point." Gibbs smirks and puts Jenny down on to her feet.

Grabbing on to the shampoo bottle. "Remember what comes around goes around Jethro." Jenny warns him.

"I know and you attacks are unexpected." Gibbs laughs.

Down in the kitchen twenty minutes later, Gibbs dressed in an olive polo shirt and Eddie Bauer Classic stonewash jeans walks in and is surprised to find Noemi over at the coffee pot. "You're in early?" He says with surprise.

"Woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep." Noemi softly answers and smiles over at Gibbs. "By the sounds of it when I came in for work this morning you and Senora Jenny made up." She winks at him.

"We just had a meeting of the minds is all." Gibbs shrugs and takes a seat at the kitchen table.

"I only made a small pot of coffee, because I know you like to stop at Starbucks on the way to work."

"I have to have my Starbucks fix before I go to work." "Dealing with DiNozzo first thing in the morning." Gibbs grumbles.

Ten minutes later Jenny walks in with her hair pulled back in a ponytail dressed in all black pants suit. "You always did look good in black." Noemi smiles at her.

"I like her in blue myself, shows off her red hair and green eyes." Gibbs smiles.

"Rare color you'll find me in is yellow." Jenny grimaces and takes a seat at the kitchen table.

"So how are you making out with the kitchen table?" Noemi asks and hands Jenny her cup of coffee.

"Sanded the table top last night." "Tonight I'm going to paint the spare bedroom before the floor people come in tomorrow."

"Floor people?" Jenny asks narrowing her eyes over at her lover.

"You'll see the room when it's finished." Gibbs smirks.

At headquarters an hour later, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are sitting at their desks talking amongst themselves, when Gibbs and Jenny step out of the elevator together. "Jethro!" Jenny giggles.

"It's true!" Gibbs smirks and leads Jenny past his section.

Ziva grins over at her partner and waits for Gibbs and Jenny get out of ear shot. "Pay up DiNozzo!"

"Did you see the hickey on Jenny's neck?" Tony says with surprise.

"I'll e-mail Palmer and Abby on the bad news about the pool." McGee grumbles.

Over at the stairs. "Let me know when Carver's lawyer shows up." Jenny nods up at him.

"Sticking your nose in my case again Director." Gibbs playfully growls at her.

"No Agent Gibbs, I want to have a front row seat when you question that bitch in Interrogation." Jenny playfully chastises him and turns and walks up the stairs. As she walks the length of the catwalk she playfully glares down at her children. "If Team Gibbs wants to work every weekend until Thanksgiving you better learn to stop gossiping about my off the job relationship with their boss." Jenny chastises them and walks up the stairs.

"Busted!" Tony grimaces.

"How does she do it?" McGee sighs.

Gibbs walking into his section. "Women's intuition McGee." Gibbs barks.

"Which McDofus has no clue on because he's clueless about women?" Tony snickers.

"And like you do Tony." "At least I've been seeing the same girlfriend or the past three weeks and how many have you been through?" McGee smirks over at him.

"Three!" Ziva tattles.

"Nobody asked you Probalina." Tony snaps at her.

"Like I'm interested in hearing about my team's sex lives." Gibbs grumbles and approaches his desk and sits down.

"What time does Carver's attorney get her?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"0900 hours!" Gibbs answers.

Interrogation Room

0915 Hours

Betty Carver and her attorney Sylvia Maxwell are sitting next to one another at the table. Gibbs walks in carrying a file with Ziva following behind him. "Good morning Miss. Maxwell!" Gibbs nods over at her.

"Ms. Maxwell, Agent Gibbs." Sylvia corrects him.

Gibbs takes a seat across from them at the table; Ziva takes her familiar place in the corner of the room to size up Carver and her lawyer. "I've been instructed by my boss that JAG will be seeking the death penalty on the murder of Navy Lieutenant John Solberg." "There will be no deals." Gibbs angrily informs them.

"Your boss!" Sylvia laughs and shakes her head. "I heard that the bitch of the beltway was reinstated." Sylvia laughs.

"Ice Queen!" Jenny's voice sarcastically corrects her through the intercom.

"You could have warned me that she was listening in." Sylvia snaps.

"And miss out on making a fool out of yourself." Ziva laughs.

Inside Observation, "She walked right into that." McGee laughs.

"Maxwell is lucky that this investigation wasn't under my watch as Director or I would be in there interrogating her client." Jenny angrily snaps.

Borin standing beside Jenny. "I've heard about your interrogation techniques." Borin laughs.

"It's a work of art watching the Director and Gibbs interrogating a suspect." Tony grins.

Back inside of Interrogation, Gibbs gets up from his seat and nods over at McGee behind the glass. "Your client was seen in this video walking with Lieutenant Solberg inside of a conference room at Coast Guard Headquarters on October 1st." "Five minutes later on the video footage she is seen walking out of the room alone." "Solberg's body is found an hour later." "When we searched Solberg's apartment there were several threatening voice messages left on Solberg's answering machine by Ensign Carver."

McGee begins to play them. Sylvia cringes at her clients outbursts. "Besides the voice messages on Solberg's answering machine, there were several threatening e-mails sent to Solberg by your client." Ziva informs them and walks over to the table and opens up the folder. "Talk about possessive." Ziva chastises Carver and hands Sylvia the pages of the e-mails that Carver sent to Solberg. "Later on after obtaining a search warrant we searched Carver's apartment, inside the apartment we found a hidden room inside of her walk in closet."

"The hidden room was made up into an S&M playroom." Gibbs nods over at them and takes the photos of the room out of the folder and neatly displays them on top of the table for Carver and Sylvia to see.

"In this room there were several homemade DVD's of Carver and Solberg of having sexual relations throughout Carver's apartment." Ziva says in disgust. On cue McGee begins to play some of the video footage.

Inside Observation, "Do I have to see this again?" Borin mumbles in annoyance.

"Why not as flexible as Carver?" Tony smirks over at her.

"I could get into some of those positions before I broke my pelvis in 2002." Jenny mischievous grins.

Tony, McGee, and Borin raise a curious eyebrow over at her. "Oh really Director." Tony laughs over at her.

"Why jealous because you can't get into them?" McGee baits him.

"Shut up!" Tony grumbles.

The video feed comes to an end. "Thank god!" Borin sighs with relief.

Jenny noting the reverse cowgirl position that Carver was in. "So that's where he got the idea to get me back into that position." Jenny inwardly says to herself.

Back inside of Interrogation. "You used your homemade smut DVD's to blackmail Solberg with since he had ended the relationship about two weeks before you killed him." "It was either resume your relationship or you were going to put the videos of you and Solberg having sex together on line for the whole world to see." Ziva angrily says to Carver.

"He wouldn't give in and you put a bullet into his chest, using Heather Fitzpatrick's Berretta." Gibbs says to her and shows Carver and Sylvia a photo of Heather Fitzpatrick's gun.

"Heather Fitzpatrick?" Sylvia asks.

With that Borin walks into the room. "Coast Guard Investigative Special Agent Borin will take it from here." Ziva winks and walks out of the room.

"Yes, Heather Fitzpatrick, your client had met through her brother and Carver's boss Coast Guard Commander Lyle Fitzpatrick, they developed a sexual relationship about six months ago." "When Fitzpatrick found out that his sister was involved in a sadomasochism relationship with Carver he sent his sister to live with their cousin Monica Tate in Boston."

"Pissed off at Commander Fitzpatrick, Carver got inside of his condo by using Heather Fitzpatrick's key, she approached Fitzpatrick while he was inside his hot tub out on the balcony and shot him in the front of the head." Gibbs finishes.

"Maybe his sister killed her brother for ending her relationship with my client." Sylvia answers.

"Heather Fitzpatrick was sent out to Boston the week before that." Gibbs smoothly says.

"Then how did I get a hold of Heather's gun." Carver asks with a smug expression on her face.

"According to Marnie Benson, Commander Fitzpatrick's fiancée, Heather had a permit to carry a concealed weapon in her purse; she worked at a club in Arlington and won't get home until four in the morning." Gibbs angrily informs Carver. "You took Heather's Berretta and planned on using it as leverage on Lieutenant Solberg, when he wouldn't give into your demands, you shot and killed him."

"After shooting Commander Fitzpatrick early the next morning, you took a train up to Boston and went over to Monica Tate's house and murdered her and Heather Fitzpatrick as they were sitting down to lunch." "They never had a chance." Gibbs frowns at walking into the scene of Monica Tate's kitchen and finding the victims slumped over on the table with their faces inside of their soup bowls.

"Where's the proof that my client took a train up to Boston?" Sylvia sarcastically asks.

Inside Observation Jenny's Blackberry begins to ring, she glances down at the caller ID and notices that it's an incoming phone call from Abby. "What do you have for me Abs?" Jenny asks and discretely walks away from Tony, Ziva, and McGee.

"Director working on a case already?" Tony shrugs over at McGee.

"Oh yeah somebody that we're all familiar with." McGee smoothly answers.

"Who?"

Before McGee can answer, he hears Gibbs' voice barking at him from the other side of the glass to run the video from Union Station. Jenny near the doorway is listening in to Abby. "I'm on my way down." She answers and hangs up. "McGee when you're done with Carver's Interrogation, I'll need you to help out Abby down in forensics?" Jenny orders him.

"Yes ma'am!" He nods.

Tony waits for Jenny to leave the room before asking McGee, with the sound of the door closing. "Out with it?"

"Bernardo Suárez!"

"Columbian weapons and drug dealer." Ziva answers noting that the name sounds familiar.

"What about him?" Tony asks.

"The Director is going after him."

"And she didn't ask me to be in on it?" Tony pouts.

"She didn't ask Gibbs either." McGee grins.

"When did you and Abby get in on this?" Tony asks.

"Yesterday!"

"That explains the answer why she didn't ask Gibbs." Tony laughs.

"They weren't talking to one another yesterday." Tony grins.

"And today they are." Ziva snickers at Tony. "Remember I won my bet."

"Oh yeah, they must have had a meeting of the minds later on at home." Tony smirks.

Suddenly their attention is drawn on to Carver inside of the interrogation room as she gets up from her chair and shoves the table over. "I'm not talking!" She screams at Gibbs and Borin.

"As far as I'm concerned you don't need to answer my questions, I have enough evidence to convict you from the video evidence, having Fitzpatrick's weapon and condo key's on you when we arrested you in Boise." Gibbs snarls at her and then glances over at Sylvia. "Boston PD wants to question your client next; they'll be here around 1330 hours so I would advise your client to compose herself, because they want a piece of her also." Gibbs answers with a cocky grin on his face. "That file is for you Ms. Maxwell." Gibbs snaps and walks out of the room with Borin following him from behind, they walk over to the Observation Room.

"With the evidence against her, why is she denying everything?" Tony groans.

"Because she's a compulsive liar on top of being a nymphomaniac murderer." Gibbs growls and notices that Jenny isn't in the room. "Did the Director leave?"

"Down to Abby's." McGee quickly answers and gets up from the chair. "And now that this is wrapped up I better head down to Abby's Lab."

"I don't have anything going on down there at this time." Gibbs shrugs with confusion.

"No but Director Shepard does." McGee answers and walks out of the room.

"Boss no fair, Jenny has McGee and Abby working with her on the Bernardo Suárez investigation." Tony whines.

Gibbs gives Tony a glare of warning for referring to Jenny by her first name. "Who is McGee and Abby working with on the Bernardo Suárez investigation?"

"I mean Director Shepard." Tony gulps.

"That's what I thought." Gibbs answers and walks out of the room.

"Slip of the tongue." Tony grumbles.

"So you've said before." Ziva sighs.

"So Agent DiNozzo has a bad habit of referring towards the Agency Director by her first name?" Borin asks.

"We were working on an op together when Gibbs had retired and went to Mexico." "When I was up in her office and not around the other agents she had asked me to call her Jenny."

"I call her Jenny up in her office and when we're off the job." "But on the job while we're working officially, it's Director Shepard." Ziva chastises her partner.

"And mommy!" Borin laughs.

"Out of earshot." Tony snickers.

Down in Abby's Lab, Abby is showing Jenny the files on Bernardo Suárez on the main plasma screen. "According to this file that I recovered off of former Director Vance's Office computer, this is a schedule of future shipments to the US that will be coming from Columbia."

"Where?" Jenny asks.

"Miami!" Abby answers.

"That explains the Miami area code number I got when I hacked into the Satellite phone company that Suárez uses." "On the call log there were several phone calls between Suárez and from another party that originated in Miami." McGee nods over at Jenny.

"I want you working down in the lab until further notice." Jenny instructs him.

"Let me get what I was working on from my desk." McGee answers.

"So do you think this is a possible location where Suárez runs his operations in the US?" Abby curiously asks.

"Looks that way." Jenny answers and starts off for the elevator.

"I'll be back." McGee smiles over at Abby and rushes off for the elevator.

Upstairs, Gibbs is looking at a file on top of McGee's desk. McGee returning from Abby's Lab. "Boss is there something I can help you with." McGee asks.

"Yeah DiNozzo and I would like to be read into this." Gibbs barks.

McGee takes a seat at his desk. "I'm surprised that the Director hasn't spoken to you about it since the two of you have made up."

"Who says I've made up with her?" Gibbs playfully snaps, the bell to the elevator goes off, Gibbs glances over on the second level and watches as Jenny steps out of the elevator with one of the Cyber Division agents. Getting an idea, he leans over McGee from behind. "Can you give me a clue as to what you're working on?"

"Monitoring Suárez' phone calls."

Up on the balcony Jenny finishes up her conversation with Agent DeLong. "Good job!" She smiles at him and starts up the length of the balcony as Jenny reaches the stairs she notices that her lover is clearly sticking out his butt for her to catch a glimpse of it. "And you call me a tease." Jenny sighs.

Meanwhile Tony, Ziva, and Borin are returning from the Observation Room as they round the corner, Tony and Ziva spot their dysfunctional parents with their work foreplay. "That didn't take them long." Tony laughs.

"What?" Borin asks.

"Boss man decided to wear jeans in work today for a reason." Tony grins.

Borin spots Gibbs over at McGee's desk as he leans over McGee's shoulder from behind, with a mischievous smirk on his face. "Why the mischievous smirk on his face?" Borin curiously asks.

"Observe the Director up on the balcony." Tony laughs.

Borin bursts out laughing at Jenny noting that her full attention is on Gibbs' butt. "So he's doing that on purpose." Borin snickers.

"Getting even with her for wearing a short skirt in work yesterday." Tony smirks.

Jenny noting that Tony, Ziva, and Borin are returning to the bullpen, she walks away from the balcony and approaches the eye scanner and scans herself into MTAC, with the door unlock, Jenny opens the door and steps inside. As she makes her way down the ramp she texts Gibbs. "There's a penalty for teasing Madame Director also Agent Gibbs." She wickedly says to herself.

Downstairs Tony, Ziva, and Borin innocently stand in the middle of the aisle way. "I thought you were down at Abby's?" Tony nods over to McGee.

McGee grabbing a folder and a few flash drives gets up from his desk. "I'm on my way back down." McGee answers and walks away.

Gibbs is about to walk back over to his desk when his cell phone begins to ring for an incoming text message. He flips open his phone, squinting at the display panel he notices that it's an incoming text message from Jenny. Taking out his glasses from his jacket pocket Gibbs puts them on and reads Jenny's message. 'Tease!' He mouths and doubles over in laughter.

"Something funny boss." Tony asks.

"That's need to know." Gibbs laughs and sits down at his desk, pushing in the speed dial button for Jenny's Black Berry. "That's calling the kettle back." Gibbs snorts.

Up in MTAC, sitting up in middle row. "I'm not as obvious as you are, Tony, Ziva, and Borin caught your little tease act coming back from Interrogation." Jenny hisses.

"You going to do something about it." Gibbs grins.

"Yeah, 'The Shepard' during lunch time, it's in the upper 60's today."

"So soon!" Gibbs gulps.

"Oh yeah!" Jenny purrs and hangs up. Danielle and the other technicians raise a curious eyebrow at her. "What's the status of Agent Tasker?"

"He's in Syria with his team at an undisclosed location." Danielle answers.

"It's going to be a late op tonight with his team."

"We haven't had a late op in over a year; Director Vance wanted to be home with his family after the attempt on his life." Danielle answers.

"Well I do not have kids to go home to at night, so the late ops will be back Danielle." Jenny warns her.

"What about Agent Gibbs?" She shrugs.

"He has odd jobs that will keep him occupied in his basement, so I'm not worried about working late hours every now and then, it won't be all the time like before." Jenny reassures her.

Squad Room

1157 Hours

"So what are we doing for lunch today?" Tony nods over at Ziva.

"I've had a craving for a Gyro for over a week." Ziva drools.

"Gyro place it is."

"Wonder if McGee wants anything?" Ziva asks.

"Abby brought in lunch for them; they'll be eating down in her lab."

Borin working at a desk next to Gibbs' desk. "I'd like to go if you don't mind."

"Ever been to Stavros'?" Tony curiously asks.

"I haven't been there in almost a year, but I've been craving for his homemade ice cream." Borin sighs.

Jenny with her coat on approaches the entranceway to Gibbs' section. "You ready!" She calls out to Gibbs.

Gibbs slowly gets up from his desk and walks over to her. "Going out to lunch with the Director?" Tony grins.

"What's it look like DiNozzo." Gibbs grumbles and slowly walks off for the elevator.

Jenny walks up behind him. "Stalling isn't helping you." She sensuously warns him.

Tony and Ziva watch their parents walk over to the elevator. "Looks like Gibbs is going to get in a lunch time quickie." Tony snickers.

"How, Noemi is now working at Gibbs' house during the daytime?" Ziva reminds him.

"There's always the backseat." Tony smirks.

"By the looks of things it looks like it's the other way around on who wants the quickie." Borin laughs.

Jack Creek's Marina

'The Shepard'

Seven Minutes Later

Gibbs and Jenny are tripping down the stairs kissing one another, in between kisses they undress one another as they make their way over towards the V-berth sleeping cabin at the bow. Once inside Jenny shoves her naked lover back on to the mattress. "There is a price to pay when you tease Madame Director with your ass." Jenny purrs and climbs on top of him.

Feeling her hands on his throbbing shaft. "Oh god!" Gibbs moans out.

"You're lucky that we're on a time restraint or I would be torturing you orally."

"That's a relief." Gibbs gulps.

Jenny sitting on top of him. "The helpless expression in your blue eyes isn't working." Jenny laughs and grabs a hold of his hands. Gibbs enters her with a deep driving thrust as he slips deeper inside of her, Jenny clutches on to his hands, slowly she begins to make love to him on top.

Stavros' Greek Restaurant

Tony, Ziva, and Borin are sitting at a corner table eating lunch. "I wonder where Gibbs took Jenny for their quickie." Tony says between bites of his steak gyro.

"Really Tony is it any of our business." Ziva sighs.

"I'm off the job now and can gossip about them behind their backs." Tony protests.

"You need to get a girlfriend so that you don't have to gossip about your boss' sex lives all the time." Ziva chastises him.

"Hey how often do you see a middle aged woman and a senior citizen coming in to work with matching hickeys on their necks?"

"I saw the Director's hickey but not Gibbs'." Borin shrugs.

"Near his Adam's Apple." Tony grins.

"Tony quit while you are a head, you're just jealous of Gibbs, besides you could never handle an aggressive woman in bed." Ziva laughs.

"That's because I like to pace myself for roughly an hour."

"You!" Ziva laughs.

"You don't even have the stamina to walk up and down a flight of stairs and you actually expect us to believe that you can go for an hour with a woman." Borin laughs.

"Hey how did this become a pick on Tony segway?" Tony whines.

"Because as usual you stuck your foot into your mouth." Ziva giggles.

Back on 'The Shepard' Gibbs is howling with pleasure. "Don't stop!" He cries out.

"That's more like it the lost little boy expression in your eyes Leroy." Jenny teases him and aggressively begins to make love to him.

"Damn it!" He moans out, lifting his hips up from the mattress.

Jenny nearing the height of her passion, rocks inside of her lover over and over again. "Yes!" She screams out with pleasure. Gibbs raises his hips up to meet her urgent thrusts, moving against her in wild hot abandonment. Nearing release their bodies' frantically move together in unison. "Come on!" She moans out.

"I'm not giving into Madame Director." Gibbs growls out.

"She's not giving into Agent Gibbs." Jenny hisses, pressing her body down to meet his upward thrust.

Gibbs feeling his release coming on, he squirms under her on the mattress. "Don't give in." Gibbs inwardly whines. Jenny sensing that her lover is caving in, presses her hip against him, she leans over and runs her tongue on his lower lip. "That's cheating!" He moans out, his body thrashes beneath her, trying to fight off his release.

"Call it what you want, but I'm winning the battle." Jenny wickedly answers. Gibbs exhausted and battle weary climaxes inside of her, his body shudders underneath of her riding the wild waves of ecstasy, as his release shatters through him, Jenny exhausted as well slumps down on top of his chest.

"I need oxygen!" Gibbs pants.

Jenny raising her chin on top of his chest. "Why don't you sleep it off for about a half an hour?"

"I need more than a half an hour." Gibbs barks…Jenny nipping along his collar bone. "Can I come down from my release first?"

"Go to sleep." Jenny laughs and tenderly kisses him on the mouth.

Stavros'

Forty minutes later, Tony and Ziva are about to leave the restaurant. Ziva glances towards the direction of the counter and notices that Borin is purchasing something. "Borin still hungry?"

Borin over at the counter. "Can I have a container of peaches and cream ice cream?"

Tony over hearing Borin's order. "She's buying ice cream." Tony smirks.

"Why the smirk on your face?" Ziva asks.

"You'll find out at headquarters." Tony laughs.

Back on 'The Shepard' Jenny after getting a shower, approaches her sleeping lover. "Jethro it's 1250 hours."

Gibbs half asleep gets out of bed. "No fun you got your shower already." He groans in protest.

"We wouldn't of have had the time anyway." Jenny sighs…."I ordered take-out from a deli near the marina we'll stop there on the way back to the Navy Yard."

NCIS Headquarters

1305 Hours

Borin is standing in front of Tony's desk eating her container of ice cream, Tony hearing the bell to the elevator going off glances over at the elevator and notices Gibbs and Jenny getting out, he waits for them to near the entranceway to Gibbs' section. "By the way Borin, what ice cream did you pick out?" Tony mischievous shouts loud enough for Gibbs and Jenny to hear him.

"Peaches and cream!" She smirks over at him.

Jenny stops at the entranceway to Gibbs' section glaring up at her lover. "What?" Gibbs innocently shrugs.

"With me now!" She angrily hisses at him and stalks up for the stairs.

Tony, Ziva, and Borin watch as Gibbs chases Jenny up the stairs over the catwalk and up the flight of stairs. "I swear I didn't say anything to them." He shouts.

"Bull shit!" She shouts back and storms off for her office with Gibbs following behind her.

Tony, Ziva, and Borin burst out laughing. "Them being nice to one another only lasted for six hours." Tony chuckles.

Up in Jenny's Office, "How the hell does DiNozzo know about what happened on my kitchen table in Paris?" Jenny screams at him.

"I didn't say anything to him." Gibbs barks.

"Then explain what happened down in the bullpen and Borin seems to be in on it as well."

Gibbs drops the brown paper bag down on top of the conference table and flashes back to his phone call conversation with Jenny in the conference room at police headquarters in Boston and remembers that McGee and Borin had walked into the room while he was on the phone with her. "Damn it!" Gibbs snarls.

"What?"

"Borin and McGee walked into our phone conversation in Boston." Gibbs sighs.

"Great!" Jenny mutters and walks over to her desk, pressing in the button for the intercom. "Cynthia could you tell Agent's DiNozzo, McGee, David, and Abby Scuito that Agent Gibbs and I want to have a meeting in the back room of Abby's Lab in a half an hour."

"Yes ma'am!" Cynthia answers.

"I'll let Tony and Ziva sweat it out for about a half an hour." Jenny smirks and walks over to the conference table and sits down.

"What about Borin?"

"She doesn't work for me, so there isn't too much I can do about her." Jenny shrugs.

Down in the bullpen, Tony's desk phone begins to ring. "DiNozzo!" He answers.

"Agent DiNozzo the Director wants a meeting with you and Agent David down in Abby's Lab in a half an hour." Cynthia informs him.

"Man can't she take a joke." Tony protests.

"From what I could hear in her office, when it comes to her sex life I don't think so." Cynthia grumbles.

"Where did it happen?" Tony smirks.

"Classified!" Cynthia answers and hangs up.

"Rats!" Tony sighs and hangs up. "Mommy wants us down in Abby's Lab in a half an hour."

"Thanks a lot Tony, now I'm going to get screamed at for something I had nothing to do with." Ziva hisses.

"And Agent Borin will be off the hook since she works for CGIS." Tony sighs…. Tony's desk phone begins to ring again. "DiNozzo!" He answers.

Abby's Lab

"What did you do to piss her off?" McGee chastises him on the speakerphone from Abby's workstation.

"I had asked Agent Borin what ice cream she was eating after lunch in the bullpen." Tony innocently answers.

"What flavor was Borin eating?" Abby curiously asks.

"Peaches and cream." Tony gulps.

"And conveniently Gibbs and Jenny were walking past your desk when you had asked her, great Tony." McGee snaps.

"Why am I being punished for this when I have nothing to do with it?" Abby pouts.

"When one of the kids gets into trouble we all do Abby." McGee sighs.

Half an hour later the kids are in the backroom waiting for 'The Parents'. "Figures they would drag it out until the last minute." Tony groans.

With that the sound of the bell for the elevator goes off. "You were saying Tony." Ziva sighs.

Gibbs and Jenny enter the room. "Oh boy mommy doesn't look happy." Abby cringes and glares over at Tony for baiting them. "And it's all your fault Tony." Abby chastises him.

Gibbs and Jenny enter the backroom over hearing Abby's tirade. "No try its McGee's fault for blabbing to his brother and sisters on what he overheard on one of my phone call conversations with Jenny." Gibbs growls.

"In my defense I didn't know that Jenny was going to be reinstated as Director." McGee innocently answers.

"Even if I wasn't reinstated as Director, it's none of your damn business Tim and you shouldn't have told the others." Jenny angrily scolds him.

"Furthermore DiNozzo you should have kept your mouth shut." "You deliberated baited Jenny into getting into a shouting match up in her office with me when we came back from lunch." Gibbs snarls.

"Last and only warning that I will give the four of you, while you are on the job my off the job relationship with Gibbs is not to be gossiped, betted on, or speculated on in anyway." "If it gets back to me or Gibbs that the four of you are talking about our off the job relationship while you are working, the penalty will be that you will not get a weekend off for the next year and you will have to work all holidays."

"Tony, Ziva, and McGee will fill in as Team Leaders for the various teams that are assigned to work that weekend." Gibbs angrily informs them.

"While Abby will either do assignments in her lab or help out with the Evidence Technician's down in the Evidence Room." Jenny answers and gives her dysfunctional daughter a glare of warning.

"What about Borin?" Tony shrugs.

"Borin had nothing to do with this Tony." "I called you up in Boston and made the huge mistake in telling you about Gibbs' phone conversation." McGee snaps.

"And you knew that Borin purchased peaches and cream ice cream at Stavros', you saw Gibbs and the Director get out of the elevator and decided to get a reaction out of her." Ziva sighs in annoyance.

"It got a reaction out of her alright." Gibbs grumbles….Suddenly his cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Observation Room

Borin is standing around watching Boston PD Detective Young and his partner Elliot Lewis through the window interrogating Ensign Betty Carver. "Detective Young and his partner are questioning Carver."

"I'll be right up." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Boston PD is questioning Carver." Gibbs nods and walks out of the room.

"Agents DiNozzo and McGee head on over to the gym locker room, get into your sweats and I want the two of you to run around the building ten times." Jenny orders them.

"Ten times I just ate." Tony whines.

"Move!" Jenny shouts at them.

Tony and McGee quickly run out of the room. "Nobody ran like that for Director Vance." Abby giggles.

"That's because he didn't scare anybody Abby." Ziva laughs.

"Oh I got something for you Director." Abby smiles at her.

"About Suárez?" Jenny asks.

"Actually we got it, but because McGee is being punished I'll have to show you." Abby sweetly answers and walks Jenny and Ziva over to her workstation.

"According to a text message that he sent to a Ricardo Emanuel, Suárez is flying out to Miami, Monday morning."

"Perfect now is my chance to arrest his ass on US soil." Jenny smirks.

"We just need to know on whether is flying by private plane or commercial airline." Ziva interjects.

"McGee was working on that before the Director punished him." Abby shrugs.

"Serves him right for blabbing something to you guys that he had no business repeating." Jenny snaps and walks off for the elevator.

Ziva and Abby turn and watch Jenny as she patiently waits over at the elevator. "I believe the three years being out of her heels has made Jenny a bit more how you say." Ziva stumbles trying to come up with the right word.

"Bitchy!" Abby answers.

"That's the word." Ziva smiles.

"She had what she worked hard for taken away from her by Davenport and Vance." Abby frowns.

"I don't think it's Davenport or Vance that has Jenny like this." "I think it was being under her father's control for three years."

"And now she's free to be herself." Abby smiles.

"I better join Gibbs and Borin in Observation." Ziva nods and walks out of the room.

"Just don't let Madame Director get to your head." Abby sighs at the memory of how her ambition got to her head when she was going after La Grenouille.

In the Observation Room Gibbs and Borin are watching Boston PD as Carver continues to stonewall them. "I see that they're not having any luck breaking her." Borin groans.

Ziva walks in. "How's Detective Young making out?"

"Not getting very far." Gibbs smoothly answers and notices that Ziva is alone. "Where's DiNozzo?"

"More than likely puking his guts out on lap number five around the building." "After you left Abby's the Director ordered both Tony and McGee to do ten laps around the building." Ziva smirks.

"You mean Tony will puke on lap number three." Gibbs laughs.

"DiNozzo physical conditional wise is a pathetic excuse for a federal investigator." Borin sighs.

"At least McGee has improved." Ziva smiles.

"He needs to bulk up a little bit, to skinny." Gibbs growls.

"You're in excellent shape." Borin grins over at him.

"I played football, basketball, and baseball while I was in high school, my junior year I blew out my knee playing football."

"What position?" Borin curiously asks.

"Quarterback!" Gibbs smoothly answers. "Did the Director go back up to her office?"

"She went upstairs, not sure if she went into her office or MTAC." Ziva shrugs.

"Since they're not getting any where I'm going for coffee." Gibbs nods and walks out of the room.

"You mean you're going for coffee so that the Director can steal it from you." Ziva laughs.

"I thought that nobody was allowed anywhere near Gibbs' coffee cup."

"Nobody but Jenny Shepard." Ziva smiles.

Squad Room

Twenty Minutes Later

Gibbs returns from his coffee run and finds Tony lounging back against his chair. "Problem DiNozzo?" Gibbs smirks and walks over to the front of Tony's desk.

"Yeah I lost my lunch while doing laps." Tony groans.

"That will teach you for opening your mouth up when you shouldn't." Gibbs growls.

Borin and Ziva return from Observation. "Poor Tony!" Ziva teases him.

"I need a massage." Tony asks with pleading eyes.

"Call you girlfriend of the week." Ziva snickers and walks over to her desk and sits down.

"McGee back down in Abby's." Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Yeah and can somebody clue us in on the Suárez Investigation besides McGee and Abby." Tony whines in protest.

"I was helping out with Abby and the Director after she sent you and McGee out." Ziva answers.

Gibbs glances up towards the balcony and finds Jenny working in her familiar spot in front of MTAC. "You're not the only one who hasn't been briefed on it DiNozzo." Gibbs answers and starts off for the stairs.

"So what's going on?" Tony demands.

"She's going after Bernardo Suárez." "According to Abby, Cassie Yates and her team are in Columbia as we speak tailing Suárez' movements." Ziva informs him.

"Why her team and not ours?" Tony angrily asks.

"Tony I believe the Major Case Response Team has recently had a month long investigation and we've also had the joint investigation with Special Agent Borin involving the Solberg Investigation." Ziva reminds him.

"We can handle it."

"DiNozzo I believe the Director knows what she's doing." Borin nods over at him.

Up on the balcony Gibbs approaches his lover. "You going to brief me on the Suárez Investigation?" Gibbs asks.

"I was just about to ask Cynthia to have you meet me inside of MTAC when I briefed Cassie Yates."

"So what is Cassie up against?" Gibbs shrugs and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"Cassie and her team are watching Suárez' movements in Riohacha." "McGee's been monitoring his satellite phone calls and text messages." "Suárez texted Ricardo Emanuel, one of his drug runners in Miami that he was flying out to Miami on Monday morning."

"Why Miami?"

"I believe Suárez is using Miami as a base of operations in the US."

"Once he enters the US it will be easier for us to bring him." Gibbs answers.

"He's the first of many arms and drug dealers that I'm going after that Vance was on the take with."

"Jen I don't want you turning into that vindictive driven woman that had gone after La Grenouille." Gibbs growls.

Jenny taking Gibbs' coffee from him. "I'll never get like that again."

"You sure!" Gibbs frowns.

"That side of me almost cost me my life and the person I cherish the most." Jenny softly says looking into the depths of her lovers blue eyes. "You!" She smiles and walks over to the eye scanner.

Gibbs stands and smiles over at the direction that Jenny had walked into. Down in the bullpen Tony, Ziva, and Borin are watching. "There's a first, she left him speechless." Ziva snickers.

"Your right the coffee was for her." Borin laughs.

Back up on the balcony Gibbs follows Jenny inside of MTAC. "Ma'am Cassie Yates is about to appear onscreen." Danielle informs her.

"Thanks Danielle, Agent Gibbs is going to sit through this one with me." Jenny nods and approaches the front of the plasma screen.

Squad Room

1900 Hours

Gibbs steps out of the elevator carrying a canvas bag, Borin on her way out passes him. "I guess this is goodbye until the next case." Borin smiles at him.

"It's never dull working with CGIS." Gibbs laughs.

"Excitement level was better this time around." Borin laughs.

"I guess so with Madame Director back up on her throne." Gibbs growls.

"You still don't seem happy that she's back as Director."

"I would rather have her home not doing a damn thing."

"Jenny Shepard sitting around the house, I don't think so Gibbs."

"You do not know what she's been through the past three years." "Jenny is carrying a lot of emotional scars from that." Gibbs frowns.

"What scars could she possible get from being in witness protection?" Borin sighs.

"Good night Borin." Gibbs answers and starts off for the stairs.

Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Abby catch up to Borin at the elevator. "Going home?" Tony asks.

"No back to my office at headquarters, need to finish up a few reports and then hopefully I will get a new case to work on tomorrow." Borin shrugs and glances up at the balcony; she watches Gibbs going inside the outer office door. "Gibbs working late?"

"No the Director is." "Gibbs is making sure that she eats dinner before she gets started on her paperwork." Ziva smiles.

"Late night MTAC Op she's over seeing." Tony shrugs.

"Third day on the job and it seems that she's busy already." Borin answers, the elevator doors open and they step in. "Boston PD is still in interrogation." Borin laughs.

"If Gibbs, Ziva, and you couldn't break her nobody could." Tony sighs.

"I bet Jenny could." Ziva smirks.

Tony head slaps Ziva on the back of the head. "You mean Director Shepard."

Ziva steps on Tony's foot. "Never Gibbs slap me again." She warns him.

Tony holding his foot. "I think you broke my toe." Tony grimaces.

"Good!" Ziva grins.

Up in Jenny's Office Gibbs is unpacking dinner. "So what will you be burning off of me in bed this weekend?" Jenny teases him as she gets up from her desk and approaches the coffee table.

"Columbian food!" Gibbs smirks, taking out two bottles of Aquila beer.

Jenny sits down in her familiar chair and takes off her heels; she leans over and opens up one of the food containers. "Plato de Carne Asada." She says in Spanish.

"So you've had it before." Gibbs smiles.

"Jethro I've been in Columbia before." Jenny sighs and opens up the next container. "Bandeja Paisa!"

"That's for me." Gibbs grins.

"I expected as much because I can't eat all of that." Jenny grumbles and opens up the next container. "Guacamole with patacón."

"Because you eat that crap and I don't." Gibbs growls.

Jenny grabbing a Styrofoam plate from on top of the table, she serves Gibbs his dinner first. "It's healthy for you." Jenny scolds him.

Gibbs opening up their bottles of beer. "I don't care it's green and nasty looking." Gibbs barks.

"It matches your shirt." Jenny giggles.

"You keep teasing me and you'll be wearing it." Gibbs warns her and takes a sip from his bottle of beer.

Jenny fixing her plate. "This feels right." Jenny smiles.

"Two old partners eating dinner." Gibbs smiles and takes a bite from his beans and rice.

"We use to eat dinner up in my office all the time before your coma." Jenny answers.

"I still get a kick out of your facial expression when I would walk into the office carrying dinner."

"You usually would bring it in when Agent Gibbs and Director Shepard were battling it out in the office during the day."

"I would bring dinner in so I could refocus on my investigation, and talking to my old partner always helped." Gibbs smiles.

"How did you refocus after I died?" Jenny frowns.

"By staying late in the office after my team and Vance would leave for the night." "I would go up into the office and sit on the couch flashing back to a time when you and I would sit for hours on end discussing a case together." Gibbs answers with his voice choking up with emotion. "That always helped me refocus."

"My refocus while I was in Kalymnos was to get the operation done as fast as possible so that I could get away from my father." Jenny snaps.

Forty minutes later, Jenny is gathering up the trash on the coffee table. "There are some old case files that I want to review before I head into MTAC at 2200 hours." Jenny nods.

"Are you doing anything on November 12th?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"That's a week from now, I don't know what our plans are that far in advance." Jenny shrugs and puts the plates and containers into the trashcan.

Gibbs hands Jenny the invitation for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. "Fornell won't be needing this since he's no longer Director of NCIS."

"You do not know how I longed to be on your arm at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball." Jenny smiles.

"You do not know how frustrating it was to watch you go out on Ducky's arm for the first ball you went to." "I made sure that I was out of the office the two other times you went." Gibbs frowns.

"Well this time around I will be on your arm while you're dressed in your Marine uniform; Tony will head my protection detail."

"He'll love that." Gibbs smiles.

"I'll have Cynthia accept my invitation tomorrow."

Gibbs leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. "You do not know how happy this makes me." Gibbs says to her above a whisper.

"I do, because I feel the same way." Jenny softly answers and gets up from the table. "Now I have something to do this weekend." Jenny laughs.

"What?"

"I need to go out and buy a dress."

"Blue!" Gibbs smiles.

"I'll see if a can find a cobalt blue dress to match the color of your eyes."

Gibbs getting up from the couch. "I better head on home and start painting the spare bedroom."

"I might spend the night on the couch in my office depending on how long the op goes."

"I'll bring a change of clothes over tomorrow." Gibbs nods and approaches Jenny; he leans down and tenderly kisses her on the mouth. "Good night!"

"Good night Jethro!"

Gibbs walks out of the office and closes the door behind him. He looks over at Cynthia's desk and notices for the first time in three years the personal items on display throughout the desk, along the bookshelf and the filing cabinet near the window. "It just dawned on me that suddenly this office isn't a cold depressing place to go into anymore." Gibbs smiles as he takes in his surroundings a final time. "Welcome back Madame Director." He grins and walks out of the room.


	55. Dead Woman Walking

NCIS Headquarters

0650 Hours

The next morning Gibbs steps out of the elevator carrying a change of clothes for Jenny, he walks the length of the aisle way rounds the corner, walks up the stairs over the cat walk. At the balcony Cynthia is waiting for him. "She's still sleeping." Cynthia calls down to him.

Gibbs walking up the stairs hands Cynthia Jenny's change of clothes. "What time did the op finish?" He smoothly asks.

"0200 hours!"

Gibbs rolls his eyes. "Vance never had late ops." Gibbs growls.

"That's because he had a wife and family to go home to." Cynthia reminds him.

"Jenny has somebody to go home to now Cynthia, encase you've forgotten." Gibbs snaps and heads back down the stairs.

"So this is how it's going to be when you don't get your morning piece of ass from Jenny." Cynthia inwardly says to herself.

Gibbs returns to his section of the Squad Room, McGee steps out of the elevator and is surprised to Gibbs in early. "You're in early?" He shrugs over at him.

"Jenny spent the night in her office; the op in MTAC ran late." Gibbs answers and takes off his coat and tosses on the bookshelf behind his desk.

"After I check my e-mails I'm heading down to Abby's." McGee nods and walks over to his desk and takes off his jacket. "Tony is a bit pissed off that we're not in Riohacha going after Suárez."

"We were working the Solberg Investigation." "Jenny has to do what she has to do as Director and assigned Cassie's Team to go after Suárez." Gibbs answers and sits down behind his desk.

"I guess Tony wants to make up for screwing up the La Grenouille Op." McGee surmises and takes a seat behind his desk.

"He didn't screw up the La Grenouille Op; you do not have any control in going with your heart Tim." "Tony fell in love with Jeanne and when that happened he got sloppy." Gibbs answers.

"And a pro like Trent Kort saw right through him." McGee answers.

"I saw right through him also McGee, that's what gave Jenny away."

Tony walks into the bullpen rubbing his eyes. "Good morning!" He yawns.

McGee noting that Tony is wearing a jean jacket, a red Ohio State pull over hoodie underneath and jeans to work instead of a suit. "Oh my the old DiNozzo has returned." McGee laughs.

"Shut up Probie!" Tony mumbles and flops down at his desk.

"Let's say it's more you than the suits." McGee smiles.

Abby overhearing as she walks past Gibbs' section. "At least he's stopped wearing the three piece suits to work." Abby grimaces.

"They're the latest fashion." Tony protests.

"Not with your chicken body." Ziva teases as she walks in listening into her sibling's conversation.

"I do not have a chicken body." Tony whines.

"Tony I've seen you with your shirt off remember." Ziva snickers and drops her backpack on to the floor next to her desk.

Abby getting an idea. "Ziva didn't you tell me you saw Gibbs without his shirt on in Boise." Abby winks.

Tony remembering the love bites on Gibbs' ribcage. "Talk about going south of the border." Tony inwardly laughs.

"Yes I believe it's what Gibbs has, the six pack abs that Tony has been trying for years to obtain." Ziva giggles.

Gibbs embarrassed at this line of conversation gets up from his desk. "I'm going to the lounge." He grunts and stalks off.

"That's a first, Gibbs embarrassed." Tony laughs.

"Actually you should be embarrassed that a sixty year old man is in better shape than you are." Ziva chastises him.

"Yeah I didn't puke when I did my laps around the building yesterday." McGee grins.

"That's because I had two gyros." Tony grumbles.

Ziva approaches Tony and rubs his gut. "You keep eating that many gyro's you'll never get a six pack." Ziva smirks.

McGee after reviewing his e-mails gets up from his desk. "Abby I'll ride down with you." McGee nods over at her and walks over to her.

"You kids play nice." Tony teasingly shouts over to them as they walk off for the elevator.

"Finish your reports last night." Ziva asks.

"Going to finish them up this morning, at least McGee and Abby have something to do." Tony frowns.

An hour later, Jenny wakes up on the couch in her office. "I need to order a leather sleeper sofa for this office." Jenny yawns and gingerly sits up on the couch moving her neck from side to side.

Cynthia peaks her head in the door. "You're awake!" Cynthia smiles and steps inside of the office.

"Not until I have at least two cups of coffee in me." Jenny grimaces.

"Agent Gibbs brought over a change of clothes for you; I put them on top of the conference table."

Jenny gets up from the couch and begins to stretch. "I'm taking a long hot shower."

"You use to be able to sleep on the couch before." Cynthia notes.

"I've had some additional battle scars on my body since then Cynthia." Jenny sighs and walks over to the conference table and retrieves the garment bag that's lying on the table. "Do me a favor and don't tell Gibbs that I'm awake yet." Jenny grumbles and walks off for the bathroom closing the door behind her.

"I believe there are more inward scars going on inside of you." Cynthia frowns.

Down in Abby's Lab, McGee successfully hacks into Emanuel's computer. "Finally!" He grumbles.

"Did you get a location?" Abby curiously asks.

"Yes, it's a warehouse owned by Bernardo Suárez in North Miami Beach." McGee answers.

"Did you find out whether Suárez is taking a private or a commercial flight on Monday morning?" Abby curiously asks.

"One thing at a time Abby." McGee answers.

Abby putting a Google earth street view map up on her center plasma screen and notes the location of North Miami Beach. "Now I see why Suárez chose the location of this warehouse, it's near the Port of Miami."

"I bet you Suárez has been operating out of that warehouse for years without being detected." McGee sighs.

"Well the Director will make sure that Suárez isn't doing business with anybody again."

"I don't know it was convenient for the CIA to do business with him a few months ago so that the Libyan Freedom Fighters could get their weapons, by buying from Arms Dealers like Suárez and now the Director wants to put him out of business, because he was one of the reasons why she got shot at." McGee bitterly answers.

"Keep in mind the Director had no choice Timmy, she had to buy weapons from scumbags like Suárez or her father was going to send her gun to the FBI and Trent Kort would have went to the Mexican Justice Department with the information he got from Paloma Reynosa on her father's murder and Gibbs would be rotting away in a Mexican prison." Abby chastises him defending Jenny's actions.

"I know the reason why she worked for her father but it still doesn't make it right going after Suárez now."

Gibbs walks in with a Caff-Pow for Abby. "How are you making out?"

"Timmy found a warehouse that Suárez' owns in North Miami Beach." Abby answers and takes her Caff-Pow from him.

Gibbs glances up at the plasma screen. "Good location to run an arms and drugs distribution without getting caught by authorities." Gibbs notes.

"Soon as I get Suárez' flight information for Monday morning I'll forward this information up to Director Shepard's Office." McGee nods.

"Did she wake up yet?" Abby curiously asks.

"I don't know I better go check." Gibbs answers and walks out of the room.

"I remember a time that the Director would sleep days on end up in her office." McGee frowns.

"She said that those days are over, once in a while she'll do a late night op, but for the most part she'll put a twelve to fourteen hour day in the office now."

"That's because she has somebody to come home to now Abby." McGee smiles.

Up in Jenny's Office after getting a shower, Jenny dressed in a pink oxford shirt, beige and cream colored argyle sweater vest, with beige colored pants to compliment her sweater vest. Hung on the back of her chair is a beige tweed jacket. Cynthia walks in with a fresh carafe filled with coffee and a travel cup. "I didn't bring cream or sugar because I figured you would want it black." Cynthia smiles and puts the carafe down on the corner of her desk and pours Jenny a cup of coffee.

"You're a life saver." Jenny smiles and takes her coffee cup from Cynthia.

Gibbs walks in. "How long have you been awake?" He asks as he walks over to her desk.

"About forty minutes." Jenny shrugs and takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

"Doctor Mallard e-mailed me to remind me about your eleven o'clock appointment this morning." Cynthia informs her.

"I have a posted note on it on my computer screen monitor." Jenny hisses.

"McGee found a warehouse in North Miami Beach that Suárez owns." "He'll forward the information on the where a bouts to Suárez' warehouse just as soon as McGee gets a confirmation on Suárez' flight information when he flies out to Miami on Monday morning."

"How big is the warehouse?" Jenny asks in between sips from her cup of coffee.

"Three stories, it looks like it's been a base of operation for years." "Abby had a Google Earth Street Map image of the location up on the plasma screen."

Jenny picks up her desk phone and dials Abby's extension number. "Abby could you forward that image of Suárez' warehouse up to my office ASAP." Jenny instructs her. "Good morning to you to Abby." Jenny smiles and hangs up. A minute later the photo of Suárez' warehouse is on the plasma screen next to the conference table. "I know a friend down in Miami who can get me some information on that warehouse." Jenny answers and walks over to her desk.

"Can you get a warrant so that we can tap into the warehouse's phone lines?" Gibbs requests.

"I'm glad somebody has their head on straight this morning." Jenny laughs picking up her desk phone.

"Yours won't be on straight until you have your third cup of coffee." Gibbs chuckles and walks out of the room.

Autopsy

1130 Hours

Jenny sitting on the edge of the metal examining table in her bra glares over at Ducky. "Is this really necessary Doctor, you examined me about a month ago." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"I examined CIA Operative Harriet Jones." Ducky snorts and glances over at Jenny's healing gunshot wound.

"We're the same person." Jenny sighs.

"You were lucky you didn't bleed to death." Ducky scolds her. "Then you had that horrible infection, I was at my wits end what to do with you and then with luck my doorbell rung and Jethro was standing on the outside of my door." "Between the drugs I stole from the infirmary and Jethro looking after you during the night, you miraculously pulled through."

"I do not have any memories from that first night other than collapsing in your kitchen." Jenny frowns.

"I still think you should have a doctor take some x-rays at Bethesda." Ducky recommends.

"I'll have Cynthia make an appointment for next week." Jenny nods.

"I had the liberty of retrieving your medical records from Antelope Valley Hospital where you were taken when you were shot in the diner, few inches to the right and the bullet would have nicked the thoracic artery." "Once again fate intervened."

"Fate!" Jenny sarcastically laughs. "I was a dead woman walking for three years Doctor."

Ducky feeling around Jenny's ribs. "Jethro told me about the car bombing in Venice." "I'll need to know the hospital that you went to."

"Municipal Hospital." Jenny swallows.

"I know a doctor who works there; we went through medical school together." Ducky muses.

"I only stayed there until I stabilized then my father sent his private plane over to Venice and I recovered in my bedroom back in his villa in Kalymnos."

"With the injuries you had, you shouldn't have been moved for a week." Ducky sighs.

"Kosmo had no control over me while I was in Venice." Jenny snaps.

"Lucky for you that awful chapter is finally over with and the good thing about it is that it brought you back to Jethro." Ducky smiles.

"It brought Jethro and I back together and this time around I get to keep my job as Director, so I have the best of both words." Jenny smiles and hops off the table.

"Is Jethro accepting the idea that you're his boss again?" Ducky sheepishly asks.

"He never accepted it the first time around." Jenny laughs and puts on her shirt.

"Indeed he didn't." Ducky chuckles.

In Abby's Lab, with the warrant in place to tap in the phones at Suárez' warehouse in Miami, McGee and Abby are listening in on Ricardo Emanuel and Bernardo Suárez conversation as they speak in Spanish. "I'm so glad that you can understand what they're saying." McGee grumbles.

"Ever hear of Rosetta Stone Timmy." Abby teases him.

"I don't have the time between my job as a federal agent and as a novelist." McGee protests.

"You make the time." Abby smiles and listens in on to Emanuel and Suárez. "Ok Suárez is taking a commercial flight out Monday morning at seven-thirty."

"You got the airline and flight number." McGee asks.

Abby writing it down. "Yes I do." She sweetly answers and makes another copy for McGee.

"Great!" McGee smiles and flips open his cell phone; he pushes in the speed dial button to Jenny's Blackberry. "Director, Abby just got some information on Suárez' flight to Miami on Monday morning." McGee informs her. Waiting for Jenny to respond. "I'm not going anywhere." He answers and hangs up. "She's down at Ducky's and will be up."

"I loved how you said how I got the information on Suárez' flight." Abby grins at him.

"Well I don't understand Spanish to good." McGee groans.

"You could have taken the credit."

"It wouldn't have been right, besides my name isn't DiNozzo."

Five minutes later, Jenny is glancing down at the flight number on the sheet of paper. "I'll have Cassie Yates and her team blend in on that flight." Jenny nods.

"When will you arrest him?" McGee curiously asks.

"Depending on what my contact has to tell me about the front that Suárez is using for that warehouse." "1500 Hours I want you, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and Abby up in MTAC."

"Me!" Abby says with surprise.

"Why not since you've been working hard on this." Jenny smiles and walks off for the direction of the elevator.

"That felt good." Abby smiles.

"And hopefully she'll have Tony more involved with this op; he's driving me and Ziva nuts."

MTAC

1500 Hours

Team Gibbs along with Abby are sitting in the first two rows, Cassie Yates is up on the plasma screen from her hotel room in Riohacha, Colombia. "How's Columbia?" Tony grins up at her.

"Fine I've been in worse places Tony." Cassie smirks down at him.

Jenny enters the room carrying her portfolio and glasses. She descends the ramp and approaches the plasma screen. "Good afternoon Special Agent Yates." Jenny smiles up at her.

"Good afternoon ma'am!"

"I gather you received the e-mail about Suárez flight information to Miami on Monday morning." Jenny nods up at her.

"Yes and I made the flight reservations on the same flight with my team." Cassie answers.

"I sent two agents from Orlando and they checked out the warehouse, Emanuel is using the warehouse as furniture outlet center."

"But actually it's a drugs and weapons storage facility." Tony finishes.

"Do you want me to arrest Suárez at the airport?" Cassie asks.

"No I want to bust him at the warehouse." "From what McGee and Abby got off of Vance's computer, Suárez is expecting a shipment in soon."

"Didn't he have somebody Blout Island?" McGee curiously asks.

"At one time he did, Suárez murdered him." Jenny answers.

"And Vance had ordered the case agent that was working the investigation to close it out due to lack of evidence." Tony answers remembering the specific's from the case that they had just worked on.

"Lack of evidence my ass." Gibbs growls.

"I have Special Agents Nick James and Anne Parker staking out the warehouse, and I'll send Agents DiNozzo and David over to back them up." Jenny informs Cassie.

"I haven't worked with either of them since James Dempsey kidnapped you." Cassie answers.

"It's only been five years Cassie; the only difference now is Ziva is an American citizen and no longer works for Mossad." Tony smirks.

"Congratulations Agent David!" Cassie nods down at her.

"Ziva!" She corrects her. "It's the one aspect I keep from my days at Mossad; I go by my first name." Ziva smiles.

"Tony and Ziva, Cynthia has an 1800 hour flight to Miami booked already, when you get to Miami it's to be all business and no fooling around." Jenny instructs them and gives Tony a glare of warning.

"Why is the glare directed at me?" Tony innocently answers.

Gibbs head slaps Tony on the back of the head. "Because she knows you." Gibbs growls.

"I want you and Ziva taking turns with Agents James and Parker on staking out the warehouse." "I'll be at home, so call me on my Blackberry if anything should happen at the warehouse." Jenny orders them.

"So when do we raid the warehouse?" Ziva curiously asks her.

"If everything goes to plan, Monday night." Jenny answers.

"I'll have a meeting with my team." Cassie says.

"I'll see you on an MTAC feed Monday afternoon." Jenny answers and watches as Cassie's screen goes out.

"Monday night!" Tony says out loud.

"Depending on what comes about on the wiretap on Emanuel's phone it is subject to change." Jenny says to him and notices that Danielle is waving at her near her computer workstation, she walks over to her. "What do you have for me?"

Gibbs gets up from his seat. "McGee and Abby head back down to the lab, Tony and Ziva go home and pack and remember the Director's orders DiNozzo." Gibbs snarls.

Tony and Ziva get up from their seats along with McGee and Abby and they start up the ramp. "She's killing me." Tony whines.

"And while you were in Boise you had no problem being professional." Ziva sighs.

"There's a difference between Boise and Miami, Ziva." Tony grumbles.

"Well the good thing about it Ziva is, Tony won't be bitching and complaining about the weather or his hotel room accommodations." McGee smirks.

"No he'll be bitching and complaining that he won't be able to go on the beach so that he can drool over the babes." Ziva mutters.

Gibbs standing at the bottom of the ramp shakes his head at his children as they file out of MTAC. "I'm so glad that I'm not going with them." Gibbs sighs with relief.

"Keep me posted on that." Jenny nods over at Danielle and walks over to Gibbs. "You look relieved."

"The thoughts of going to Miami with DiNozzo and his constant whining about not having any beach access." Gibbs groans.

"Why do you think I was able to get away from Tony out in LA, his thoughts are on women and having a good time whenever he goes to a warm climate area."

"And nothing has changed in three years." Gibbs frowns.

"You think after the fiasco with Barrett that Tony might have changed." Jenny sadly answers and walks over to the front row seats and sits down.

"DiNozzo Senior has never changed in that aspect so how do you expect his son to." Gibbs shrugs and starts up the stairs.

"I know I've heard the stories from Ziva." Jenny giggles and puts on her glasses, she opens up her portfolio and begins to review a file on the investigation that Vance closed out on the weapons that were stolen from Blout Island and on the murder of Lance Corporal Luis Martinez, Bernardo Suárez' brother in law, who was the chief suspect on the weapons that were stolen from Blout Island.

Later that night, Gibbs is in the spare bedroom looking down at the hardwood floor that was installed today while he was at work. "Glad that Noemi switched her day off for Monday of next week." Gibbs smiles and gets down on his knees and feels the wood with his hands. "Hickory Saddle!" He says above a whisper and continues to run his hands on it. "Tomorrow the bookshelves, wall bed and desk get installed into the room, Cynthia has graciously has decided to go out shopping with Jenny so that Jenny will be out of the house when the wall bed people are in the house." Gibbs smirks.

"Jethro are you upstairs?" Jenny's voice calls out from the bottom of the stairs.

Gibbs quickly gets up on to his feet and closes the door, locking it behind him on his way out. "Yeah I'm just getting something from the bedroom." Gibbs shouts down and starts down the stairs and finds Jenny at the bottom with her arms folded. "What?"

"You were not in the bedroom."

"So?" Gibbs shrugs as he reaches the bottom of the stairs.

"You're making me wait on purpose." Jenny hisses in protest.

"And you'll see it tomorrow night." Gibbs innocently answers and walks over to the couch grabbing the remote from the coffee table.

"You're not working in your basement?" Jenny says with surprise.

"My hands need a break." Gibbs answers and flops down on the couch. "It's been awhile since you cuddled with me on the couch."

"You try cuddling with somebody when their cell phone is constantly ringing." Jenny sighs and walks over to him.

Gibbs pulls Jenny down on the couch with him. "That won't be a problem tonight since DiNozzo is on his way to Miami."

Jenny settles down with her back against him. "He's probably whining to Ziva about my orders." Jenny laughs.

"Knowing Ziva she's toning him out." Gibbs chuckles and turns on the TV. "Wonder if there's a movie on?"

"Try the TV Guide Channel."

Gibbs enters the number for the TV Guide Channel. "Great Escape is on ZMC."

"I haven't seen that in ages." Jenny smiles.

"It's the one thing you and I can agree on is movies." Gibbs smoothly says and presses in the button for ZMC. After a long tiring first week back to work, Jenny gets comfortable against her lovers body on the couch. For the first time since the real death of her father in 1995, Jenny is secure with the knowledge that she has someone to come home to.


	56. Giving Her Away

After watching 'The Great Escape' on TV, Gibbs and Jenny head up on to bed, Gibbs noting that Jenny is tired from her late night op from the night before suggests that that they go to sleep instead of making love which they would usual do for several hours before falling asleep in each other's arms. "We'll make love tomorrow morning." Gibbs smiles at her as they settle in bed with one another, Jenny leans up and kisses him on the mouth. "I love you." He tenderly says to her.

"I love you." Jenny smiles and buries her face up against his left shoulder.

As soon as Jenny closes her eyes she drifts off to sleep in her lovers arms. Gibbs tired from the trip from Boise earlier in the week and emotionally drained as well with dealing with that fact that once again their roles are reversed in work. "I'll never call you boss." Gibbs smirks down at her. "It's been one long tiring week." He yawns and closes his eyes.

In the middle of the night, Jenny stirs in her sleep, dreaming. It's August 12th 2009, Jenny awakens in her bedroom at her father's villa on the Greek Island of Kalymnos. The previous weekend, Jenny was injured in a car bombing in Venice, Italy that killed Kosmo Galanos' pilot Jason Peters. Adrianna sitting by Jenny's bedside squeezes on to her hand. "I'll tell your father that you're awake." Adrianna smiles at her and is about to leave the room.

"Don't!" Jenny grimaces and tries to sit up in bed.

"But he gave me strict instructions to come and get him when you first work up." Adrianna frowns and walks out of the room.

Five minutes later Jasper Shepard walks into his daughter's room. "Doctor Christakos will be by within the hour to examine you." Shepard smiles down at his daughter.

"I should be at a hospital." Jenny angrily snaps.

"I want the best care for my daughter." Shepard scolds her.

"No it's your way of keeping me in line father." Jenny hisses.

"Do I or do I not give you a few weeks off between assignments, I've been fair with you." Shepard snarls at her.

"Either way I'm here against my will." Jenny frowns.

"It's better than being in a federal prison in the states and it's also keeping your ex-lover out of a Mexican prison may I remind you." Shepard smirks.

"You don't need to remind me father." Jenny sadly answers.

"Adrianna is making you a lite breakfast."

"I'm not hungry." Jenny protests.

"You will do as you are told to do." "I need you in Singapore by the middle of next month." Shepard icily says to his daughter and walks out of the room.

"Bastard!" Jenny mumbles to herself and throws the covers back. "I have to get out of this bed before my bladder explodes." Jenny winces and gets out of bed, as she nears the entranceway to her bedroom, she over hears her father and Trent Kort speaking out in the hallway.

Out in the hallway. "You moron, you almost got Jenny killed." Shepard shouts at Kort.

"I wasn't expecting Jenny to be near the car when I detonated the bomb." Kort apologizes.

"I wanted Peters out of the way so that Jenny can concentrate on doing her job and not on her heart." Shepard barks.

"You mean concentrating on in between her legs; the only man that has captured Jenny's heart is her mentor Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Kort corrects him.

"I do not tolerate mistakes Kort." Shepard warns him and storms off towards the direction of the stairs.

Iris walks out of Shepard's suite. "So you almost bumped off the bitch." Iris laughs.

"Trust me it wasn't a mistake, I miss calculated Jenny going for the store by a few inches." Kort grins.

"The next time you won't miss." Iris wicked answers and leans up and passionately kisses Kort on the mouth.

Inside Jenny's bedroom, Jenny is over whelmed with emotion and staggers into the bathroom, dropping to the floor beside the toilet she begins to throw up. Cyrus walks into the room with a pitcher of water for Jenny over hears her in the bathroom and rushes in. "Miss Jenny are you ok?" He frowns and goes down on to the floor with her, stroking her hair.

"No, I'll never be ok." Jenny cries and bursts into tears. Cyrus pulls Jenny into his arms. "I'll never be ok." She sobs.

Jenny bolts up in bed with her heart racing in her chest, glancing around the room Jenny takes in the familiar surroundings of her lover's bedroom. "It's just a nightmare." Jenny breathes out and climbs out of bed. Gibbs rolls on to his left side in his sleep. "At least one of us will get a good night's sleep." Jenny frowns and walks over to the dresser retrieving a pair of lounging pants, one of Gibbs' old powder blue three button long sleeved Henley shirt. "I might as well get a shower." Jenny whispers retrieving some undergarments from the top drawer, quietly Jenny tip toes out of the room and closes the bedroom door behind her.

Around seven-thirty Gibbs rolls over on to his back half asleep, instinctively his right hand goes on to Jenny's side of the bed, cracking an eye open he finds himself alone in bed. "Wonder if she got a phone call from work?" He yawns and throws the covers back.

Downstairs in the living room, Jenny has her feet up on the couch absorbed in her book. Gibbs in his sweats and a green Marine t-shirt appears at the bottom of the stairs. "What time did you get up?"

"An hour ago?" Jenny shrugs not taking her eyes from her book.

Gibbs noting that her right eye is twitching. "I'll rephrase it again." "What time did you get up?" Gibbs repeats chastising his lover like she was a seven year old.

Jenny dropping her book down on to her lap. "Four o'clock!" Jenny sighs in annoyance at her in ability to lie to her lover.

"Cassie, Tony, or MTAC call you?"

"No!" Jenny frowns and takes off her glasses and puts them on to of the coffee table.

Gibbs finally getting the reason why she woke up. "Why didn't you wake me up?" Gibbs frowns and walks over to the couch, he picks up Jenny's legs and takes a seat beside her on the couch.

"Why should the two of us be awake?" Jenny mumbles.

Gibbs rubbing Jenny's feet through her socks. "It's my job to look after you." "I thought that with everything we've been through the past three years that you wouldn't shut me out and that includes when you wake up from having one of your nightmares." Gibbs frowns in disappointment.

"Jethro when I woke up from my nightmare, mentally and emotionally it was 2009 and I was at my father's villa." Jenny chokes.

"Bastard is six feet under in Kalymnos and he still is mentally torturing you." Gibbs snaps and pulls Jenny into his arms. "Kosmo Galanos is rotting in hell; he can't do anything to hurt you anymore." Gibbs reassures her and cradles Jenny like a child in his arms. Jenny begins to break down in his arms. "You're safe, nobody is ever going to hurt you again, and if they do, they'll have to deal with Jethro Gibbs." Gibbs vows, rocking his lover in his arms, he tenderly kisses Jenny on top of her head.

Twenty minutes later, Jenny is sleeping soundly on the couch. Gibbs decides to get a shower and go out and buy breakfast. "No sense in making a mess in the kitchen when she's going out and I'll have my project upstairs." Gibbs inwardly says and walks up the stairs.

Starbucks

0830 Hours

Gibbs walks inside and finds Ducky sitting at a table reading the newspaper. "Morning Duck!" Gibbs nods down at him.

"Morning Jethro, surprised to see you here on a Saturday morning, did you or Jenny get called into work." Ducky curiously asks.

"No, going out for breakfast while Jenny is sleeping on the couch." Gibbs frowns and is about to walk off for the counter.

"Something wrong?"

Gibbs turns and faces Ducky. "She had a nightmare about her father during the night." "Instead of waking me up to comfort her, Jenny went downstairs on the couch and tried to deal with it herself." "I wish she would have woken me up." Gibbs sighs in disappointment.

"I guess talking about her father yesterday during her physical brought up old memories from two years ago." Ducky sadly answers.

"Two years ago." Gibbs asks and takes a seat in a chair across from Ducky.

"Yes I had brought up her injuries from the car bombing in Venice."

"Her father was responsible for that." "He wanted Jenny's lover out of the way, so he had Kort take him out, the only thing is Kort altered the plan and wanted to take both of them out." Gibbs snaps.

"From what she had told me she only stayed in the hospital until she was stabilized."

"Kosmo wanted Jenny back at his villa so he could keep her under his thumb." "I hope that bastard is enjoying himself in hell, along with Kort, and Julien Benoit." Gibbs snarls.

"I'll know more of the extent of Jenny's injuries from the car bombing by Monday afternoon; the hospital that she went to in Venice, a colleague of mine works there."

"What difference does it make now Duck?" Gibbs growls and gets up from the table.

"Because I need them for her medical records." Ducky sighs in annoyance.

"You have Jenny's records from Darfur?"

"Yes and without breaking doctor-patient privilege, if it were up to me as her doctor, Jenny would have been reassigned as a case agent." Ducky frowns.

"That bad?"

"Yes!" Ducky answers and picks his newspaper up and begins to read again.

"I guess the Frog was good therapy for her when she rehabbed herself." Gibbs grumbles and walks over to the counter.

"Good morning Jethro." Wendy smiles down at him.

"Good morning Wendy, my two usual's."

Eight minutes later, Gibbs walks through the front door and finds Jenny sleeping on the couch. "Jen, Melvin will be picking you up at ten." Gibbs calls over to her.

Jenny blinks open her eyes. "How long have I been asleep?" She yawns and sits up on the couch.

"Hour or so." Gibbs shrugs and walks off into the kitchen carrying breakfast.

Jenny smelling the Jamaican blend coffee. "I'm awake now." She smiles and gets up from the couch and walks over to the kitchen.

Gibbs shoves his lover into a chair. "You had a nightmare about the car bombing in Venice." Gibbs says to her and pushes Jenny's chair up against the table. "You should have woke me up Jen."

"I don't know who is the biggest blabber mouth Ducky or Abby." Jenny hisses.

"He only opens up his mouth because he's worried about you, maybe you should get a psyche evaluation."

"I had one before I got reinstated and I passed."

"By some lackey." Gibbs barks and begins to unpack their breakfast.

"Jethro I do not need to discuss what's going on in my head with a shrink." Jenny angrily snaps.

"Kate Todd's sister Rachel did a psyche evaluation on my team this past winter." "I highly recommend her."

"Jeth-"

"Jen you need to talk to somebody." Gibbs interrupts her.

"I'll think it over."

"Good that's a start." Gibbs smiles and opens up their food containers.

Jenny's eyes widen at the Belgium Waffles covered in strawberries. "Yes that's yours." Gibbs laughs and hands Jenny her container, where she quickly digs in. Gibb digs into his three fried eggs, over easy, hash browns, and a side order of bacon and toast. "So where are you and Cynthia shopping at today?" Gibbs asks in between bites of his eggs.

"M Street and who knows on which stores will go into." Jenny shrugs.

"I want the dress to be blue." Gibbs smiles.

"I'll find one in blue, cobalt blue." Jenny sensuously says to her lover.

At NCIS Headquarters, Abby and McGee are working down in her lab, McGee on the Suárez investigation, Abby updating the new computer that Gibbs purchased for Jenny for her study. "What time are you heading over to Gibbs'?" McGee curiously asks.

"Two o'clock, by then everything should be installed." Abby answers.

"I'm going to take a look at that for my apartment, I have the bookshelves as a separate wall from my bedroom, and maybe if I look into getting a wall bed unit installed I'll have more open space for my apartment." McGee ponders.

"It would free up a lot of space in your apartment." Abby smiles.

"Soon as I get home I'll browse the sites on line." McGee nods.

"Jenny is going to blown away with this when she comes home later on." Abby giggles.

"How did Gibbs get her out of the house?" McGee curiously asks.

"She's shopping for her evening gown for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, with Cynthia."

"That's a week away; Tony is looking forward as being the head of her protection detail." McGee smiles.

"Finally Gibbs gets to take her." Abby smiles.

"I still remember the look on his face when Jenny first appeared out of her office wearing her green evening gown." "It was the only time I could say that Gibbs was caught up in the moment."

"That was the Director's first Marine Corps Birthday Ball." "Gibbs was caught up in her beauty as she appeared before him on Ducky's arm in one instant, then you could see that he was hurt that Jenny had asked Ducky to take her instead of him." Abby frowns.

"I still remember DiNozzo falling out of his chair when he caught a glimpse of Jenny's cleavage from her gown." McGee laughs.

"Typical Tony he wasn't focused on how beautiful she looked."

"I wonder how Tony is making out in Miami." McGee questions out loud knowing full well that Tony is driving Ziva up the wall.

North Miami Beach

Suárez Warehouse

Tony and Ziva are in a van across the street. "Six blocks away from the beach, this is killing me." Tony whines.

"Is that all you think about is babes in bikini's." Ziva sighs in annoyance.

"Preferably with a thong." Tony smirks.

"Really!" Ziva sighs.

"This is so boring, what possibly could Emanuel be doing on a Saturday inside of that warehouse."

"Tony we are here on a job, not to play." "May I remind you the last time when you decided to play instead of concentrating on your job?" Ziva angrily chastises him.

"Jenny sent us away." Tony shouts.

"Gibbs had given us strict instructions before we flew out to Los Angeles about Jenny breaking her protection detail in Paris for twenty-three hours the year before that." "You dismissed his instructions because you wanted a piece of ass." Ziva hisses.

"You had gotten into the sightseeing also." Tony bitterly reminds him.

"Yes and in the back of my mind kept screaming at me, Jenny is in trouble." Ziva snaps.

"How long are going to keep bringing up my failure in Los Angeles?" Tony frowns.

"Our failure Tony." "I still went along with you, even though my gut kept telling me something else." Ziva sadly answers.

"The question is if we had disobeyed orders, followed Jenny out to the diner, we would have been there on time to protect her."

Ziva quickly interrupts him. "And then we would have gotten our butts chewed out by her for disobeying

her direct order." Ziva laughs.

"She still would have been Director of NCIS, but the question is, would Gibbs and Jenny have gotten together like the way they are now." Tony asks.

"I don't know!" Ziva swallows.

"Most likely he would be working on boat number five and Jenny would be living in her office twenty-four hours a day." Tony sighs.

"I find it so strange that after Jenny's death that he stopped building boats down in his basement." "I would go down in there after 'The Kelly' was found with the bullet holes inside of them and Gibbs would either be building the Christmas toys for the Children's Hospital or a home project." Ziva frowns.

"Or Mike's coffin, keep in mind Gibbs built Mike's coffin." Tony sadly reminds her.

"That took a lot of courage to build that for Mike." Ziva smiles.

"Mike got Gibbs through the loss of his family." "He was sort of a surrogate father figure to him, just like Gibbs is to us." Tony smiles.

"In my eyes Tony, Gibbs is my father." Ziva smiles with pride.

The phone inside of the warehouse begins to ring. "Finally something to do."

Inside the warehouse in a back office. "North Miami Beach Furniture Liquidation." Emanuel answers.

Riohacha, Colombia

Bernardo Suárez' Mansion

Suárez is sitting poolside. "You get a hold of Ortega yet?" Suárez asks in Spanish.

"Yes he'll meet you at his restaurant on Monday night to finalize the drugs for weapons transfer." Emanuel answers in Spanish.

Inside of the van. "Translate!" Tony nods over at Ziva.

"Suárez is suppose to meet a man by the name of Ortega at his restaurant on Monday night to finalize a drugs for weapons transfer." Ziva informs him.

Tony grabbing a headset. "Hear that Probie!"

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

"Yes, Abby just translated their conversation to me." McGee answers.

"Who's Ortega?" Ziva curiously asks.

"I'm hacking into Emanuel's computer as we speak and I'll give you the answer shortly." McGee smoothly answers.

Five minutes later, McGee has Ortega's identity. "Victor Ortega, he owns Ortega's Mexican Restaurant located near the Port of Miami." McGee informs them.

"Convenient location." Ziva sarcastically answers.

"Sell food, drugs, and weapons all at one location." Tony smirks… "After we get relieved from watching the warehouse, Ziva and I will go over to the restaurant and stake things out."

"Good idea, I'll call the Director up and let her know what's going on." McGee nods.

"I heard she's going shopping for her evening gown with Cynthia today." Tony drools.

"You better not let Gibbs catch you drooling at her during the ball." Ziva snickers at him.

"It will be hard not to." Tony grumbles.

"A hand to the back of your head will convince you otherwise." Ziva teases him.

In Georgetown, Jenny is trying on a cobalt blue evening gown, Cynthia walks in carrying her Blackberry. "Agent McGee!" She nods over at Jenny.

Jenny takes her phone from Cynthia. "What do you have for me?"

"Suárez is going to meet a drug dealer by the name of Victor Ortega Monday night at his restaurant." "Conveniently it's located near the Port of Miami."

"Is Ortega going to buy drugs from Suárez?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Drug and weapons swap."

"That's even better." Jenny grins.

"Tony and Ziva are going to head on over to his restaurant after they are relieved from staking out the warehouse."

"Good thinking, they can size up the restaurant before they stake out Ortega and Suárez' meeting on Monday night."

"You want me to call Cassie?"

"No I'll do it, just e-mail her about what had transpired at the warehouse." Jenny answers.

"I'll get on that right away." "Did you find your dress yet?"

"Working on it." Jenny laughs…"It may be a day long process."

Later that afternoon after the wall bed, bookshelves, and desk has been installed in the back bedroom. Abby is hooking up Jenny's computer. "I got the two monitors that you requested." Abby smiles at him and takes in the color scheme of the room. "So what do you call that shade of green on the walls?"

"Rainforest Dew and the trim on the walls is Liberty Park." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"The hardwood floors are oak, but what stain did you pick out to compliment the Windsor Oak finish from the furniture."

"Oak floors and the stain is Hickory Saddle." Gibbs nods.

"You sure do know you paint and stain." Abby giggles.

"Lot of years and practice." Gibbs grins.

"The cool thing about having the two monitor set up is this is similar to her office at NCIS Headquarters, the larger screen can be used as at TV also." Abby answers.

"I know my way around building things and repairing old cars, but I'm clueless around computers." Gibbs grunts.

"I have a few more cables to hook up and we'll be all set." "I just got a text from Cynthia, their sitting at a coffee shop on M Street."

"Hopefully she has her dress picked out." Gibbs grumbles.

"She said she would." Abby smiles.

"You do not know Jenny and shopping Abs." Gibbs groans and sucks in his teeth.

"With Jenny's upbringing are you surprised." Abby laughs.

"No!" Gibbs laughs.

"I can't wait to see how the room looks once Jenny puts her personal touch into it."

"Tons of books."

"Well you have your little projects in the basement, Jenny reads her books."

"That's why we're so compatible with one another." "We both have things to do so that we have space from one another."

"And to think at one time Tony and Timmy thought your perfect match was Agent Borin." Abby grimaces.

"Just because she's like me in a lot of ways doesn't mean Borin would have been a perfect match for me." "The perfect match in my eyes is very boring."

"At least your life with Jenny isn't boring." Abby giggles.

"That it is." Gibbs chuckles.

At a coffee shop on M Street, Jenny and Cynthia are resting from a day of shopping. "Surprised that you didn't go into the mall?" Cynthia nods over at her.

"What mall?" "Most of the stores are closed inside." "I don't know why Tony and the others hang out in there during lunch time." Jenny answers and takes a sip from her Pumpkin Spice Latte.

"Well you got your dressed, shawl, and shoes picked out." Cynthia smiles.

"And the good thing about my dress getting altered is Jethro won't see it unto Saturday night." Jenny smirks.

"He is going to be blown away."

"And Tony's eyes will be focused on my chest."

"Remember the time he walked into your office while I was helping you with your little wardrobe malfunction." 

"I don't call a broken bra strap a little wardrobe malfunction."

"Could have been worse?"

"How's that?"

"Gibbs could have walked in on us."

"Difference between him and Tony is Gibbs wouldn't have been embarrassed, he had already seen me without my bra on." Jenny laughs.

Miami, Florida

Ortega's Mexican Restaurant

1700 Hours

Tony wearing glasses with a video camera attached to them sits alone at a table. "Ziva I hate sitting alone." He whispers into his COM.

"Once you do a once over inside of the restaurant with the video camera I'll send it off to McGee at headquarters to see if he can identify Victor Ortega."

Juanita, Tony's waitress walks over to him. "You here alone." She winks at him.

Tony drooling at Juanita's cleavage that exposed from her shirt. "Um, um, um!"

"Tony!" Ziva hisses at him through his earwig.

"Yes, I'm waiting for my annoying kid sister." Tony grins.

"To bad I could have shown you a good time." Juanita purrs at him.

"I bet you would have." Tony smirks.

"Tony order our food." Ziva chastises him.

"I'll have an enchilada and tostada combination, while my sister will have the two chicken taco combination."

"And your drink."

"Two cokes!"

Juanita takes the menu from Tony. "If you change your mind about me showing you a good time." Juanita smiles down at him and writes her cell phone number down on a napkin. "I get off at work around eleven." She wicked mentions to him and walks off for the kitchen.

"Ho!" Ziva shouts into Tony's earwig.

"Jenny is killing me." Tony whines as he takes in the site of Juanita's butt as she walks off into the kitchen.

"You're an easy gringo Tony and all she wants to do is use you."

"Well the feeling is mutual, I wouldn't mind using her." Tony grins.

Back at Gibbs' house, Gibbs and Abby are sitting around the living room couch watching a college football game. Jenny walks in through the front door carrying several bags. "I take it you're finished with your project upstairs."

Gibbs glances over and notices that Jenny isn't carrying a garment bag. "You didn't buy a dress." He frowns in disappointment.

"I bought one, but it has to be altered." Jenny answers dropping her bags down on the floor. "Alright the suspense is killing me."

"It's killing you." Abby laughs and gets up from the couch. "I've been pulling my hair out the past hour or so waiting for you to get home."

Gibbs grabs the remote from the coffee table and turns off the TV. "You want any coffee before we head upstairs."

"Jethro!" Jenny impatiently scolds him.

"Alright!" Gibbs laughs and gets up from the couch.

"You're going to love this." Abby teases her.

"So I've heard all week long." Jenny mutters and makes her way over to the stairs. Gibbs and Abby follow her from behind.

Upstairs in the newly converted study, the walls are painted Rainforest Dew, the trim is painted in Liberty Park, the oak floors are stained in Hickory Saddle. Up against the wall as you first walk into the doorway, is a huge library made out of oak with a converted wall bed at the bottom. The back wall with the window that overlooks the back yard has a L shaped computer workstation stretches the length of the wall, rounding the corner of the station is an attached desk with a hutch. To complement the desk, Ducky at an antique store found a similar leather desk chair that was found in Jenny's study in her home in Georgetown. "Jethro!" Jenny breathes out as she walks through the door.

Abby smiling at her dysfunctional mother's reaction. "She's going to cry Gibbs."

"When you leave she'll cry." Gibbs smiles and encircles his arms around Jenny's waist from behind. "You're all set to go with your computer."

"You don't even have to go to your office; basically everything that's in your desk top in your office is in that computer." "I installed firewalls up the wazoo and Timmy triple checked the security before I left my lab this afternoon."

Jenny noting the two computer monitors, 19'' inch screen monitor on top of her desk and the 27'' inch screen monitor up on middle shelf on the computer hutch. "Why the bigger screened monitor?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Well so that you can multi task like in your office having the two computer screens." Abby answers and walks over to the desk grabbing a TV remote control. "And you can watch TV." She smiles pressing the on button.

"ZNN!" Jenny laughs.

"I got your all in one printer scanner hooked up." "All you need to do is put your personal touch into it."

"Great more shopping." Gibbs playfully growls.

Jenny elbows her lover and moves away from him. She walks over to the library and runs her hands on the wood. "Oak!"

"Oak and it's stained with Windsor Oak." Abby smiles.

"Abby!" Gibbs sighs.

"Right!" Abby apologizes.

"The complete set is made from oak and stained in Windsor Oak." Gibbs smiles.

"The floors?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Oak and the wood is stained with Hickory Saddle." "I wanted something a little different from the stain that was used for the library and your desk."

"Where did you find the leather chair?" Jenny says with surprise.

"Ducky found it at an antique store." Gibbs smiles.

"You can have the best of both words in when you come in here, you can sit by the window and read one of your books, watch TV, or either do official NCIS business on your computer or surf the internet." Abby informs her.

"And when you bring Madame Director home from work and you chose not to sleep in my bed." Gibbs playfully scolds his lover. "Instead of going into Kelly's old bedroom, you can sleep in here." Gibbs smirks and walks over to the library, he gently moves Jenny out of the way and presses a button. A bed automatically folds out from the bottom of the library.

"That's the cool part about it." Abby smiles.

"And it's a full sized bed, so it means when Agent Gibbs is being a bad boy in work, he won't be able to join Madame Director in her bed." Jenny smirks over at her lover.

"Cute!" Gibbs snorts.

Abby's cell phone begins to ring, taking her phone out from her pocket, she notices McGee's name on the caller ID. "Yes McGee!"

Abby's Lab

"Abby I need some help; Tony got some video feed from Ortega's Mexican Restaurant." "There are a lot of people inside of the restaurant that need to be ID'd." McGee asks.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." "I have the Director's computer hooked up so we can now e-mail her from Gibbs' house."

"Ok, is the Director home?"

"Yes do you want to talk to her?"

"No, but before you leave just pass on what I just told you."

"I will, I'll see you in ten minutes." Abby answers and hangs up. "I have to head back to work, McGee needs my help."

"Something happen with Tony and Ziva." Jenny asks with concern.

"No Tony and Ziva are inside of Ortega's Restaurant and Tony must have been wearing his video glasses inside of the restaurant."

"And McGee needs your help identifying everyone that's inside of the restaurant." "I get it." Jenny nods.

"Well I'm glad that you love your new room." Abby smiles and affectionately hugs her.

"Love it, there are no words for me to express on how I feel about my new room Abby."

"I guess you'll show Gibbs after I leave." Abby winks.

"Abs!" Gibbs growls.

"Bye!" Abby waves and rushes out of the room.

Jenny waits for the downstairs door to slam. She shoves Gibbs down on the bed. "I thought you said there wasn't any room for the two of us in this bed." Gibbs smirks up at her.

Jenny joining him on the bed. "Room for sleeping, not for sex." She sensuously answers; she leans over and passionately kisses him on the mouth.

NCIS Headquarters an hour later, McGee and Abby in Abby's Lab are on a live feed with Tony and Ziva inside of their stake out van. Tony glancing at a photo of Ortega. "So that's Victor Ortega." Tony says out loud to his colleagues back in Washington.

"He's on parole for selling cocaine." McGee informs him.

"By any chance did you identify any of the other cast of characters from inside of the restaurant?" Tony curiously asks.

"Working on it still, it's a possibility that they may be in the country illegally." McGee answers.

"Tony's favorite Juanita is legal, she's Victor's niece." Abby giggles.

"And she's been arrested several times for drug possession and for prostitution." McGee adds.

"So Tony you would have paid for a good time." Ziva snickers.

"Shut up!" Tony protests.

"I just love it when you make a fool out of yourself around a woman." Ziva laughs.

"I'm going to send the Director a copy Ortega's photo." McGee nods down at the computer screen.

"Jenny in her office?" Tony shrugs.

"No, she has access to a computer at home now; Gibbs finished remodeling the back bedroom this afternoon." McGee answers.

"Her study is up and running with all of the up to date computer gadgets that you can think of." Abby smiles.

"Anything is an improvement over that relic laptop and printer that Gibbs has down in his basement." McGee grumbles.

Back at Gibbs' house up in Jenny's Study, Gibbs is lying on his back exhausted. "You're calling for a pizza after that." Gibbs groans.

Jenny nipping along his ribcage. "Since I'm calling it in, I'm ordering a Hawaiian Pizza."

"Whatever?" Gibbs shrugs.

Jenny's Blackberry rings for an incoming text message; she gets off of the bed and retrieves her phone from the waist band from her jeans. Squinting down at the display panel. "It's from McGee!"

"I wonder if they got a photo ID of Ortega yet." Gibbs answers.

Jenny grabbing her panties and peach Capri shirt from the floor. "I might as well try out my new computer and find out."

Gibbs sits up in bed. "Damn it!" He growls.

Jenny stepping into her panties. "I told you my attacks were unexpected." She answers with a mischievous grin on her face.

"I wasn't expecting an assault on your new bed on the first day." Gibbs whines.

"You better get into some clothes just in case I do a video feed with Abby and McGee back at headquarters." Jenny laughs pulling her Capri shirt over her head.

After getting dressed, Jenny sits at her desk and opens up the e-mail that McGee sent her with Ortega's photo. Gibbs in his t-shirt and jeans approaches her from behind. "Does he have a rap sheet?"

"I left my glasses in my pocketbook downstairs."

"And you expect me to get it." Gibbs grumbles.

"I'll make it worth your while later on in bed." She purrs at him.

"Just as long as you're on the receiving end of it the next time around." Gibbs barks and walks out of the room.

"I don't know what you're complaining about Jethro your pathetic whipped ass enjoyed every minute of it." Jenny sighs and picks up her Blackberry.

Abby's Lab

McGee sits and waits for Jenny to respond back to his e-mail. Abby walks in carrying take-out for them. "Did you send out the photo to the Director?"

"Yes, I'm waiting for a response back." McGee answers….With that Abby's Phone begins to ring. "That may be her now."

Abby puts the take-out bag on top of the workstation table and presses in the speakerphone button for her phone. "Hello!"

Jenny with her Blackberry on speakerphone. "Abby!" Jenny calls out to her.

"Director!" Abby smiles.

"Is McGee sitting nearby?"

"I take it you saw Ortega's photo?" McGee asks.

"Yes, I didn't read the report you sent me on his prior arrests, because I don't have my glasses on me."

"You need to either have the laser surgery done on your eyes or have another pair of glasses up in your Study." Abby chastises her.

"When I'm blind as a bat like your father I'll consider getting the surgery." Jenny sweetly answers.

Gibbs standing behind Jenny. "I heard that." He growls and hands Jenny her eye glass case.

Abby over hearing Gibbs in the background. "I see he caught you." Abby giggles.

"It's not the first time Abby." Jenny mutters and takes out her glasses out of the case and puts them on.

"Can we see the video footage from inside of the restaurant?" Gibbs asks.

Abby and McGee knowing that Tony was acting inappropriately with Juanita and Tony had also got a cheap shot in on Jenny whining about not having some free time off so that he can play on the beach. "There's nothing important that needs to be seen boss." McGee lies.

Abby head slaps McGee on the back of the head. "Liar!" She whispers in his ear.

"Ow!" McGee grimaces and rubs the back of his head.

"Or there's something on that video feed that he doesn't want us to see." Jenny chastises McGee.

"McGee run the video." Gibbs barks at him.

"On it!" McGee sighs and then glares over at Abby. Pressing down on the mute button. "Did you have to hit me so hard?" He groans in protest.

"I barely touched you." Abby sighs and e-mails the video feed over to Jenny.

Five minutes later, Gibbs and Jenny sit around the desk annoyed with Tony's behavior inside of the restaurant. "He was sent to Miami on an op and all he's worried about is getting laid." Jenny snaps.

"McGee I want a three way video feed between our locations." Gibbs orders him.

"I'll start working on that now." McGee answers.

"Tony won't be expecting to hear from the two of you." Abby giggles.

"His mind should be on the op and not down on his pecker." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

North Miami Beach, Florida

Tony and Ziva are continuing their stake out outside of Emanuel's warehouse. "Boring, boring, and boring." Tony groans and presses his head back against his seat. "Right about now I would be getting ready to go out clubbing for the night."

"You can do that when you go on a vacation that you pay for out of your own wallet, Special Agent DiNozzo." Jenny angrily scolds him through his headset.

Tony startled to hear Jenny's voice drops backwards from his seat from inside of the van. "Good evening Director." Ziva snickers and glances up at Jenny on the video monitor.

"Agent David!" Jenny answers back.

Tony gets up off of the floor and rubs the back of his neck. "I take it that McGee sent you the photo of Ortega?"

"Yes!" Gibbs growls and leans over Jenny's shoulder from behind. "And we also saw the video feed that you shot inside of the restaurant." "Your mind should be concentrating on the job at hand and not on your Johnson, am I making myself clear DiNozzo." Gibbs snarls at him.

"Crystal!" Tony gulps.

"The warrant came in so that I can put cameras and bugs throughout the inside of Emanuel's Warehouse." "Is Emanuel still inside?" Jenny asks.

"Yes!" Ziva answers.

"After he leaves for the night, I'll send in James and Parker to install the bugs and camera's while you and Ziva watch over the warehouse." Jenny instructs them.

"Why Parker and James?" Tony asks.

"Ziva!" Gibbs groans.

Ziva slaps Tony on the back of the head. "Hey!" Tony grumbles and rubs the back of his head.

"I'm working on a warrant to tap into the phone lines at Ortega Restaurant, his cell phone and to plant bugs and video cameras throughout his restaurant tomorrow night after closing hours." Jenny informs them.

"Good thinking that way we can listen in on his meeting with Suárez on Monday night." Tony answers.

"Depending on what transpires during their meeting, I'll make the decision whether to raid Ortega's Restaurant or to go after Suárez at his warehouse."

"Maybe Suárez will lead Ortega to his warehouse." Ziva suggests.

McGee listening in on them. "You think we should call the DEA in on this?" McGee interrupts.

"Hell no, they got the credit with the CIA when Benoit was taken down." Gibbs barks.

"Since the warehouse is located a few blocks from the ocean, I'll get in touch with the Coast Guard on Monday for back up." Jenny answers.

"Calling CGIS in on this." Tony smirks.

"No I've had my fill of CGIS this year." Gibbs groans.

"Yeah, two ops in one year." Tony laughs.

"If anything else comes up call me." Jenny instructs them.

"We will!" McGee answers.

"Gibbs and Shepard out."

With that the video feed is cut off from Jenny's Study. "Thanks a lot for showing Gibbs and Jenny the video feed from the restaurant." Tony whines in protest.

"We were ordered to." Abby pouts.

"No I told them there wasn't anything important on the video footage and then you head slapped me on the back of the head, giving me away." McGee groans.

"Well Abby won't be getting any Caff-Pow's from me." Tony sighs.

"I'll just get them from mommy and daddy." Abby sweetly answers.

"She always has an answer for everything." Tony grumbles.

"Like mother like daughter." Abby giggles.

After their video conference with Gibbs' Team and Abby, Gibbs and Jenny are down in his basement eating pizza and drinking beer. "This time next week I'll be escorting you into the Marine Corps Birthday Ball." Gibbs smiles.

"You will be escorting me inside as the man that I love, not as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Jenny softly says to him, she leans up and passionately kisses him on the mouth.

Gibbs breathlessly pulls away. "If you don't mind after dinner I would like to work on the kitchen table for a few hours." Gibbs asks and takes a sip from his bottle of beer.

"No I don't mind, I have a place that I can lose myself into now." She smiles at him.


	57. Forty Nine More To Go

Monday afternoon Jenny, Gibbs, and McGee are sitting in MTAC waiting for Tony, Ziva, and Cassie to appear onscreen from Miami. "So far it's been quiet at both the warehouse and Ortega's Restaurant." McGee apprehensively notes.

"It's early!" Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

Suddenly Tony, Ziva, and Cassie appear onscreen from inside their stake out van. "I guess you're happy to be back on US soil." Jenny smiles up at Cassie.

"Another week in Riohacha and I was going to pull my hair out." Cassie groans.

"I've been in worse cesspools over in Central America." Jenny grimaces.

"I bet you have." Cassie answers and gets to the subject at hand. "Ortega's meeting with Suárez is at 2000 hours tonight at Ortega's Restaurant." "Do you want us to monitor them from the van outside of the restaurant or do you want some agents inside of the restaurant?"

"I want you to monitor the meeting outside in the van." "With the camera's that were put inside of the restaurant the night before I don't see the reason why I should endanger one of my agents lives if something bad should happen inside."

"I gather you have some inside knowledge on Bernardo Suárez." Cassie asks.

Jenny flashes back on to the dock in Riohacha, when she was spotted by Suárez during his business transaction with Julien Benoit. Suárez along with Julien Benoit had sent their men after her. "The one thing that I had going for me on that day is that Suárez and Benoit had their men on board Suárez' yacht and it gave me the time to get away from them and hail a cab down on the street." Jenny inwardly says to herself.

Cassie taking in Jenny's facial expression. "Director!" She asks.

"I was privy to some inside information on Suárez." Jenny answers and gets up from her seat. "I want three teams monitoring Suárez' movements at all times. "Team One which will be you as Team Leader, your partner, Robbie Atwater, and Tony and Ziva." "You will be assigned to watch over Ortega's Restaurant and you will also be inside of the van during Ortega's meeting with Suárez." "Team Two will consist of Agents James and Parker and I have two other agents on their way from Norfolk to join them." "Team Three will stake out Suárez' condo along Miami Beach, they will consist of the two other agents assigned from your team Cassie, Agents Northstrom and Conwell." "Miami PD will back up us up at Ortega's Restaurant and at the warehouse in North Miami Beach."

"So you have everything covered." Tony grins.

"Besides the teams that I have in place, Agents Gibbs, McGee, and myself will be watching your backs from MTAC." Jenny answers.

"In the mean time I want your team monitoring every one coming in and out of Ortega's and keeping tabs on their phone conversations." Gibbs orders them

"Team Two will do the same thing over at the warehouse; I just had a briefing with them about a half an hour ago." Jenny answers.

"So what time will you start to watch the back door?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"MTAC Technicians are monitoring both sites while I'm out of the room." "I'll officially start my end of the op at 1900 hours with Gibbs and McGee coming into MTAC around 1930 hours."

Tony glances down at his watch. "1400 hours, four hours to go."

"I want all of you to be careful." Jenny warns them.

"We will!" Ziva smiles.

Jenny glancing over at Danielle. "Danielle I'll be over in my office if anything should happen between now and 1900 hours."

"Yes ma'am!" Danielle nods over at her.

Jenny starts up the ramp. Gibbs waiting for Jenny to walk out of the room. "I'll be monitoring what's going on inside of your van through the plasma screen near my desk." Gibbs smoothly says to Tony, Ziva, and Cassie.

"Does the Director know about it?" Tony grins.

"No!" Gibbs shrugs…"I don't see where I need to ask her permission for that."

"I better see if Abby needs me for anything." McGee says and gets up from his seat.

"Did you see the Director's dress yet?" Tony curiously asks.

"No she's getting it altered; I won't see it until Saturday night." Gibbs groans.

"I bet she's deliberately making you wait." Ziva giggles.

"What woman doesn't?" Gibbs growls.

Up in Jenny's Office, Cynthia is over at the conference table unpacking a box of Jenny's personal belongings that she had in the office three years ago, Jenny walks into the office and is surprised to see that her belongings had been saved from three years ago. "I thought Vance had thrown away most of my personal items." Jenny laughs and approaches the table.

"No when he flew out to San Diego later in the week I packed up your belongings." "I didn't know who to give them to, so Doctor Mallard agreed to take them." Cynthia sadly answers. "I was surprised that Gibbs had no interest."

"Jethro's head wasn't in the right place Cynthia." "Remember after my funeral, Vance had reassigned Tony and McGee from Gibbs' Team and terminated Ziva's liaison with Mossad." Jenny frowns.

"He was devastated." Cynthia sighs and flashes back to the afternoon after Jenny's funeral, Abby clinging on to Tony, Ziva, and McGee as they unpacked their desks. "The team was devastated and Abby." Cynthia chokes.

Jenny going through a similar situation back at Antelope Valley Hospital in Edwards, California quickly changes the subject. "Did you order the black leather sleeper couch yet?"

"Yes per your instructions." Cynthia smiles.

"I'm paying for it, so if anybody complains about the recent cutbacks." Jenny sighs and walks over to her desk. On the right hand corner she finds the photo of her father in his uniform. "Get rid of this." Jenny angrily snaps.

Cynthia walks over to Jenny in confusion. "I don't understand!"

"The sight of my father sickens me, take this away." Jenny shouts at her and storms off for the bathroom.

Cynthia takes the photo from the desk and quietly walks out of the office. "I don't understand, the Director looked up and adored her father." Cynthia inwardly asks.

Twenty minutes later down in the lounge, Cynthia is sitting at a table drinking a can of diet coke. Gibbs walks in. "I don't know how people can drink that diet crap." Gibbs laughs and walks over to the ice cream machine. When Cynthia doesn't answer him, Gibbs glances back at her and notices that she hasn't acknowledged his presence in the room. "Cynthia!"

Cynthia, startled jumps in her chair. "Sorry did you say something."

Gibbs noting that Cynthia is upset about something. "What's wrong?"

"Usually what I see and hear in the Director's Office stays confidential between us." Cynthia frowns with worry.

"Is the Director sick?"

"No, I'm just confused by her actions." Cynthia shrugs.

Gibbs puts his change into the ice cream machine and purchases a fudge pop and then takes a seat across from Cynthia at the table. "What actions?"

"After her funeral three years ago, Director Vance flew out to San Diego to gather his family for the move out east." "I packed up Director Shepard's belongings and gave them to Doctor Mallard." "The other day Doctor Mallard had told me that he had kept the Director's belongings in a self-storage garage." "He brought them into work today." "While the Director was in MTAC I started putting some of her personal belongings in place throughout the office, including the photo of her father, Colonel Shepard."

Gibbs makes a face, remembering the nightmare that Jenny had about her father on Saturday morning. "I'll handle it."

"I didn't tell you what she asked me to do."

"I know what she asked you to do." "Where did Jenny go?"

"Last time I saw her she went inside of her bathroom." "I don't understand Agent Gibbs, I thought that Director Shepard adored her father and worshiped the ground he walked on." Cynthia asks in confusion.

"She did in 1995." Gibbs sadly answers and gets up from the table. "I'll handle it." He nods down at her and walks out of the room.

"Did, now I'm more confused." Cynthia sighs.

Up in Jenny's Office, Jenny is reviewing a case file when Gibbs walks into the office and closes the door behind him. "Did you make an appointment with Doctor Cranston yet?"

"I told you I would think about it." Jenny sighs and takes off her glasses.

"There's nothing to think about." "You need to get Kosmo Galanos out of your head." Gibbs barks and walks over to her desk.

"What did Cynthia tell you?" Jenny angrily snaps.

"She didn't tell me anything, it was written all over her." Gibbs frowns with worry. "Jenny I think you can trust Cynthia, tell her what happened to you."

"Your right!" Jenny sighs and is about to lean over and push in the button for the intercom.

"She's down in the lounge."

Jenny picks up her Blackberry from on top of her desk and presses in the speed dial button for Cynthia's cell phone. "Cynthia could you come into my office."

Five minutes later, Jenny and Cynthia are sitting on the couch with their heels off sipping a glass of white wine. "What I'm about to tell you is classified." "It cannot leave this office."

"Is about the reason why you don't want your father's photo on top of your desk?"

"Yes!" Jenny chokes, trying to keep her composure.

"What happened to you after you got shot?"

"I was sent to hell by Phillip Davenport, Leon Vance, Trent Kort, and lastly by Kosmo Galanos, CIA Code Named Lucifer, or known to me, father." Jenny says through tears.

"Your father is alive?" Cynthia asks and squeezes on to Jenny's hand.

"He looked like Colonel Jasper Shepard my father, but in reality the name he went by was Kosmo Galanos."

"So you've been working for the CIA the past three years?"

"Against my will." Jenny sadly answers. "I had done something that I now regret doing that my father and Trent Kort were holding over my head."

"La Grenouille!" Cynthia nods over at her. Jenny avoids Cynthia's intense gaze. "I won't ask any questions about that because its need to know."

"They also had something on Gibbs from his past that would have sent him to prison and that's also need to know between you and I."

"So how did you manage to get your life back and get away from your father?" Cynthia curiously asks.

"It's a long story." Jenny answers and takes Cynthia back to her first meeting with her father out on the balcony at his villa in Kalymnos.

Down in the bullpen, Gibbs is monitoring Tony, Ziva, and Cassie through the plasma screen next to his desk, occasionally he glances up towards the door for Cynthia's outer office. "Something wrong boss?" McGee curiously asks from his desk.

"No, for the first time everything seems right." Gibbs smiles.

Abby walks in and grabs the clicker from the corner of McGee's desk. "I identified one of the people inside of Ortega's Restaurant." Abby grins.

"Who?"

"Lawrence Hathaway!" Abby nods and clicks his photo on to the plasma screen.

"So what was Lawrence Hathaway arrested for?" Tony curiously asks.

"Dishonorable discharge from the Coast Guard." Abby answers.

Gibbs drops his head down on top of his desk. "Why me?"

"It's a little late for Borin to join the party boss." Tony smirks.

"I know!" Gibbs mumbles with his face down on top of his desk.

"It's just the idea that you have to work with Borin so soon after the Solberg Investigation." Tony laughs.

"Who's Borin?" Cassie sheepishly asks.

"CGIS's version of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the only thing is she's a woman." Tony grins.

Gibbs lifts his head from the desk and glares over at the plasma screen. "DiNozzo when you step out of that elevator-"

"I know the back of your hand will be attached to the back of my head." Tony grimaces.

"Try my boot up your ass." Gibbs snarls and grabs his desk phone from on top of his desk. "Maybe if I'm lucky Borin will be working on another case." Gibbs inwardly says to himself and begins to dial Borin's phone number at CGIS Headquarters.

CGIS Headquarters

Borin steps out of the SAC's Office. "Another investigation wrapped up." Borin smiles and walks over to her desk, just as she sits down her desk phone begins to ring. "Borin!" She answers.

"Figures you would pick up on the first ring." Gibbs growls.

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon." Borin sweetly answers.

Gibbs squinting over at the plasma screen next to McGee's desk. "I need you to do a follow up on a Seaman Lawrence Hathaway, he was dishonorably discharged from the Coast Guard back in-"

"2007!" Abby finishes for him.

"2007!" Gibbs answers and gives Abby an appreciative smile.

Borin writing down the information on a notepad. "I'll get back to you." She answers and hangs up.

Gibbs hangs up his desk phone. "Before I deal with her again, I need coffee." Gibbs groans and walks off for the elevator.

"I'm in desperate need for a Caff-Pow." Abby shouts over.

"Just what the Director needs, Gibbs and Borin at each other's throats again." Tony laughs.

"Again!" Cassie asks raising a curious eyebrow over at Tony.

"When I'm away from probing eyes I'll fill you in on it." Tony snickers.

Up in Jenny's Office, Cynthia frowns over at her boss as she continues on with the events from the past three years. "I would go from one hell hole to another buying arms for my dad; he would resell them to US Allies, Iraqi, Afghani, and Libyan Freedom Fighters, so that the US taxpayers didn't have to foot the money into purchasing weapons for them."

"What got you through all of this?" Cynthia sadly asks.

"The few weeks I was able to get away from my father." Jenny smiles and takes a sip from her glass of wine. "I found an apartment in Paris; it was away from the tourist area, so I was able to blend in." "On my weeks off I would go to my apartment and just be myself." "I would shop, go to the local bistros, and I had the good fortune of living over top of a bakery."

"Paris, the City of Love." Cynthia softly answers.

"The best part of my life happened in Paris, a six month op with Jethro." Jenny answers with a smile on her face.

"By day you were Agents Gibbs and Shepard."

"And by night we were Jen and Jethro, two people who were deeply in love with one another." Jenny answers.

"And then the op ended." Cynthia nods.

"I was offered a job as a Team Leader in Naples; I could no longer be Jethro's second anymore, so I took the job offer." "My only regret is I should have told him about the job."

"You didn't!" Cynthia asks with surprise.

"No I was a coward; I left a letter inside of my coat pocket on the plane that we took from Paris to London." "While Jethro was off retrieving my coat I grabbed my carry-on bag from lounge and left without a word." "The next time I saw Gibbs was inside of MTAC after I was appointed Director of NCIS."

"Gibbs would have told you no about the job offer." Cynthia frowns.

"I know that was the reason why I left him the way I did and it was also the reason why I didn't tell him that I took my old job back as Director of NCIS." "He would have said no."

Cynthia getting back to Jenny's involvement with the CIA. "So how did Gibbs find out that you were alive?"

"I was sent to Riohacha, Colombia by my father to purchase weapons from Bernardo Suárez in August." "While I was in Riohacha, I spotted former NCIS Special Agent Erica Jane Barrett having coffee with Julien Benoit."

"Is he related to La Grenouille?"

"Yes it's his son." "I kept off in the distance and watched over them, Barrett was a bit too cozy for my liking with Benoit, so I took out my digital camera that I had in my backpack and starting taking photos of them, on several of the photos that I took of two of them, Barrett handed Benoit a file, and it shows you how careless the woman was, the NCIS logo was on the outside of the file." "Then I saw Benoit handing Barrett a check."

"Barrett was paid off by Benoit."

"Oh yeah and how Barrett obtained the file, was by her former boss Leon Vance."

"Vance was on the take with Benoit?"

"Benoit, Suárez, my father and many arms and drug dealers that I could list from the top of my head." Jenny icily answers and gets back to the deal that took place in Riohacha. "After Benoit's meeting with Barrett he was went into his Mercedes, I guess while inside of the car he got in contact with Bernardo Suárez and offered him a better deal than what my father was going to give him." "Suárez agreed to meet him on his yacht within the hour." "I followed Benoit to Suárez' yacht." "I hid behind a dumpster on the dock taking photos of their business deal." "While I was taking photos my camera lens reflected over on to Suárez' yacht and Suárez spotted me."

"Did he capture you?" Cynthia asks with Concern.

"No I got away and took a flight to Miami which was the earliest flight out of Riohacha." "Benoit caught on to the flight I took out and had some of his men waiting for me at the airport in Miami." "With the airport security they were not allowed to have weapons on them in the airport so I was able to elude capture."

"From there the next morning I took a bus to Savannah, Georgia, I rented a car under my CIA alias and drove to Washington."

"So you could get a hold of Gibbs?" Cynthia nods.

"No Ziva, the problem was Ziva was out of town working on an investigation with Gibbs for over a week." "Finally on August 20th I was able to get in touch with her, we both agreed to meet at the Georgetown Ritz Carlton at midnight." "While Ziva and I were in the parking lot, two of Benoit's men drove up to us and opened fired at us." "Ziva was severely wounded; I took a round to my right side and was still able to return fire at them as they sped out of the parking lot." "Security heard the gunshots and rushed into the parking garage." "I couldn't risk blowing my cover so I took off."

"You couldn't risk blowing your cover so instead of going to a hospital, you called Doctor Mallard." Cynthia smiles.

"At the time I only thought I had a flesh wound and I would be in and out of Ducky's within a few days." Jenny frowns.

"But your injury was worse than what you thought." Cynthia frowns with worry.

Jenny untucks her blouse from her waist and shows Cynthia the scar from her gunshot wound. "As you can see from the tear on my right side it was more than a flesh wound."

"So when Ziva came through at the hospital she told Gibbs that you were alive?" Cynthia surmises.

"No, I left a blood trail in the parking garage." "Abby ran a DNA trace similar to the one she ran on the finger prints for my father, to run a DNA trace for persons dead or alive."

"And your profile came up." Cynthia answers.

"My profile came up." "Between that and on the burn phone that Ziva had on her at the time of the shooting; my CIA alias Harriet Jones had called Ziva several times that day." "McGee did a trace into Harriet Jones call log from my burn phone and noted that I had called Ducky an hour after the shooting."

"So Gibbs put two and two together that you were over at Ducky's."

"Yes!" Jenny frowns and remembers the afternoon when she woke up looking into the depths of her lovers anguished blue eyes as he made eye contact with her for the first time. "The anguished look on Jethro's face when I first made eye contact with him will haunt me for the rest of my life." Jenny says between tears streaming down her cheeks. "I did not want to put him through that, but I had no choice."

"So you got the riot act from him." Cynthia asks.

"No he wasn't allowed to scream at me for a week per doctor's orders." Jenny sighs and shakes her head. "But he made it clear that he was hurt and extremely angry with me for what I put him through."

"So the first order of business was to get you healed up."

"I had a terrible infection for the first seventy-two hours, Gibbs and Ducky managed to bring it under control, so the order of business was resting and healing for the first week." "While I was healing, Gibbs and his team completed a diversion for Vance while he was away in Munich." "Vance bought everything." "In between working on their assignments Gibbs and his team worked on bringing Vance, Davenport, Kort, and my father to justice."

"So Gibbs did scream at you?"

"Oh yeah!" Jenny mutters… "I gave him my reasons and told him what I just told you." "I did it mainly to protect him first, I wasn't worried about myself."

"So while you were recovering?"

"Diversion number two was created, Ducky's housekeeper was on vacation the first week I was recovering." "At one point the houses on Ducky's street were huge brownstones, that were converted into twins." "For some strange reason when Ducky's house and the house next door was renovated into twin houses the walk in close on the third floor still had a door attached, it was never taken down." "Conveniently Ducky's next door neighbors were away for a year in Vienna and Ducky was house sitting for them, Gibbs broke through the plaster that had separated the two houses and for two weeks I stayed up on the third floor healing up and when I was up to it, I played field agent by day." Jenny laughs.

"Now I see the reason why Gibbs is hostile towards you now, he was the boss for about a month or so." Cynthia giggles.

"I was put into his protective custody and because I was the reason why Ziva got shot at in the parking garage, I had to take orders from him." "Trust me it wasn't pleasant." Jenny snaps.

"What made the two of you decide to get back together?"

"Mike Franks would have haunted the two of us." Jenny laughs.

"You just realized with everything that the both of you have went through that the two of you deserved a second chance." Cynthia smiles.

"Yes!" Jenny softly answers. "We had to go slow, because I had lost a lot of blood and with my injury sex was out of the question for about a month." "It was hard the first few weeks, because we were rarely alone." "When diversion number three took place, Gibbs and I had to find a way to get into Europe without being noticed." "Also one the CIA Operatives that I had worked with, Ray Cruz was closing into my location, so we had to leave my safe house without being detected by Ray, which we did." "Without giving any details a friend of Gibbs owed him a favor and that's how we got into Europe without being spotted." "We landed in Germany and crossed the border into France by train." "We stayed at my apartment for a week and a half."

"And that's when it happened between the two of you."

"The first week we explored Montmartre, the section of Paris where I had my apartment, we went to the non- tourist haunts that we use to go to." "It was like the clock had went back into time and it was Paris 1999 all over again." Jenny smiles.

"Week two?"

"I had to be sure that I was ready, before we took that step."

"And you were?"

"It was six years long overdue." "Again it was like Paris 1999, just the two of us losing ourselves in one another, and in between we would work on bringing down the parties involved with black mailing me out of my job." "First take out was my father, I had figured out a way to get into Kalymnos with the help of a former Somalian Operative." "We chose Friday at dawn to land into Kalymnos." "When we arrived at my father's villa we were too late, hours before my father's assistant-tramp had put a bullet in between his eyes."

"So Gibbs never got the chance to tell off your father?" Cynthia says in disgust.

"No!" Jenny swallows.

"So I guess it was off to confront your father's assistant?"

"No I didn't want Kosmo Galanos buried next to my mother, that wasn't the man she loved, so Gibbs set fire to his villa and made sure that there wasn't any viable tissue's left to be traced back so that he could be identified as Jasper Shepard."

"Was that the villa that was on fire that we saw on ZNN a month ago?"

"Yes!"

"Then it was off to confront your father's assistant." Cynthia once again asks.

"Iris, my dad's whore, Trent Kort, and Julien Benoit." "First stop was to Nice, France, Trent Kort and Iris Stathos had switched alliances with Julien Benoit." "While Jethro and I were on my father's private plane headed for Nice, Ray Cruz had figured everything out and went to his boss, Director Petraeus, who in turn went to SecNav Jarvis, who enlisted Fornell's help." "They needed someone to take charge." "Unknown to Gibbs and myself, Fornell was put in as agent in charge of the op; Tony, Ziva, Abby, McGee, Cruz, and Ducky were to take orders from him per SecNav Jarvis." "While Gibbs and I were half way to Nice, we got the phone call from Tony, who put SecNav Jarvis and Director Petraeus on the line via speakerphone." "After a month of running our op without taking any orders from anybody, Gibbs and I had to answer to somebody and we didn't like it." Jenny snaps.

"So the plan in Nice." Cynthia nods.

"We had to wait for Tony and Cruz to join us in Nice." "The following morning under Petraeus' orders we were to head on over to Benoit's Mansion and arrest Kort, Iris, Regine Smidt who was now working for La Grenouille's son." "At the airport we noticed some of Benoit's men following Tony and Cruz." "Inside the bathroom the tables were turned on them and we quietly apprehended them." "Cruz was suppose to get a ride from Kort over to Benoit's house." "On the way over we followed them." "Kort pulled over, got out of the car and walked across the street, once he got a safe distance away from the car he detonated a bomb that was inside of the car killing Cruz instantly."

"How horrible!" Cynthia frowns.

"With the death of Ray Cruz, our orders were shoot to kill Trent Kort." "We arrived at Benoit's Mansion, Gibbs and a team of agents from DCRI went upstairs, Nice PD entered through the basement, and Tony and I checked the downstairs." "We thought everything was clear downstairs so I stayed behind in Benoit's Study and Tony went downstairs to help out the police." "Kort came out of a hidden panel behind a wall and sneaked up behind me."

"Since you're alive and well I take it Gibbs took him out."

"I had my earwig and COM on, Gibbs and Tony knew I was in trouble." "Kort was using me as a human shield to leave the house, so while he was making his getaway out in the living room hallway, Tony shot Kort in the back of the head."

"Two down, three more to go." Cynthia grins.

"That was later on that night; Benoit was having a get together at his house in Palm Springs with a bunch of drug and weapons dealers from Central and South America."

"Was that the bust out in Palm Springs that the CIA, DEA, ATF, and the FBI took credit for a month or so ago?"

"Yes, NCIS was kept out of the spotlight." "We raided Benoit's house, arrested Davenport and Barrett, the only hitch was, Benoit fled before we raided the house." "We did a GPS trace on his cell phone to that led him at the airport."

"I know the circumstances of Benoit's death he had a bomb on his plane and blew it up while his plane was up in the air to elude capture." Cynthia nods.

"He never would have made it in prison, must men of power do not." Jenny sadly answers.

"From what I saw on ZNN and read in the papers Vance got arrested on Monday."

"Gibbs wanted Vance to be humiliated in front of his former agents." "He was hauled out of his office in handcuffs." "The following day I got to question him in Interrogation." "It felt so good to put that smug bastard in place." Jenny answers with a cocky grin on her face.

"And a month later, your back sitting behind your desk, you have it all, the job that you've worked hard for and earned by the way, and the man that you love." Cynthia smiles and squeezes Jenny's hand.

"I'm going to make everything count Cynthia." "First of all, Jethro comes before my job." "If for some reason I have to choose between him and my job my resignation will be on the SecNav's desk, no questions asked."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you Jenny."

Jenny glances over at the clock on the wall. "I have some case files that I need to review before seven." Jenny answers and gets up from the couch; she slips into her heels, grabs her glass of wine and walks over to her desk.

Cynthia puts her heels on and gets up from the couch. "I have some letters that I need to finish for you." Cynthia smiles and walks out of the office.

Jenny walks over to the filing cabinets behind her desk and stares down into the harbor. "I missed this view most of all while I was away." Jenny frowns.

Squad Room

1700 Hours

Borin walks in carrying a folder, spotting Tony, Ziva, and McGee's empty desks and notices that Gibbs is the only one working. "Fire your whole team." She laughs and approaches his desk.

"What are you doing here?" Gibbs growls.

"I have the file on Seaman Hathaway."

"You could have called me." Gibbs answers.

"Why call with something as important as this." Borin smiles and hands Gibbs the file. Gibbs puts his glasses on and opens the file up and begins to read. "So where's your team?"

"McGee is down in Abby's Lab and Tony and Ziva are down in Miami backing up on one of the Director's Op's."

"Is our guy involved with the Director's mission?" "Since Hathaway lives in Miami."

"Need to know." Gibbs grunts as he reads the file.

"I do you a favor and this is what I get." Borin snaps at him.

"I didn't tell you to drag your ass over here with Hathaway's file; a simple phone call would have covered it." Gibbs barks and gets up from his desk.

"I called down to Miami and spoke with Commander Fox; it seems that NCIS needs the Coast Guard for back up along the waters of North Miami Beach."

"Coast Guard, not CGIS." Gibbs snarls at her.

"Do I have to go over your head again?" Borin sweetly says to him and bats her eyelashes.

"Go ahead, my boss will tell you the same thing." Gibbs laughs and walks off for the elevator heading down to Abby's Lab.

"I doubt it." Borin grins, grabbing the file from Gibbs desk and starts off for the stairs.

Up in Jenny's Office, Jenny is signing off on the last of the case files. Out in Cynthia's outer office Jenny hears Cynthia. "You can't go in there ma'am!" Cynthia scolds her.

With that, Jenny's Office door flings open; Borin storms in slamming the door in on Cynthia's face. "Not now Special Agent Borin." Jenny angrily warns her.

"The op you're investigating has a former Coast Guard Seaman that is being investigated by NCIS." Borin sarcastically informs her.

"This is the first that I've heard of it." Jenny nods.

Borin approaches her desk and hands Jenny the file. "Gibbs had called and asked me for some information on a Seaman Lawrence Hathaway; he was arrested for selling drugs in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2003." "Hathaway was released and put on parole in 2007."

Jenny reading the file. "So what does this have to do with CGIS Washington?" "This is out of your jurisdiction to begin with." "If anything I'll contact the CGIS SAC in Miami."

"Maybe I would have liked to have been involved with the op, fly out with Gibbs."

"Gibbs is staying put in Washington." Jenny answers and takes off her glasses.

"You might need the both of us in Miami."

"Agents Yates, DiNozzo, David, Parker, James, and several of NCIS' finest are very capable with back up from the Coast Guard and Miami PD." "Gibbs and McGee are needed here."

"Something is going down tonight."

"You already know that, it's the reason why you stormed into my office." "I tell you what; you can sit in with us in MTAC at 1930 hours and oversee the CGIS end of the investigation."

"Sounds fair." Borin nods and starts off for the door.

"Provided that you do not force your way into my office again." "If you every do that again, I will have security throw you out and I will be on the phone with your Director not your SAC am I making myself clear Special Agent Borin?" Jenny screams at her.

"Crystal ma'am!" Borin swallows and walks out of the office.

Cynthia standing on the outside listening in walks into the office and applauds her boss. "Bravo!"

"Bad enough I have Gibbs barging into my office and slamming my door all the time I don't need that bitch doing it also." Jenny hisses.

Down in Abby's Lab, Gibbs is laughing about Borin behind her back. "I bet right about now the Director is throwing her out of her office."

The bell to the elevator goes off, Borin steps out of the elevator and walks inside of the lab. "You were saying boss." McGee chuckles.

Gibbs turns and glares over at Borin. "Absolutely not!" He growls and flips open his cell phone.

"The Director agreed that I can sit in MTAC during the op tonight so I can oversee CGIS' end of the operation, now can somebody brief me into this."

Gibbs presses in the speed dial for Jenny's Blackberry. "Great she's ignoring my phone call." Gibbs grumbles and stalks off for the elevator.

McGee hands Borin a folder. "A lot of reading to do in a short period of time, the op starts at 2000 hours tonight."

"Don't worry I'm a fast reader." Borin smirks.

A minute later up on Jenny's floor, Gibbs storms out of the elevator, glaring towards the direction of Jenny's Office. "I swear she enjoys having me slam her office door." Gibbs growls.

Inside Jenny's Office, Jenny is setting the coffee table for dinner; Gibbs flings the office door open. "It didn't take you to long to ignore my incoming phone calls." Gibbs snarls and slams the door behind.

"I didn't ignore your phone call Agent Gibbs; I was out in Cynthia's outer office retrieving our dinner." Jenny chastises him and takes a seat on the couch.

Gibbs pissed off at her takes a seat in the chair at the end of the coffee table. "Why did you let Borin sit in on our op tonight?" Gibbs groans.

"My question is why you called Borin up on background information on Hathaway." "The minute you called her, you knew damn well that she was going to be coming over here snooping in on what we were doing in Miami." Jenny sighs and hands Gibbs a Japanese take-out box.

"Japanese!" Gibbs says with surprise.

"Yes we haven't had it in a while."

"Who was I suppose to call?" Gibbs barks.

"You have a finger you could have dialed either my office extension number or my cell phone number." "I would have called in the CGIS Headquarters in Miami and spoke with their SAC." "Which by the way I did after Borin left, there will be two teams of CGIS Agents, one at the restaurant one at the warehouse." "They'll arrest Hathaway since he's breaking the terms of his parole from his drug conviction."

"I didn't want to bug ya; I knew you were up in your office talking with Cynthia." "By the way how did it go?" Gibbs asks.

Jenny pops open the lid to his box. "Fine it went well." "I just brought up a lot of baggage from my past again." Jenny frowns.

Gibbs grabs his chop sticks from on top of the table. "That's the reason why I want you to make an appointment with Dr. Cranston."

"I had Cynthia make an appointment for next week."

"Good!" Gibbs smiles with relief and digs into his Unaju with his chopsticks.

"I can't believe you like to eat eel." Jenny grimaces.

"You eat that green crap." Gibbs growls.

"It has a name, it's called guacamole." Jenny mutters.

"Whatever it's still nasty looking." Gibbs answers between bites of his eel.

MTAC

2000 Hours

Gibbs and Borin are sitting in the front row, Jenny stands in the center of the room under the plasma screen. McGee is seated over next to Cynthia and Danielle over at the control panel. Up on the plasma screen a white stretch limo pulls into the parking lot of Ortega's Mexican Restaurant. "Suárez likes to come in style." McGee grins.

"Cadillac Escalade, Probie." Tony smirks from inside of the stake out van down the street from Ortega's Restaurant.

The limo pulls up in front of the restaurant, the driver and Suárez' entourage exit the limo, finally Suárez emerges from the rear passenger door. "By tonight you won't have that cocky grin on your face." Jenny angrily snaps up at Suárez.

"He's walking around like he owns the place." Borin says in disgust.

"Ever hear of the expression from Jack Dawson from the movie 'Titanic'?" Tony curiously asks.

Gibbs rolls his eyes. "Some of us have better things to do with our time then watching movies DiNozzo." Gibbs growls.

"Yeah like building boats down in your basement." Borin teases him.

Abby's listening in on her headset down in her lab. "I'm king of the world." Abby shouts out.

"That's Suárez right about now." Tony grins.

"Well he's about to be dethroned." Jenny icily answers. "And from here on out I want the op to be ran on a professional manner, I can do without the movie and TV quotes Special Agent DiNozzo." Jenny warns him.

Tony rolls his eyes. "No more movie quotes, ma'am!" He answers sucking in his teeth.

Cassie noting that Team Three has entered the van. "Director Team Three has entered the van." Cassie informs her through her headset.

"Depending what goes down inside of the restaurant, they may take your place inside of the van." Jenny instructs her.

Gibbs watching Suárez and his entourage entering through the front door of the restaurant. "We're on!"

Inside the restaurant Suárez walks over to Ortega who's seated at a center table by himself, behind Ortega his people protectively watch over him. Speaking in Spanish. "I enjoy business associates who come on time." Ortega smiles at him.

"Lateness is a luxury I can't afford Senor Ortega." Suárez answers in Spanish.

"It seems that we're both in a similar position." "I have the weapons you need and you have the drugs that I need."

"American Federales took out the majority of our business associates last month, when they raided Julien Benoit's house in Palm Springs." Suárez snaps.

"I never had the pleasure of working with Benoit." Ortega shrugs.

"He was greedy for his own good."

"There's nothing wrong with greed as long as it doesn't cloud your judgment on business." Ortega grins.

"Trust me nothing will distract me from business." Suárez smirks.

"Good!" Ortega smiles at him. "Can we get down to business?

Inside of the van. "Why can't they talk business in English?" Tony groans.

"Two words DiNozzo, Rosetta Stone." McGee taunts him.

"Hey you stole that from me." Abby whines.

"Which part of act professional don't you understand?" Jenny chastises them.

"We don't act like this at CGIS." Borin sighs.

Back inside the restaurant. "Shall we get down to business?" Suárez nods over at Ortega.

"One thousand kilos of cocaine for container filled with semi-automatic rifles and handguns."

"Sounds like a fair trade provided a view the merchandise." Suárez skeptically answers.

Ortega passes his PDA over to Suárez. "I have my ship 'The Margarite' docked near the Broad Causeway."

Suárez glances inside the open container that's on board Ortega's ship. "I think there's going to be future business dealings between us." Suárez grins.

"I have a boat docked in along the marina that will take you over to my ship." Ortega nods…"After I see my product first."

MTAC

"Soon as Suárez and Ortega leave the restaurant I want the phone lines cut off and a cell phone jammer in place." "Team Three along with CGIS and Miami PD will raid the restaurant." Jenny instructs them.

"And we'll follow Suárez and Ortega over to the warehouse." Tony surmises.

"Stay at least five car lengths away from them."

"We will!" Cassie answers.

Suddenly Suárez and Ortega along with their men exit the restaurant, Suárez gets into his limo, Ortega gets into the back of his Bentley. "Ortega's car isn't too bad." Tony ponders.

With Suárez and his entourage inside of the limo, Ortega's men in a red 68 Cadillac Convertible. Ziva puts her hand across Tony's mouth before he can speak. She moves her mouth piece off to the side. "Another word and my heel will be planted across the top of your shin." Ziva warns him.

The vehicles start up and pull out of the parking lot. Inside the van Cassie waits for them to drive by. "Wait until they get at the stop sign up ahead before leaving the van." Jenny advises them.

"Ok their at the stop sign." McGee informs them through their headset.

Tony, Ziva, and Cassie toss their headsets off to the side, grab their backpacks and exit the van. They get inside a Chevy Malibu, with Cassie behind the wheel. Tony and Ziva put on their earwigs and microphones under the sleeves of their jackets. "Tango One testing!" Tony speaks into his COM.

"I hear you loud and clear." Jenny answers.

"Cassie will put her earwig on once she gets at the warehouse." Tony answers.

Cassie starts up the car and pulls away from the curb, discretely keeping her distance away. With a camera in place inside of the car, Jenny, Gibbs, McGee, and Borin can monitor Suárez and Ortega's vehicles in front of them. "It should take them ten minutes to get to Suárez' warehouse." Jenny anxiously sighs.

"You worried Director." Tony sheepishly asks.

"No I don't want any blood shed tonight." Jenny frowns… "Team Three you can use the cell phone jammer now, and then move into position around the restaurant with CGIS and Miami PD." Jenny instructs them."

"Yes ma'am!" The agents answer in unison.

"Director have you figured out how we're suppose to follow Suárez and Ortega over to his ship?" Tony curiously asks.

"Soon as Ortega and Suárez pull away from the marina, a Miami Police boat will pick up you, Ziva, and Cassie." "Coast Guard cutters will surround Ortega's ship once I give them the ok."

"Ma'am we're in position around the restaurant."

"Enter the building and again be careful." Jenny orders them.

Two NCIS Agents along with a team of CGIS Agents and members of Miami Police Special Threat Response Team burst into the room. "Federal Agents!" "Miami PD!" They shout in unison.

Hathaway in vein tries to call Ortega on his cell phone. "Damn it!"

CGIS Special Agent Scott Seymour approaches Hathaway. "Lawrence Hathaway, you're under arrest for parole violation." Seymour informs him. Hathaway noting the CGIS initials on Seymour's jacket walks up the wall and puts his arms out. Seymour walks up to Hathaway and begins to look for weapons. "Couldn't stay on the straight and narrow when you got out of prison."

"Selling drugs is all I know." Hathaway frowns.

From a back room Miami Police haul a half-naked Juanita out of the room. "Not only do we have you on drug possession, we're also busting you for prostitution." Miami PD Sergeant Lorna Hart informs her.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, McGee and Abby burst out laughing. "Sorry ma'am!" McGee chokes.

"This time I'll let it slide since you're laughing at Tony." Jenny snickers.

Tony over hearing them on his earwig. "What did I do now?" Tony groans.

"Juanita just got arrested for prostitution." Abby laughs.

"Very funny, it's ok to be unprofessional on the job when it's at my expense." Tony snaps.

"Why not you deserved it?" Jenny laughs.

"And walked into as usual." Ziva giggles.

Tony quickly changes the subject. "So how are you making out at the restaurant?"

"Bad guys are getting hauled away by Miami PD, and NCIS and CGIS are processing the crime scene as we speak." Jenny answers with relief.

"Let's hope the warehouse and Ortega's ship goes easier." Tony apprehensively says.

Suárez Warehouse

Ten minutes later, Suárez and Ortega pull in front of his warehouse. "Wait for them to get inside before you enter the van." Jenny instructs them.

"We're way ahead of you Director." Tony answers.

Suárez, Ortega, and along with their men exit their respective vehicles and go inside the warehouse. "Alright it's safe to get out of the car." Jenny alerts them.

Tony, Ziva, and Cassie get out of the car and enter the stake van. They watch as Suárez leads Ortega to the back of the warehouse, inside a hidden room, Suárez shows Ortega the crates of cocaine that he's going to exchange for weapons. Ortega picks up one of the bags and cuts it with a knife, dipping his finger into the cocaine Ortega samples the cocaine. "Nothing like Columbian cocaine." Ortega grins.

"We'll have a deal just as soon as I view the goods that I'm exchanging for." Suárez smoothly answers in Spanish.

Inside the van, Cassie is putting on her earwig and installing her microphone on to the inside of her jacket. "That was uneventful." Cassie says with surprise.

"Thank god, it could have been ugly, knowing Suárez' reputation." Jenny sighs with relief.

Suárez, Ortega and their men exit the building and enter their respective vehicles once again. Starting up their vehicles they exit the parking lot driving towards the marina. Soon as their a safe distance away, Jenny alerts Team One that it's safe to leave the van. Tony, Ziva, and Cassie rush out of the van and get inside the car, with Tony behind the wheel this time. Tony starts up the engine and discretely maintains a distance away. "Notify the Coast Guard that they're on their way." Cassie asks.

"Yes I did and along with Miami PD." "Soon as Suárez, Ortega and their goons are on the boat and get a safe distance away from the marina, that's when I'll have your team follow them on board Miami Police Boat." Jenny sharply answers.

In the front row, Borin sits in amazement on how Jenny is coordinating the op. "She's good." Borin smiles over at Gibbs. "Did you teach her this?"

"I don't teach, they observe." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny over hearing her lover through her headset, "Keep in mind Agent Gibbs I didn't observe everything from you." She baits him.

"Damn it!" Gibbs grumbles forgetting that he had his headset on still.

Five minutes later, Suárez and Ortega drive over to the marina, they get out of their vehicles and walk over to the dock, they enter a boat. Off in the distance with their headlights off Tony, Ziva, and Cassie wait for the boat to move away from the dock. With the sound of the engine starting, Ortega's men untie the boat from the dock. The boat pulls away from the marina. Tony cautiously drives over to the dock parking his car alongside of Ortega's Bentley. "Wow!" He drools and gets out of the car.

Ziva and Cassie get out of the car. "Drool on Tony you'll never afford to own one." Ziva teases him.

With Ortega's boat out of view a Miami Police Boat approaches along the dock. Tony, Ziva, and Cassie run over flashing their ID's. "NCIS, Special Agents DiNozzo, David, and Yates." Tony informs them as they board the ship.

Corporal Nixon hands them lifejackets. "The life jackets are big enough to go over your bullet proof vests."

"Not the first time that I've had to wear both." Cassie laughs.

"Director we're now on board the boat." Tony informs her.

"While you're chasing after Suárez and Ortega, Team Two has just successfully raided the warehouse." Jenny answers with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Two for two so far." Tony grins.

"And hopefully number three goes off without a hitch." Cassie cryptically answers.

Twenty Minutes Later

Tony, Ziva, and Cassie along with Miami Police are watching Ortega's ship from a safe distance. "Coast Guard has informed me through their night vision capabilities that everybody is on board the ship." Jenny alerts them.

"You want us to surround the ship." Tony curiously asks.

"No I believe the Coast Guard's ship is a bit bigger than Miami PD's" Jenny laughs.

Suddenly two Coast Guard cutters surround Ortega's ship. "This is the United States Coast Guard, we have you surrounded."

"Go!" Jenny instructs Miami Police, who put on their sirens and put their boat on full throttle joining the Coast Guard, three other Miami Police Boats join in with them.

On board Ortega's Ship, near the open container, Suárez and his men are about to grab some assault weapons when Ortega steps in front of them. "You have to be kidding me, we're out manned." Ortega chastises him in Spanish. Suárez sinks to the floor in defeat.

The Coast Guard boards the ship drawing their weapons at Suárez, Ortega and their men. "Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air."

A minute later, Tony, Ziva, and Cassie are on board 'The Margarite', Tony walks over to Suárez and smirks over at him. "Director you're man is in custody." Tony grins.

"Director?" Suárez shrugs over at Tony.

"Yes, my name is Special Agent DiNozzo with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Bernardo Suárez you are under arrest for the distribution of stolen weapons from a Marine Base in Blout Island, Florida, you are also under arrest for the murder of Marine Lance Corporal Luis Martinez, bribing a Federal Officer, and a host of other charges that I'm sure that my boss can think of when we bring you back to headquarters in Washington."

"Bribing what Federal Officer." Suárez answers in confusion.

"Former Director of NCIS, Leon Vance." Ziva bitter reminds him.

Tony hauls Suárez up on the ground and continues his read him his Miranda Rights. Cassie glances into the container with the weapons that they are about to seize. "We're going to be in for a long night." Cassie groans.

"So am I!" Jenny answers into Cassie's headset.

Around midnight Jenny is in her office glancing up at her computer screen of the drug and weapons dealers that Vance was on the take with over the years as an agent, Assistant Director, and Director of NCIS. Gibbs walks into her office wearing his coat. "You coming home!" He calls out to her.

"I'll be down in five minutes."

"I'll wait out in the balcony." Gibbs answers and walks out of the office.

Jenny puts the photos up on the plasma screen, suddenly on Bernardo Suárez' photo a red slash line goes through his photo. "One down, forty-nine more to go." Jenny smirks, she gets up from her desk and walks over to her coat rack retrieving her coat and pocketbook, before leaving her office, Jenny peers over at the plasma screen with a satisfied look on her face and walks out of the office.

*Author's Note*

**Due to the upcoming holidays and RL I may be posting one chapter a week.**


	58. Coming Home To You

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

1100 Hours

The next morning after arriving back in Washington, Tony, Ziva, and Cassie are standing in front of the plasma screen next to McGee's desk watching the ZNN coverage of their weapon and drug raid in Miami from the night before. "What does it say on the bottom of the plasma screen?" Tony smirks with pride.

"NCIS raid with joint agency help from the Coast Guard and from Miami-Dade PD." Ziva smiles.

McGee and Abby walk into the room. "What time did you get back?" McGee curiously asks.

"Twenty minutes ago, we escorted Suárez and Ortega into separate Interrogation Rooms." Tony smoothly answers.

"Where's Gibbs?" Abby curiously asks.

"Coffee!" Tony shrugs.

"Is the Director in the building?" Cassie asks.

"No up on the hill." McGee answers.

"Kissing ass, and hopefully with the headlines that we're getting today, it will get some funding directed towards our way." Tony grins.

"I doubt it, their trying to find ways to cut funding and keep in mind we're still on the bottom of the list of the Federal Arms Agencies." Cassie sadly answers.

"Not as low as CGIS." Tony laughs.

Starbucks

Gibbs is at the counter retrieving his coffee when Fornell approaches him from behind. "Jethro!" Fornell nods over at him.

Gibbs turns and faces Fornell. "Tobias!" Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"Wendy, I'll have a Grande Peppermint Mocha to go please." Fornell smiles and hands Wendy a ten dollar bill. "I see your agency made headline news this morning."

"Why jealous?" Gibbs smirks.

"Of NCIS!" Fornell laughs and takes his change from Wendy. "That'll be the day."

"She's back on the job for a week and NCIS has its first major bust." Gibbs answers.

"Here you go Agent Fornell." Wendy cheerfully says to Fornell.

Fornell takes his Mocha from Wendy. "Thanks!" He smiles…"You got a minute?"

"Long enough to walk me over to my car, I want to get back to headquarters." Gibbs answers and starts off for the door with Fornell following him from behind.

"Find it strange that Jenny goes after a weapon and drug dealer that she was about to purchase weapons from for the CIA a few months ago." Fornell sarcastically notes to Gibbs.

Gibbs opens up the front door. "Against her will." Gibbs growls and walks outside.

Fornell grabbing the door. "Still doesn't make it right Jethro."

"She's going after all of the drug and weapons dealers that Vance was on the take with." Gibbs angrily informs him.

"From the file that I reviewed while I was Acting Director of NCIS, that's going to take Jenny years to bring them in." Fornell warns him and steps outside.

"Time is a luxury that Jenny has now." Gibbs smirks and walks over to his blue Dodge Charger.

"Did you ask her to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball?" Fornell curiously asks.

"Yes, I'll be escorting Jenny at the ball, as Master Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Gibbs smiles and gets inside of his car.

"About time!" Fornell smiles.

Back at headquarters, Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Cassie bicker amongst themselves on who is going to interrogate Suárez. "I'm Senior Field Agent and I get to interrogate him." Tony growls over at McGee.

"I'm Agent in Charge of the op; keep that in mind DiNozzo, if anybody gets to interrogate Suárez, it will be me." Cassie smirks up at him.

Gibbs overhearing them arguing as he returns from his coffee run. "Wrong on both counts." Gibbs laughs at them.

"Ziva going to interrogate him?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Try the Director and myself." Gibbs smirks and puts his cup of coffee down on top of his desk.

"This I got to see." Cassie laughs.

"It's artwork at its finest." Tony smiles with pride. "When will the Director be back from the hill?"

"Try now Agent DiNozzo." Jenny shouts at him as she walks past Gibbs' section heading for the stairs to her office.

"We'll question Suárez after lunch." Gibbs nods.

"Who gets to question Ortega?" Tony curiously asks.

"Cassie and Ziva."

"This should be interesting." Tony laughs.

Cynthia's Reception Area

Jenny walks through the door. "Fun filled morning of kissing ass and getting nowhere." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"It's worse now since the Republicans and Democrats are bickering over what programs to cut and whether or not the rich should get taxed or not." Cynthia frowns.

"They should be more concerned with making sure that our senior citizens don't lose any more of their Medicare funding." Jenny snaps and steps inside her office.

"You are staying in the building for lunch." Cynthia shouts.

"Staying in, I'm not in the mood to deal with the media." Jenny sighs.

Gibbs walks in and has over heard her. "Why was Shelly stalking you?" Gibbs chuckles.

"Of course she was." Jenny hisses.

Gibbs helping Jenny out of her coat. "Use all of the hostility from Shelly on Suárez when you go to interrogate him."

"Trust me I won't need it."

"You think you could get out of the office by 1800 hours tonight." Gibbs curiously asks her.

"I was planning on getting out of here at 1700 hours." "I'll work in my study." "Why do you ask?" Jenny shrugs.

"You didn't get much sleep last night." Gibbs frowns with worry.

"I was too pumped up to fall asleep." Jenny smiles and walks over to her desk grabbing her portfolio. "I'm going to sit in MTAC for about an hour or so."

"I'll meet you at the bottom of the stairs before we head over to the Interrogation Room."

"I'll see you then." Jenny says to him and walks out of the office.

Gibbs takes a seat one of the chairs in front of the conference table. ZNN is on the plasma screen, footage of Jenny leaving the Capital comes on. Shelly Tomlinson with a microphone in Jenny's face, Jenny angrily glaring back at Shelly for asking her questions that she can't answer. Shelly continuing to bait Jenny into an argument on international television, Jenny bites her tongue at Shelly and is safely hauled away by Melvin over to her Towne Car. "One of these days, Jenny is going to cold cock her." Gibbs laughs.

Interrogation Room Number 1

1255 Hours

Bernardo Suárez and his attorney Geraldo Ramos are sitting impatiently at the table. "I want that Federale who handcuffed me on board Ortega's ship to interrogate me, I'll show him" Suárez smirks

Tony standing behind the window in the Observation Room. "The pleasure won't be mine Suárez." Tony grins over at him.

"Surprised that you didn't want a piece of him." McGee curiously asks.

"I did, but the idea of Jenny questioning Suárez." Tony smiles.

With that Jenny walks in the Interrogation Room carrying a folder with Gibbs following her from behind. "Director Shepard I wasn't expecting you." Ramos says with surprise.

"Neither was your client I gather." Jenny smirks and sits across from the table, with Gibbs standing next to her.

Suárez recognizing Jenny as Harriet Jones a potential arms dealer client. "So this is the payback I get from you." Suárez seethes.

"Payback?" Ramos curiously asks.

"Director Shepard until recently worked for an arms dealer."

"Wait until the media gets word of this?" Ramos snaps at Jenny.

"I didn't work for an arms dealer you idiot, I was working undercover for another agency, besides your client had his brother in law Marine Lance Corporal Luis Martinez steal a shipment of weapons from a Marine Base on Blout Island, near Jacksonville, Florida." "Martinez went UA when a friend tipped him off that NCIS was investigating the stolen weapons from the base." "He took a flight out to Riohacha, Colombia to hide from US authorities, Columbia is lenient on sending US fugitives back."

"Then go after Luis." Suárez chastises Jenny.

"I can't because you had him killed." "What was left of his body was found chained to a tree?" "Riohacha Police notified the Marine Corps when Martinez' body was found." Jenny angrily informs him.

"How do you know it was me?" Suárez shrugs.

"You left a familiar calling card of yours at the crime scene." Jenny sarcastically answers and opens up the file and show's Suárez the body of Martinez.

"Número 247 was branded on Martinez' forehead." "According to Columbian drug cartel's and Riohacha Police, when every you ordered a hit on someone, that you wanted to keep a tally on the number of assassinations that you tallied over the years." "After your attended victim was taken out you ordered the assassination number be branded on the body." Gibbs says to him in disgust.

Jenny takes a report out from the folder; she places the report in front of Ramos on top of the table. "According to Martinez' autopsy report, he was chained to a tree alive, while alive he had his arms severed off at the elbows, and his legs severed off below his knees."

Gibbs leans over the table and glares over at Suárez . "Then while Martinez was dying, Número 247 was branded across the top of his forehead." Gibbs angrily snarls at him. "He died a slow horrifying death."

"You were angry at Martinez for getting caught." Jenny icily says to Suárez.

"Blout Island was a gold mine in weapons; Martinez stole the best weapons that US taxpayers paid for." Gibbs comments roughly.

"And Leon Vance knew that Martinez had stolen the weapons." "When his body was sent back to the states, Vance quickly had the investigation into his murder and the weapons stolen from Blout Island closed due to lack of evidence." Jenny smugly answers and shows Suárez and Ramos the money that was wired into Tyler Keith Owens Account in the Cayman Islands. "Tyler Keith Owens is Leon Vance's real name, your client was bribing a United States Federal Officer, and making matters worse the Federal Officer in question is the head of a Federal Arms Agency."

"The best part about Vance." Gibbs laughs and takes out a photo of Benoit and Barrett having coffee in Riohacha an hour before Suárez' meeting with Benoit. "Vance, former SecNav Phillip Davenport, and former NCIS Special Agent Erica Jane Barrett seen in the photo with Benoit, were also on the take with Benoit." "Benoit knew that you were about to sell the weapons that were stolen from Blout Island to an Arms Dealer by the name of Kosmo Galanos." "He wanted to beat Galanos out of the deal, so he arranged a meeting with you to over bid Galanos' offer."

"In that photo with Barrett, Benoit has obtained a copy of the case file from the weapons that were stolen from Blout Island; he knew what he was purchasing from you." Jenny smirks at Suárez.

"What is your connection to Galanos?" Ramos curiously asks.

"Galanos was also a CIA Operative that would purchase weapons from arms dealers like Suárez, and resell them to US Allies, Libyan, Iraqi, and Afghani Freedom Fighters." "It saved the US taxpayers money in the long run." Jenny answers.

"The media will have a field day knowing that the Director of NCIS was a CIA Operative." Ramos laughs.

"You would have to prove it." Jenny laughs.

"And the CIA will deny it, they can't stand NCIS." Gibbs chuckles.

"Typical Americans, lying through your teeth." Suárez angrily seethes at Gibbs and Jenny.

"That's the cat calling the kettle back Suárez." "You sell drugs and weapons to drug and weapons dealers at the bat of the eye to make a profit, knowing full well that the drugs and weapons you sell are killing people every day." Jenny sighs.

"And a lot of the people that are dying are kids." Gibbs angrily answers and slams his fist on top of the desk. "Dying from getting shot at from gang wars, or overdosing on drugs."

"Tell me something, how do you sleep at night, knowing full well that the drugs and guns you sell are killing innocent children, just last week an eighteen month old baby was shot and killed in Manassas, Virginia in a drive by shooting from a local street gang." Jenny sadly asks Suárez.

"Like a baby Senora Jones, I was interested on the pesos that I was pocketing." Suárez smirks.

"I'll be sleeping like a baby after you're sent to death row." "Hopefully the appeals process drags out for ten years so you can suffer in prison in solitary confinement." Jenny laughs.

"Yeah, there's a lot of time in the course of a twenty-three hour day confined in a tiny jail cell." Gibbs grins.

"You won't be making any pesos from inside of a federal prison cell that's for sure." Jenny smirks over at him and gets up from the table. "I want to see how Agent's David and Yates are making out with Ortega." Jenny smiles and walks out of the room.

Out in the hallway Ziva and Cassie are waiting for her. "How did it go?" Cassie curiously asks Jenny.

"If I have my way Suárez will be getting the death penalty for the murder of Luis Martinez, yes his brother in law stole weapons from Blout Island, but the viciousness on how Suárez murdered Martinez." "He was alive when his arms and legs were severed off."

"Ortega was way too easy, him and his lawyer will plead guilty for drug trafficking, the attempt to purchase weapons from Bernardo Suárez, prostitution, Ortega was pimping Juanita inside of his restaurant." Ziva answers in disgust.

"She almost got Tony as a client." Cassie snickers.

Tony over hearing Cassie as he walks out of Observation Room 1. "I've never paid for sex in a day of my life." Tony corrects her.

"You may not pay for it, but they do make complete fools out of you Tony." Ziva giggles.

"I heard all about your fling with EJ Barrett." Cassie grimaces at Tony's taste in women.

"She had him panting like a dog in the bullpen." Ziva laughs.

Jenny annoyed at their childish bickering walks off down the hallway shaking her head. "We're back from Miami now Director and are no longer working on the op." Tony smirks at her as Jenny walks off down the hallway.

Gibbs steps out of the Interrogation Room. "How did it go with Ortega?" He smoothly asks.

"He's pleading guilty to all charges." Cassie nods.

"At least Ortega's end of the charges will be easy." Gibbs bitterly answers and walks off down the hallway.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Cassie curiously asks.

"Something that you're not read into that has nothing to do with the Suárez." Tony answers.

"And I take it Ziva is?"

"Yes!"

"I have a few reports that I need to finish before I take a chopper back to Norfolk." Cassie answers and walks off down the hallway. Tony and Ziva step back inside the observation room, where McGee continues to monitor Suárez and his attorney Ramos.

"What happened in there?" Ziva asks.

"Suárez brought up Jenny's CIA alias."

"She was working as an undercover operative for the CIA." Ziva answers.

"Suárez' lawyer might bring that up at trial." Tony frowns.

"I highly doubt it Tony, the CIA does not want their dirty laundry aired out in court like that, Director Petraeus will see to that." McGee reassures him.

Inside the Interrogation Room, Ramos' cell phone begins to ring. "Hello!"

Cynthia's Reception Area

"Mr. Ramos, Director Shepard would like to see you in her office." Cynthia instructs him.

"I'll be right there." Ramos answers and hangs up. "Her majesty wants to see me up in her office." Ramos smirks and gets up from his chair.

"Maybe with the threat with us leaking out what she was doing with the CIA might get the bitch to drop the charges against me." Suárez grins.

Inside the Observation Room, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are listening in on them. "Highly doubtful Bernie." Tony laughs.

Up in Jenny's Office, Jenny is sitting behind her desk talking on her phone with Director Petraeus. "I'll see you up in my office in five minutes." Jenny answers and hangs up.

Two minutes later, Cynthia is standing in the doorway. "Ma'am Geraldo Ramos is here."

"Send him in." Jenny answers.

Cynthia backs out of the doorway and lets Ramos pass by. "Dropping the charges against my client." Ramos asks with a cocky grin on his face.

"Hell no!" Jenny laughs and glances over at Cynthia. "When Director Petraeus arrives send him into my office unannounced." Jenny requests.

"Yes Director!" Cynthia nods and walks away.

"Director Petraeus!" Ramos nods over at Jenny and takes a seat in a chair by the conference table.

"My stint as a CIA Operative has nothing to do with the charges brought up against your client." Jenny snaps and gets up from her desk with her glasses and a sheet of paper. "You will not be allowed to bring that up in court." Jenny warns him and takes a seat at the head of the conference table.

"The only reason why you went after my client is because of the bad deal in Riohacha." "He took a better offer from another client." "You are just bitter about that." Ramos baits her.

"I could care less whether Suárez got a better offer from Julien Benoit; I had nothing to do with that, if anything my boss Kosmo Galanos would have been bitter about it." "I'm surprised that he didn't have his flunky Trent Kort take out Suárez." "He lost a lot of money on the deal." "The Libyan Freedom Fighters were in need of those weapons." "You don't seem to understand, the weapons that I purchased for Galanos helped out US Allies on the war on terror." "Your client sold weapons to drug dealers and to gangs throughout Central America, Mexico, and the United States." "Eight year olds are in gangs carrying guns on the streets." Jenny frowns in disgust.

With that Director Petraeus walks into Jenny's Office and closes the door behind him. "Did you receive the fax from my assistant?" Petraeus nods over at Jenny.

"Yes, I have it with me." Jenny answers.

Petraeus takes off his coat and hangs it on the back of the chair at the conference table. "Mr. Ramos I cannot have you bringing up classified CIA black op's up in court." Petraeus instructs him and takes a seat across from Ramos.

"Maybe Director Shepard should have thought about that before she went after my client." Ramos laughs.

"Your client murdered his brother in law Marine Lance Corporal Luis Martinez, bribed former NCIS Director Leon Vance, and not to mention was behind his brother in law's theft of the weapons that were stolen from a Marine Base on Blout Island, off of Jacksonville, Florida." Jenny icily reminds him. "That was the reason why NCIS went after him." "Vance was bought off to look the other way and closed the case out on Martinez' murder and the stolen weapons." "I reopened the investigation."

"On this paper states that the operation that Director Shepard was working on for the CIA, is highly classified." "If you or your client brings this up in court or leaks it out to the media, I will have you thrown into jail on treason charges." Petraeus warns him. Ramos takes the paper from Petraeus and reads it over.

"I don't think your client is worth going to jail for." Jenny smirks.

Twenty minutes later, Jenny and Petraeus are now sitting alone at the conference table. "The next time I won't be able to bail you out." Petraeus advises her.

"There won't be a next time." Jenny answers grabbing the clicker from the conference table. On the plasma screen the photos of the fifty arms and drug dealers that Vance was on the take with appear. Suárez has a red slash line going across his photo. "Suárez was one of many drug and weapons dealers that Vance was on the take with." "My father had no business dealings with any of them other than Suárez."

"That's going to take you years to take them all out." Petraeus smiles at her.

"It will, but in the end it will be worth the time and effort to bring them all down." Jenny grins.

Later that night at home Jenny is up in her study reading a book in front of her desk, Gibbs peaks his head through the doorway and notices that Jenny has some of her personal effects from her apartment in Paris throughout the room. "It feels like Paris in here." Gibbs grins and walks over to his lover, he leans down and passionately kisses her on the mouth.

Jenny breathlessly pulls away. "When did you get home?"

"A minute ago." Gibbs shrugs.

"Noemi left some chili in the crock pot for you." "She also made some corn bread."

"This feels good." Gibbs smiles.

"What does?" Jenny answers with a smile on a face.

"Coming home to a home cooked meal and to the woman I love." Gibbs affectionately says, caressing her cheek with his calloused hand.

"The good thing about coming home to a home cooked meal, is the woman you love didn't lift a finger to make you dinner in the kitchen." Jenny smirks.

"I just remodeled the kitchen-"

Before Gibbs can finish Jenny playfully shoves him away from her. "Go eat!" She laughs and continues on with her book.

Gibbs walks off for the doorway, just as he's about to walk out, he turns and glances over at Jenny who's absorbed into her book. "It feels good to come home to you." Gibbs inwardly says to himself with a Cheshire grin on his face.


	59. Time Out

November 11th 2011

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

0658 Hours

Tony, Ziva, and McGee step out of the elevator, they walk into their section and find Gibbs sitting behind his desk wearing a charcoal grey suit with a silk silver- grey dress shirt underneath. To compliment his suit, Gibbs is wearing a silk black/grey woven extra length tie with a matching handkerchief that Jenny had purchased for him in Paris on one of her shopping sprees. "Going somewhere boss?" Tony asks raising a curious eyebrow at him.

"Saying hello to a friend." Gibbs answers.

Tony drops his backpack off near his desk and walks over to him. "Is that a silk tie that you're wearing?" Tony asks with surprise. "You don't know a thing about clothing." Tony laughs.

"But somebody else does." Ziva snickers.

"Right!" Tony nods… "Where did she purchase it at, I might go and buy me a red silk tie."

"How the hell should I know, she bought it in Paris when I was investigating the Solberg case." Gibbs growls.

McGee noting that Gibbs has his cropped hair shaved in the back sporting his traditional Marine Corps hairstyle Gibbs had a few times after McGee had joined Gibbs' team on a permanent basis. "You haven't shaved the back of your head like that since Kate was a part of our team."

"You mean since he left for Mexico." Ziva corrects him.

"I'm going to be in my full Marine Dress B uniform tomorrow night and I want to be looking my best for Jenny at the ball." Gibbs smiles.

"You've been looking forward to tomorrow night for weeks." Ziva softly answers.

"I've been looking forward to tomorrow night for six years." Gibbs answers with a hint of anticipation. He gets up from his desk. "I'm heading down to Ducky's." He nods over at them and walks off for the elevator.

Up on the balcony Jenny steps out of MTAC with her Blackberry attached to her ear. Tony noting the black suit with matching black leather boots that Jenny is wearing. "Jenny usually dresses casual to the office on Friday's." Tony openly asks out loud to his teammates.

"Maybe the Director is going out and Gibbs has been assigned to her Protection Detail." McGee sheepishly answers.

"Tony what is the significance of today in America?" Ziva says to him.

"Veterans Day!" Tony shrugs.

McGee dropping his backpack on the floor next to his desk. "Mike!"

"What about him?" Tony answers.

"Gibbs and Jenny are going to the cemetery to pay their respects." Ziva answers.

"Fallen hero!" Tony sadly answers.

"He went out as a hero, died trying to arrest Cobb." McGee smiles.

"And he gave Mike a less painful death also." "Cancer is a horrible death." Ziva frowns.

Down in Autopsy, Gibbs and Ducky are sitting around talking. "The suspense is killing me." Gibbs growls in frustration.

"Jethro, you're like a child who lost his favorite toy." Ducky chuckles and takes a sip of his cup of tea.

"I didn't lose them-"

Ducky knowing where Gibbs is going to go quickly interrupts him. "Do I really want to hear the details of your sex life, bad enough I head to view the both of your war wounds from back in the day." Ducky mutters in annoyance.

"Nothing's changed." Gibbs smirks.

"I'll keep that in mind when I examine the both of you the next time, at least with Jenny it should be once a year." "But knowing that stubborn mules mind." Ducky sighs.

"She said that she won't be putting herself at risk anymore."

"What she says and what her mind does are completely different Jethro; you of all people should know that by now." Ducky laughs.

Abby walks in with a report. "Gibbs you look snappy in your suit." Abby smiles at him.

"I've had the suit for years; Jenny bought me the shirt, tie and handkerchief on one of her shopping excursions in Paris, while I was investigating the Solberg case." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Abby feeling the back of Gibbs' shaved head. "Now you look like a Gunnery Sergeant."

"Jenny hates it." Gibbs laughs.

"Personally I liked your scruffy look when you came back from Mexico." Abby drools.

"So did Jenny." Gibbs grins.

"So what is the reason why you are dressed in a suit to work today?" Abby curiously asks.

"No particular reason." Gibbs shrugs.

Palmer walks in. "Sorry I'm late, Breena had a flat tire on her way into work." Palmer grumbles.

"We'll pick up where we left off yesterday." Ducky nods over at him.

"I better get into my scrubs." Palmer answers.

"So should I." Ducky muses and gets up from his desk.

"I better head back upstairs." Gibbs answers and gets up.

Abby takes Gibbs by the elbow and escorts him out the door and over to the elevator. "Come on Gibbs."

"Can't I wear a suit to work?" Gibbs laughs.

Abby presses the up button on the wall. "Tony yeah, you, unless it's a funeral or Protection Detail, you usually don't wear a suit to work." "So who are you protecting?"

"Nobody!" Gibbs shrugs, the bell to the elevator doors goes off, Gibbs steps inside with Abby following him from behind.

"Cheating on the Director." Abby baits him.

"Impossible!" Gibbs smirks.

"Why is that?" Abby grins.

"There's nobody that I would want to cheat on her with." Gibbs laughs.

"Besides Agent Gibbs has to sleep sometime." Abby giggles.

Gibbs waits for the elevator door to close before answering. "She wouldn't do anything to Agent Gibbs while he was sleeping." Gibbs growls.

"Isn't Madame Director form of punishment castration?" Abby wickedly answers.

"On other male subjects not me." Gibbs grins.

"So she wouldn't castrate him?"

The elevator stops on Abby's floor, the door opens, and Jenny steps in. "Jethro I was looking for you." Jenny smiles at her lover. Abby desperately trying to keep a straight face, rushes out of the elevator. "What's with her?" Jenny asks.

"Who knows?" Gibbs lies and pushes in the closed door button.

Jenny grabbing a hold of his tie. "If I would have known that you would look this good in this tie, I would have bought you one in green." Jenny seductively says to him.

The elevator door closes. "Why, so I could tie you up in it." Gibbs mischievously answers.

"You have never tied me up before."

"Problem is it would never work out anyways, because eventually I always roll you on top."

Jenny sexually flustered. "Like you did this morning, then you had your way with me in the shower." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"Face it you're not a morning person and your easy prey at the crack of dawn." Gibbs smirks.

The elevator stops, just as the door is about to open, Jenny leans up and passionately kisses him on the mouth, breathlessly she pulls away, just in time as the doors open, she shoves Gibbs out of the elevator. "You won't be able to do anything about that until we get home tonight." Jenny purrs and presses in the closed door button.

Gibbs flushed from his lovers kiss stands motionless in front of the elevator. "Boss!" Tony calls out to him.

Gibbs startled finches. "Don't ever do that to me again." Gibbs growls and starts off for the stairs.

"Actually I believe that was a first." Tony laughs and chases after him.

Gibbs walks up on the catwalk and glances off towards the direction of the elevator. "She went down instead of up to her office." Gibbs grumbles.

"Looking for somebody?" Tony baits him, knowing that Jenny must have done something to him in the elevator.

"Mind your own business." Gibbs barks and walks down the steps, brushing past Tony at the bottom of the stairs. "I'm going for coffee." Gibbs shouts over his shoulder.

Down in Abby's Lab, Abby bored with nothing to do. "This is a first, no work in my lab." Abby says with surprise. With that the sound of Jenny's heels can be heard clicking on the floor. "I plead the fifth Director." Abby giggles and turns and faces her.

"Out with it?" Jenny playfully chastises her.

"I said to Gibbs the reason why he was wearing a suit to work today, is he was cheating on Madame Director."

"His response?"

"That there isn't anybody he would want to cheat on you with." "My response back was he had to sleep sometime." "His response back is that you wouldn't do anything to Agent Gibbs while he was sleeping."

"He keeps forgetting that I follow rule number nine." Jenny winks.

"That's what I told him, but he said that you would only castrate other male subjects not him." "And I said so Madame Director wouldn't castrate him." "Before Gibbs could answer me the elevator had stopped on my floor and the doors had opened." "I almost died when I saw you standing outside of the elevator." Abby giggles.

Jenny takes her Blackberry from her waistband and begins to text her lover. 'Three words for you Leroy, battery operated devices.' Jenny smirks and sends the message off to him. "I'll give him five minutes to come up with a response back."

Starbucks

Gibbs walks through the door, his cell phone rings for an incoming text message. "I bet I know who that is." Gibbs groans and takes his glasses from his inside jacket pocket and puts them on. He flips open his phone, presses in yes for Jenny's incoming text message and reads it. "You went down to Abby's." Gibbs snarls and walks over to the counter.

"Jamaican Blend, Gibbs." Wendy nods over at him.

"No!" Gibbs smirks, knowing that Jenny does not like certain blends of Starbucks coffee. "Aged Sumatra Lot No. 593"

"Wow I'm surprised, since Director Shepard has been reinstated, you've be drinking Jamaican Blend on a regular basis."

"Madame Director is being a tease." Gibbs grins.

"And I take it she doesn't care for this blend." Wendy laughs.

"Hell no!" Gibbs answers with a mischievous grin on his face.

Five minutes later out in his car. "I better not keep her waiting for a response." Gibbs chuckles and presses in the speed dial button for Jenny's Blackberry.

At headquarters in the elevator on her way back up to her office, Jenny's Blackberry begins to ring. "Took him long enough." Jenny laughs and presses in the accept button. "Yes Agent Gibbs."

"Battery operated devices, do not make you come undone like I do, and when you think you're over the edge from height of your passion, I make you fall apart all over again." Gibbs smirks and hangs up.

"Son of a bitch!" Jenny hisses and hangs up. The elevator door opens; Jenny gets out on her floor and glances down towards the direction of Gibbs' desk. She walks over towards the balcony in front of MTAC. "DiNozzo, when Gibbs gets back, tell him I want to brief him about something in my office." Jenny shouts down at him.

Tony turns and faces her. "He went on a coffee run about ten minutes ago." Tony shouts up to her.

"Soon as he steps out of that elevator I want him in my office." Jenny shouts back down to him and walks off towards her office.

Tony waiting for Jenny to get inside the office. "Ooo dirty talk on the phone." Tony snickers.

"He must have gotten even with her for whatever Jenny did to him in the elevator." Ziva laughs.

For five minutes, Tony, Ziva, and McGee impatiently sit at their desks. "The suspense is killing me." Tony grumbles…The bell to for the elevator goes off; Gibbs walks out coffee in hand and starts up the aisle way towards his section. "Boss the-"

"I know I'm on my way up." Gibbs laughs and walks off for the stairs.

Up in Jenny's Office, Jenny sits at the conference table tapping her nails on top of the table. "You would have brought up our encounter in bed this morning on the phone." She sighs in sexual frustration, with that Gibbs walks in with a smirk on this face. "Took you long enough." Jenny chastises him.

Gibbs takes a seat at the table. "Line was long at Starbucks."

"Bull shit!"

"You started it by the kiss in the elevator and by baiting me with the text message, so I finished it."

"You won't finish it until later on in bed." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"True!" Gibbs grins and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

Jenny grabs his coffee cup out of his hand. "You tell your team that we're going to visit Mike's grave today with Leyla and Amira."

"Sort of, I just told them the reason why I was dressed in a suit today is because I'm going to visit an old friend today."

"He loved you." Jenny smiles.

"I don't know what I would have done without him after Shannon and Kelly's murders." "Mike got me through it." Gibbs frowns.

"Mike, the job, making a difference in your family's name got you through it."

"What got you through your father's death in 1995?"

"Noemi at first, then I read the report about my father's apparent suicide and the reasoning for it." "Going after La Grenouille got me through it." Jenny swallows…"And thirteen years later I learn that my father's death was all a lie, a government cover up so that my dad can stay out of prison, he went from tarnished Army Colonel Jasper Shepard to CIA Operative Code Named Lucifer, aka Kosmo Galanos overseer of Operation Lodestone for the CIA." Jenny icily answers.

"When's your appointment with Doctor Cranston?"

"Next Wednesday morning." Jenny answers and grabs Gibbs' cup of coffee from his hand.

"Your dad has been dead for two months and he's still playing with your head."

"He will always play with my head Jethro." Jenny frowns.

"Just like in some ways Ari will always play with mine." Gibbs bitterly answers.

Jenny takes a sip from Gibbs' cup of coffee and makes a face. "You could have warned me." She chokes and begins to cough.

"I get off on watching your facial expression." Gibbs laughs and gets up from the table. "I'll meet you at the bottom of the stairs at 1100 hours."

Jenny grabs the water carafe from on top of the table and pours herself a glass of water. "How on earth do you drink that crap?" Jenny grimaces and takes a healthy gulp from her glass of water.

"I say the same thing about you; DiNozzo, Ziva, and McGee when you drink those fancy whip creamed caramel mocha whatchamacallits." Gibbs growls and grabs his cup from on top of the table.

"So we like our coffee sweet?"

"By polluting it with that crap." "Keep in mind I got you drinking coffee the way it was meant to be drank, black, no sugar." Gibbs grunts and walks off for the door.

"Fifteen years later and I'm the only one who's allowed to steal your coffee."

"That's because I allow it." Gibbs smirks and walks out the door.

"I better review some case files before we leave for the building." Jenny sighs and gets up from the table with her glass of water. "I bet you Gibbs was drinking that Sumatra blend I can't stand." Jenny answers downing the contents of her glass of water to get the flavor out of her mouth.

Leyla's Apartment

1115 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are sitting on the couch, Amira wearing a green dress that Jenny had bought for her in Paris, sits on her Godfather's lap. "You look pretty in that dress." Gibbs smiles at her.

"She wore it to her class photo last week." Leyla answers sitting in a chair across from them.

"Soon as the photos come in, I want one for my wallet." Gibbs smiles.

"I'll have a photo blown up and put in my study back home." Jenny softly answers.

"Jethro told me that he made a room for you up in the back bedroom." Leyla smiles.

"My personal time out room to go into." Jenny winks.

"You get time outs also." Amira says with surprise. "My friend Lisa got one yesterday from her mom and dad." Amira frowns.

"She gets time outs when Aunt Jenny brings home her alter ego from work." Gibbs playfully growls.

"I can send Uncle Jethro downstairs on time outs as well Amira." Jenny playfully baits her lover.

"Boring down there." Amira pouts.

"It's called a man cave Amira; of course it's going to be boring." Jenny snickers.

"What's a man cave?" Amira shrugs.

"A place for little boys to go to when their being punished." Jenny grins.

"Or a place to go down to when little girls are being a nag." Gibbs smirks.

"So Aunt Jenny is a nag?"

Before Gibbs can answer, Jenny puts her hand across Gibbs' mouth. "No a nag is what Uncle Jethro refers to as his three ex-wives."

"Are you going to ask Aunt Jenny to marry you?"

Jenny bursts out laughing and gets up from the couch. "Never!" "I enjoy my freedom and my maiden name to much." Jenny snickers and walks off towards the kitchen.

"Why did Aunt Jenny find that so funny?" Amira curiously asks.

"Because Aunt Jenny is a wild mustang, and you know about wild mustangs Amira."

"What?"

"Eventually they can be broken in." Gibbs answers and smirks off towards the direction of the kitchen.

Arlington, Virginia

Arlington National Cemetery

1200 Hours

Gibbs, Jenny, Leyla, and Amira are at Mike's grave paying their respects. Jenny puts a small wreath near the marker, a blue ribbon lies across the wreath, written in gold 'Semper Fi' to pay respect for a fallen Marine on Veterans Day. "Of all of the places to be buried at." Jenny smiles and brushes her hand across Mike's name on the marker.

"His body may be here; spiritually he's on the beach in Baja." Gibbs grins.

Amira glances around the cemetery and notices that they are not the only one's paying their respects to their loved ones. "We're not the only one's here."

"No, when you are old enough Amira you will learn the importance of this date." Gibbs smiles at her.

"To honor American's who put their lives at risk defending our freedom that our fore father's desperately fought for." Jenny softly answers.

"The President was at the tomb of the unknown soldier." Leyla nods.

"I watched it on ZNN in my office." Jenny smiles.

For twenty minutes, Gibbs, Jenny, Leyla, and Amira silently stand in front of Mike's grave, it's been five months since Jonas Cobb took Mike's life while trying to apprehend him. "You went out your way boss." Gibbs chokes, with tears streaming down his face.

"Hero's way." Jenny answers taking a hold of her lovers hand.

Amira confused at seeing Gibbs crying. "Why are you crying?" Amira sadly asks with tears streaming down her face.

Gibbs picks Amira up in his arms. "I miss him."

"So do I." Amira sniffs.

"Your grandfather was the only person I ever called 'Boss'." Gibbs affectionately says to Amira.

"And you will always be Mike's 'Probie'." Jenny smiles and leans up and tenderly kisses Gibbs on the mouth.

After a late lunch, Gibbs and Jenny return to NCIS Headquarters, dressed in casual clothing. Gibbs walks Jenny over to the bottom of the stairs. "I'll be working late tonight."

"Good I'll catch up on some sleep." Jenny smirks and walks up the stairs.

"I don't think so." Gibbs inwardly growls.

Abby returning from the lounge. "Gibbs!" She calls out to him. Gibbs turns and faces her. "I heard that you went to visit Mike today?"

"Paying respects to a fellow Marine on Veterans Day." Gibbs smoothly answers and starts to walk for his section with Abby following him from behind. "DiNozzo, how are you making out with your reports?" Gibbs asks as he walks past Tony's desk.

"Half way there." Tony shrugs.

"I want them finished by the time you leave tonight." Gibbs barks.

Abby grabbing on to the lapel of Gibbs' black coat. "Why did you change into your normal work clothes?" Abby pouts.

"I wanted to be more comfortable in the office, since I'll be working late tonight." Gibbs answers and takes off his coat.

"The Director?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"She usually dresses casually to work on Friday's." Gibbs answers tossing his coat on top of the bookshelf behind his desk.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow night." Tony smiles.

"I know Gibbs has been looking forward to tomorrow night for six years." Abby affectionately answers.

Gibbs flopping in his chair behind his desk. "My thoughts at the moment are what I'm going to do to Jenny in bed when I got home from work tonight." Gibbs mentally notes with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Ok fess up the smirk on your face." Tony laughs.

"It's for me to know only." Gibbs growls and glances over towards the direction of McGee's desk, noting that he's the only one that's currently working. "Looks like McGee will be the only member of my team that will actually be getting out of work at a decent hour tonight."

"Well tell Abby to head back down to her lab and quit distracting us." Tony whines.

Gibbs giving Abby the stare. "Ok, ok, I'm out of here." She sighs and walks off for the elevator.

"Nowhere was I before Abby came into the room and ruined my concentration." Tony grumbles.

Gibbs' House

2330 Hours

Up in Gibbs' bedroom, Jenny is standing in front of the dresser staring into the mirror; she had just taken a bubble bath, using Gibbs' favorite fragrance, peach bubble bath oil. "If I'm going to be paying for being a tease in work today, I might as well make him happy." Jenny smiles…Hearing Gibbs' Dodge Challenger pulling up out front; she quickly turns off the light near her nightstand and jumps into bed.

Outside sitting inside of his car, Gibbs with his eye trained on the upstairs bedroom window, notices that one of the lights has been turned off. "I'll keep you waiting." Gibbs laughs and gets out of his car, slamming the door behind him. He walks over to the front door, opens it up and closes it behind him locking the door which he's done out of habit since Leyla and Amira had moved in with him. "Wonder what's on ESPN?"

Upstairs, Jenny lies in bed with her eyes closed, waiting for her lover to pounce on her. "I wonder if he got a phone call from work." Jenny asks out loud, noting that he hasn't entered the bedroom yet.

Half an hour later, Gibbs bored with the TV grabs the remote from his lap and turns it off. "I've kept you waiting long enough and my lower anatomy can't wait any longer." Gibbs laughs and starts up for the stairs. He pulls his shirts over his head as he makes his way up the stairs. By the time Gibbs reaches his bedroom, he stripped down to his boxers. "I saw the light on when I pulled up to the house, so get your ass up." Gibbs growls at her.

Jenny rolls on to her back and raises a questioning eyebrow at him. "What light?"

"The light that you turned off." Gibbs answers and approaches the bed, pulling the covers back. "If I would have known that you were going to being taking a bubble bath using your peach bath oil, I would have stopped and bought a can of whip cream." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny pulling her lover down on top of her on the bed. "Once was enough this year, I almost lost consciousness from my second orgasm." Jenny hisses in protest, pulling his boxers off.

Gibbs feeling her hands stroking on his throbbing length. "Damn!"

Jenny nudges him on to his back. "To bad I was wearing my funeral suit or I would have jumped your ass in the elevator this morning." Jenny purrs and begins to nibble along his chest.

"What about Jarvis?" Gibbs answers his voice hitching with sexual excitement as Jenny flicks her tongue around his right nipple.

"He's a flake." Jenny laughs and continues to master her mouth and tongue on his nipple, working her way over to his left nipple.

Gibbs insane with need pulls Jenny's face up and passionately kisses her on the mouth. He deepens his kiss, rolling Jenny on to her back. "Below my waist isn't up for foreplay." He says in between kisses.

Jenny wrapping her legs around his waist, she arches her hips, her hot wet flesh anticipating his hard shaft. "Neither is mine." She protests.

Gibbs enters her with a deep thrust, as he slips deeper inside of her; Jenny digs her nails into his back. "Watch the nails on the back of my head and neck." He warns her.

"Nobody told you to shave the back of your head." Jenny moans out, aggressively moving underneath of him.

"Hey pace yourself." He moans out.

"Too late!" She purrs finding his mouth to stifle out an oncoming cry.

Aggressively their bodies make love to one another on the bed, each not giving into one another. "Damn it Jenny." He cries out with pleasure.

"Harder!" She screams out, her body arches up against him in hot wild abandonment. Gibbs answers his lover, by increasing the tempo of his strokes, thrusting harder and faster against her. "Oh yes, don't stop." She cries her hips arch and collide with him in perfect rhythm.

Gibbs lost in the feel of her muscles convulsing around his length. "Don't give in." He inwardly moans out, rocking inside of her over and over again.

Jenny not giving in matching his urgent thrusts, their bodies thrash, not giving in an inch. "Jethro!" She moans out with pleasure, her knee brushes up against the back of his butt urging his release.

At the same time they achieve their climaxe, their bodies, shudder and convulse in unison, soaked with sweat, they tremble from the effects of their love making. Gibbs rolls on to his back and pulls Jenny up against the top of his chest. "I don't think I'm up for another you wore me the hell out." Gibbs pants, he tenderly kisses Jenny on top of the head. When Jenny doesn't answer him, he glances down and notices that she's fallen asleep on top of his chest. "Still can't pace yourself." He laughs, brushing Jenny's sweaty hair from her face. "I can't wait until tomorrow night." "The whole world will know after tomorrow night that your mine." Gibbs smiles, he gently leans over and turns out the light on his side of the bed. "Mine!" Gibbs smiles and closes his eyes. Tomorrow night Gunnery Master Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs will be escorting the woman he loves on his arm finally to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.


	60. Marine Corps Birthday Ball

Saturday afternoon Gibbs impatiently sits on the couch watching a college football game with Abby, while Jenny and Ziva are at the spa getting dolled up for the ball. "I mentally cannot picture Ziva getting a bikini waxing." Abby giggles.

"Do I need to hear this Abs?" Gibbs growls.

"What about-"

"Don't go there." Gibbs grumbles.

"I was thinking about Tony." Abby snickers.

"DiNozzo as hairy as he is would whine like a baby." Gibbs laughs.

"Ziva told me you have a hairy chest and belly also." Abby winks.

"Not as hairy as DiNozzo's."

"The problem with you is you dress in way to many layers Gibbs, how are women suppose to check you out." Abby pouts.

"The t-shirt is a habit from the Corps that I haven't changed other than my t-shirt is white instead of green." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Well after you came back from Mexico, you started wearing jeans more often to work."

"Abby don't you have a boyfriend." Gibbs laughs.

"Yes I'm happily attached at the moment." Abby giggles.

"Encase you haven't noticed so am I." Gibbs playfully growls.

"That I have." Abby smiles and presses her chin on top of Gibbs' shoulder. "In fact I've never seen you this happy before."

"I wake up with the woman I love in my arms or I wake up in hers Abs." "It's great feeling to be that much in love with someone and know that they love you equally in return."

"I'm glad that it finally happened for you, you of all people deserve it."

"It took me twelve long years to get to this point." Gibbs sighs.

"You still seem sad in some ways." Abby frowns.

"Just on the wasted opportunities, I would have enjoyed having children with Jenny; she would have made an excellent mother."

"She already is in work."

"That's not the same Abby." "And in reality Jenny is only a few years older than you and Tony."

"I keep forgetting that." Abby grimaces….Suddenly her cell phone begins to ring. "Hello!" She answers.

Ziva's Mini Cooper

"I need you to distract daddy while Ziva sneaks in the back door with my dress." Jenny instructs her from the passenger seat.

"Not a problem!" Abby lies.

"You're a gem."

"I'll have that ready for you tomorrow."

"We'll be pulling up in front of Gibbs' house in five minutes."

"I'll see you then, good bye." Abby answers and hangs up.

"Who was that?" Gibbs asks.

"Oh my boyfriend Grigoryi." Abby shrugs and gets up from the couch. "I have an idea."

"What's that?" Gibbs shrugs.

"I'll show you down in the basement." Abby nods and walks off for the stairs.

Gibbs grabs the remote and shuts off the TV. "Game sucks anyway." Gibbs snorts and gets up from the couch.

Down in the basement in front of Gibbs' workbench, Abby is gesturing towards Gibbs' out dated TV on top of the shelf. "You need to get into the 21st century Gibbs." Abby playfully scolds him.

"It works!" Gibbs growls grabbing the TV remote.

"Don't you want to watch your football games in HD?"

"Who cares?" Gibbs shrugs.

Five minutes later, Jenny opens the front door and peaks her head inside, with her Blackberry on speakerphone. "Close is clear, you can come in through the back door."

Ziva enters through the back door with a garment bag carrying Jenny's gown, she sneaks upstairs, a minute later she returns. "To easy!"

"We had help!" Jenny winks and walks through the front door slamming the door behind her.

Gibbs runs up the stairs. "Where's your dress?"

"What dress?" Jenny innocently answers.

"Jen!" Gibbs whines.

"You'll see it afterwards."

Gibbs with a pouty facial expression stalks off into the kitchen. "Is the little boy facial expression working for you?" Ziva curiously asks.

"No!" Jenny laughs.

"I better head home and change for tonight." Ziva nods.

"Cynthia is coming over soon to help me get ready for the ball." Jenny softly answers.

"I'm heading back down into the basement, trying to get Gibbs into the 21st century." Abby laughs.

"Never going to happen." Jenny snickers.

"You never know." Abby winks and walks off for the basement stairs.

Jenny walks into the kitchen and finds her lover sulking over at the counter. "Sulking won't work." She teases him.

"I don't understand why I can't see your dress." Gibbs groans.

"Because I want to surprise you." Jenny smiles, walking over to him.

"I hate surprises."

"I know!" Jenny smirks and finds a clean coffee cup in the dish drain. "You want a cup of coffee?"

"No, I better see what mischief Abby is getting into down in my man cave." Gibbs grunts and walks off for the doorway.

"Such a baby." Jenny laughs.

Twenty minutes later, upstairs, Jenny is showing off the back bedroom that Gibbs had converted into a study for her. "He did all of this for you." Cynthia smiles.

"I was stunned when I walked in here last Saturday."

"My cousin Monique has a wall bed, but hers is converted into an entertainment center in her loft." Cynthia softly says.

"It will be used as an extra bed when we have company coming over or whenever Madame Director comes home from work and decides to sleep away from Agent Gibbs for the night." Jenny smirks.

Cynthia glancing over at the L shaped corner desk, with the huge plasma screen monitor up on the hutch. "Abby was right you don't need to work out of your office at night."

"I already had several video conferences with in the past week." "I still get to do my job from home."

"You spent way too much time at the office the first time around as Director." Cynthia frowns with worry.

"Unless I have an op to oversee in MTAC or there's a terrorist attack that will be the only time you will see me in the office at night or on the weekends."

"I guess Gibbs is relieved with that." Cynthia nods.

"It wasn't his idea it was mine and I told Jarvis that on my first day on the job."

"I couldn't get over how quickly you settled back into your office, it's like you hadn't left."

"Still have a lot of back cases to review from the past three years; I don't want a case to be over turned due to a technicality." Jenny sighs.

"Because of Vance?" Cynthia shrugs.

"Vance, Davenport, Barrett, and keep in mind Trent Kort was just as corrupted as them." Jenny comments sharply.

"Difference between those three and Kort, is that they're in jail waiting for trial and Kort is dead."

"Davenport will be in jail until he dies, Barrett may get a plea deal and will get out within five years, and Vance will get twenty years."

"As far as I'm concerned it's not enough for what Davenport and Vance put you through, Gibbs and his team through, and the people that cared about you the most through." Cynthia answers choking up with emotion.

"Eventually they will get what's coming to them." Jenny answers and quickly changes the subject. "I'm still debating whether I'm going to wear my hair up or down."

"I think it will look better up." Cynthia recommends.

"I was thinking the same thing, haven't worn my hair in a French twist in a long time." Jenny smiles.

"Didn't you wear your hair in a French twist the first time you had dinner at the White House?" Cynthia curiously asks.

"Yes, I had several married Senators and Congressmen hinting up on me." Jenny sighs and rolls her eyes in annoyance.

"I don't think anybody will be hinting up on you tonight." Cynthia laughs.

"God no, Jethro will give them his famous Gibbs stare and when that doesn't work, he'll give them a death glare for good measure, that will have them think twice again about looking at me in appropriately." Jenny giggles.

"What about Tony?"

"A slap to the back of the head should keep his eyes focused off of my chest tonight."

1800 Hours

Tony, Ziva, and McGee are standing in Gibbs' living room, Tony and McGee dressed in black suits, Ziva dressed in a black sequin jacket, knee length cocktail dress, with three inch high heels. Tony drooling over at his partner. "So where do you have your weapon concealed at." Tony smirks.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Ziva wickedly grins at him.

Gibbs dressed in his full Marine Blue Dress A Uniform is standing at the bottom of the stairs and has over heard part of their conversation. "Know what?"

"Where I have my weapon concealed at?" Ziva mischievously answers.

"DiNozzo thigh holster mean anything to you." Gibbs growls.

Abby who was observing everything from the couch. "What about rule number nine?"

"Classified!" Ziva giggles.

"Gibbs you look handsome in your dress uniform." Abby smiles and gets up from the couch and walks over to him. "All those medals and ribbons."

"Don't mean anything to me." Gibbs shrugs.

Abby placing her hands on her hips. "Well they mean something to us." Abby chastises him.

"I wonder if Jenny is ready." Tony curiously asks.

Cynthia walks down the stairs. "Gibbs you are going to speechless when you see her in a minute." Cynthia says to him in awe.

"I better get my camcorder to capture the moment." Abby smiles and walks over to the coffee table and retrieves camera.

"The color of Jenny's gown will compliment Gibbs' uniform." Ziva answers.

"I requested cobalt blue as a color for Jenny's gown, because it goes so well with her green eyes and red hair." Gibbs smoothly answers and turns and stairs. Jenny appears at the top of the stairs; Gibbs thunder struck with her beauty backs away so that she can descend the length of the stairs.

Abby with her camera pointed towards the stairs, captures the moment, Gibbs' speechless reaction as Jenny walks down the stairs, as she reaches the bottom of the stairs, Tony and McGee's eyes widen at the vision in front of them, Jennifer Shepard, Director of NCIS dressed in a cobalt blue off the shoulder organza ball gown, with pleated off-the-shoulder straps, and a flattering, sweetheart neckline with dazzling beading Ruched bodice and full, pickup, layered ball skirt with matching four inch cobalt blue t-strap platform heels. To complement the dress, a cobalt blue shawl drapes across the back of Jenny's shoulders. "I don't think I've ever seen Gibbs so speechless." Ziva smiles at her American father's facial expression at seeing Jenny in her gown.

"Yes we did, yesterday morning when Gibbs was standing outside the elevator." Tony smirks.

"What did you do to him?" Abby winks at Jenny.

"That's need to know." Jenny smirks and approaches her lover. "You look handsome yourself in your dress uniform." Jenny smiles at him.

McGee hearing a car pulling out front. "I think that's Melvin." McGee nods and walks over to the front door.

Cynthia helping Jenny into her white mink fur coat. "When did you get this?" Cynthia curiously asks.

"Paris last fall." Jenny softly answers.

"Boss its Melvin." McGee shouts over to him.

"Ziva and McGee I want you to take the lead when we go out front, Tony will follow the rear and will close the limo door behind him after Jenny and I get inside of the limo." Gibbs instructs them.

Ziva walks over to the front door. "I'm surprised that Tony is behaving himself." Ziva whispers.

"Give him time." McGee laughs and they walk out the front door.

Gibbs loops his left arm around Jenny's right arm and escorts her out the door, Tony follows behind them with Abby and Cynthia a distance behind them, Abby capturing everything on her video camera. "How long will it take them to get to Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center?" Cynthia curiously asks.

"Depending on traffic about a half an hour or so." Abby shrugs.

Just as Gibbs and Jenny approach the limo, McGee opens up the rear passenger side door; Gibbs with his hand on the small of Jenny's back guides her into the back seat, and then gets inside of the limo taking his place next to his lover. Ziva gets inside of the limo and sits across from Gibbs. With Gibbs, Jenny, and Ziva inside of the car, Tony closes the door. "Procedure is in reverse when we arrive at the Convention Center." Tony instructs McGee.

"I know you've told me a hundred times already." McGee grumbles and gets inside of the front of the limo.

"I love bossing him around." Tony laughs and then rushes over to the rear door on the driver's side and gets inside of the limo sitting across from Jenny.

"Just because we'll be in a room full of Directors, Military Officials, Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, and Airman, I want all of you to be on alert." Gibbs orders them.

"After what happened with Director Vance last year boss, we'll always be on our guard." McGee roughly says to him.

"That was an inside job and could not have been prevented." Ziva bitterly answers.

"Even so I want my team's full attention on watching over their Director, no socializing." Gibbs growls and gives Tony a glare of warning.

"Why is it that I always get glared at and chewed out when we go on Protection Detail?" Tony whines.

"Because you screw around too much." Gibbs barks.

Jenny annoyed with the constant bickering. "Melvin you can drive off."

"Yes ma'am!" Melvin answers and pulls away from the curb.

Abby and Cynthia wave at them. "She looked like Cinderella going to her Prince Charming." Abby smiles.

"Difference is the Director will stay a Princess after the stroke of midnight." Cynthia softly answers.

Oxon Hill, Maryland

Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center

Potomac Ballroom Lobby

1900 Hours

Gibbs, Jenny, are standing in front of the bar drinking a glass of bourbon. "I'm so glad you decided to come later, I don't think I could handle an hour and a half of mingling." Gibbs groans.

"You couldn't handle it." Jenny sighs and takes a healthy sip from her glass. "Do you know how many sets of eyes would have been focused on my chest?" Jenny mutters.

"And all it would take is one look from me and their eyes would be focused elsewhere." Gibbs growls.

Off in the distance, Tony, Ziva, and McGee watch over Jenny. "This is the boring part." Tony grumbles.

"Cocktail hour than the Official Ceremony at 1930 hours, dinner at 2045 hours, then dancing at 2145 hours." Ziva chronicles the events of the ball.

"I wonder if Gibbs dances." Tony sheepishly asks out loud.

"We'll find out soon enough." Ziva smiles.

2030 Hours

Inside the ballroom after the Opening Ceremony, Gibbs and Jenny sit at their table with several Agency Directors. "I noticed the CGIS Director isn't sitting with us." Gibbs whispers in her ear.

"He's sitting with some of the lower level agency heads." Jenny snickers.

Gibbs with his eye over on his team. "DiNozzo looks like he wants to pull his hair out." Gibbs laughs.

"He needs to learn some focus." Jenny frowns.

"I know he's easily distracted." "I was hoping after the incident with Barrett that Tony would wise up." Gibbs answers in disappointment.

"He'll get it eventually when he's appointed as Team Leader."

"You have a promotion for him?" Gibbs shrugs.

"No, too many cut backs at the moment, and I have a lot of Team Leaders over sea's that I had to step down and become Senior Field Agents again." Jenny sadly answers.

"If that were to happen to me I would retire." Gibbs growls.

"Don't worry it will never happen to you." Jenny smiles.

Gibbs with his belly rumbling. "I've been looking forward to my New York Strip Sirloin all day long."

"That's the second course."

"I read the first course, how am I suppose to eat that crap." Gibbs grumbles.

"Like you did over in Europe." "You tried the food in Paris and guess what Jethro, surprising you liked it." Jenny sighs.

2100 Hours

Jenny smirks over at her lover as he finishes the last of his baby mixed greens, chiffonade mint with brown sugar roasted pears, machego triangle, crispy prosciutto chip, red tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette. "What did I tell ya?" Jenny laughs at him.

"I got a pear flash-"

Jenny puts her hand over her lover's mouth. "Not at the dinner table Jethro." Jenny chastises him. Several of the wives raise a curious eyebrow over at them. "Gunny Gibbs is being a little boy at the dinner table." Jenny playfully announces to the wives.

A safe distance away, the second course is being carried past Tony, Ziva, and McGee. Chipotle Marinated Manhattan Cut Grilled New York Strip Chipotle Demi-Glace Steak accompanied with a pan of seared Sea Bass, Fennel Caper Cream, with green beans, red pepper, patipan squash and Portobello mushroom with red bliss potatoes. "No fair!" Tony groans.

"What's the matter Tony?" Ziva laughs.

"We have to watch them eat that." Tony pouts.

"There is food out in the ballroom lobby."

"Yeah finger food." Tony whines.

"I wonder what the third course will be." McGee curiously asks out loud.

A passing server over hears McGee. "Caramel Cream Tart with Roasted Pineapple and Pomegranate." The server informs them.

"I'll pass since I'm not a Pomegranate kind of guy." Tony sighs with relief.

After dinner Gibbs is out in the ballroom lobby getting a drink, a familiar face approaches him from behind. "Gunny!" Hollis calls out to him.

Gibbs turns and faces Hollis. "Holli!" He smiles at her with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here as a guest of Colonel Thomas Humphries." Hollis smiles.

"Dating an Army Colonel?" Gibbs shrugs.

"No a Marine, he's stationed over at the Marine Corps Base in Oahu, Hawaii."

"I often wondered how you made out in Hawaii." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"I'm enjoying every minute of it."

"So did I when I was briefly retired in Mexico."

"Are you going to go back to Mexico?"

"Mike Franks my former boss and mentor passed away a few months ago." "I got the strip of land that his house had been at."

"Been at?"

"Long story that I do not want to get into." "I'm in the process of putting in a modular."

With the entranceway of the ballroom in view Hollis notices Jenny talking to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. "Head of the Director of NCIS's Protection Detail and her escort at the same time." Hollis openly muses.

"I'm her escort, not on Jenny's Protection Detail." Gibbs corrects her.

"I thought that would be a conflict of interest." Hollis sheepishly asks.

"Hollis, Jenny and I have been living together for the past two months." "Part of the agreement of Jenny taking back her job as Director, is that we could still see one another off the job."

"So the two of you are successfully balancing out on an on and off the job relationship." Hollis says with surprise.

"It's a work in progress." Gibbs answers sharply.

Hollis noting by the tone in Gibbs' voice. "You don't seem too happy that she took her old job back."

"It's something that I will have to live with Hollis."

"Just like she will have to live with coming in second to your first wife."

Before Gibbs can answer her, Hollis' date Colonel Thomas Humphries walks over to them. "Hollis I was looking all over for you."

"Tom, this is an old colleague that I use to work with while I was at CID, NCIS Special Agent Jethro Gibbs."

Tom reaches for Gibbs' hand. "Impersonating a Marine Gunnery Master Sergeant." Tom laughs.

Gibbs returns the gesture. "No, I was in the Corps from '76' to '91'." "I had two tours in Panama and Desert Storm."

"I was in Panama, Grenada, Desert Storm, and our two current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"Jethro was wounded in Desert Storm." Hollis nods.

"I was lucky; I was never wounded in combat."

"The lucky part is surviving." Gibbs answers.

"Is this your first time to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball." Tom curiously asks.

"Yes!" Gibbs smiles and glances around the room. "I've always wanted to go."

"So you finally decided to come this year?" Tom smiles.

Gibbs gritting his teeth. "Yeah, I was given an invitation from Acting Director Fornell about a month ago; he no longer needed it so I asked Director Shepard if I could take her to the ball."

"You here as the Director of NCIS' escort?"

Inside the ballroom, Jenny finishes her conversation with Marine Corps Commandant and walks out into the lobby, spotting Hollis and a Marine Colonel talking to Gibbs. "By the looks of it, I better rescue Jethro before he blows a gasket." Jenny laughs and approaches her lover. "Colonel Mann!" Jenny nods over at her.

"I'm a civilian now Director, call me Hollis." She smiles at her.

"Hollis!" Jenny warmly answers to her and then glances at Tom.

"Director Shepard, this is Colonel Thomas Humphries, he's stationed over at the Marine Corps Base in Oahu, Hawaii."

Jenny reaches for Tom's hand. "Colonel Humphries."

"Director Shepard!" Tom smiles and shakes Jenny's hand. "Hollis just introduced me to Special Agent Gibbs."

"Hollis and Gibbs had worked together on joint CID-NCIS investigations." Jenny softly answers.

Off in the distance, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are watching. "Gibbs is saying get me out of here." Tony laughs.

"He does look uncomfortable." Ziva snickers.

"Of all people to show up at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball." McGee says with surprise.

"At least Hollis is here with a date and dressed as a civilian." Ziva answers.

"Looks like he's a Colonel, I wonder where he's stationed at." McGee curiously asks.

"Isn't Hollis living in Hawaii?" Tony curiously says to McGee.

"Last I heard, maybe her mystery date is stationed at the Marine Base in Hawaii."

"With that tan she has, Hollis definitely is living in a sunny warm location." Ziva notes.

Back over at the bar, Gibbs mentally is figuring out a way to get out of the current situation that he's in, glancing up at the clock he notices that the first dance is about to begin. "First dance is about to begin and I wanted to be out on the dance floor with the Director." "Hollis it was nice seeing you again." Gibbs smiles and squeezes her hand. "Colonel Humphries!" Gibbs smiles and reaches for Tom's hand.

"Special Agent Gibbs!" Tom smiles and shakes Gibbs' hand. "Director Shepard!" Tom nods.

"Colonel Humphries, Hollis!" Jenny nods.

Gibbs loops his arm around Jenny's and escorts her into the ballroom. "Of all places to run into Hollis." Gibbs groans.

"I almost choked on my drink when I saw her." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs stops Jenny at the edge of the dance floor waiting for the band to play the song for the first dance. The Marine Corps Commandant escorts his wife on to the dance floor. Suddenly the band begins to play 'Isn't It Romantic'. With the Commandant dancing with his wife, Gibbs and Jenny make their way on to the floor and begin to dance. Off in the distance Tony, Ziva, and McGee smile at them. "Sabrina '1954'!" Tony muses.

"What about it?" McGee answers.

"It was the song that William Holden's David Larrabee was suppose to dance with Audrey Hepburn's Sabrina Fairchild in the tennis court at during David's engagement party with his fiancée Elizabeth."

"But instead his brother Linus took his place, after David had accidently sat on the champagne glasses that he had hidden in his back pockets." Ziva smiles.

"What moron would hide champagne glasses in their back pocket?" McGee laughs.

Ziva glances over at Tony. "Somebody who could never keep it in their pants." Ziva smirks.

"Took you six years to get the meaning of that." Tony chuckles and then it dawns on him that Ziva was talking about him. "I'm not that stupid to put champagne glasses in my back pocket to get laid."

"But you slept with EJ Barrett which was just as stupid." McGee baits him.

"You're comparing Barrett to two broken champagne glasses." Tony shrugs.

"Yeah they both bite you on the ass." Ziva grins.

Hollis standing behind them, she looks over at Gibbs and Jenny on the dance floor. "They move so well together." Hollis softly says.

"Not just in dance." Tony gloats at her and walks off for the men's room.

Tom standing next to Hollis listening in on them. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means that Special Agent Gibbs and Director Shepard are living together off the job." Hollis informs him.

"SecNav Jarvis allowing this?" Tom asks with surprise.

"It was the only way Jenny would take her old job back." "You do not know what the both of them have been through the past three years." Ziva frowns and walks away.

"I better move in position at the other end of the ballroom." McGee nods at them and walks away.

"Who are they?" Tom curiously asks.

"Special Agent DiNozzo, just went into the bathroom, Ziva David is a Mossad Liaison Officer and is the daughter of Mossad Director Eli David." "The agent that just walked away was Special Agent McGee." Hollis informs them.

"They always this distant around you?"

"Yes, because in their eyes I never fit in with Gibbs and their team." Hollis bitterly answers. "And I was also in the way of their dysfunctional work parents getting back together." Hollis mentally says to herself.

In the ladies room a half an hour later; Jenny is washing her hands, when Hollis steps out of the stall. "I could never get Jethro to dance with me." Hollis sadly answers and walks over to the sink.

"We danced about once a month, when we go out for dinner in Paris, back in 1999." Jenny softly says to her.

"I gather that the two of you were not acting out an operation once the lights were turned out." Hollis sweetly says to her.

"That's none of your business Hollis." Jenny warns her.

"It was my business four years ago, when you and Jethro were giving each other casting glances at once another in the office." "At the time I thought you were jealous."

"Over you!" Jenny laughs and shakes her head. "Please, explain the erection I felt up against me the time I shoved Gibbs up against the window in the Squad Room, the two of you were sleeping together at the time." "Obviously you weren't cutting it out in the bedroom." Jenny baits her.

"He may have been aroused, but keep in mind he was sharing my bed and you were spending your lonely nights up in your office." "I would listen in on to Tony, Ziva, and McGee's conversations while I was working at my desk."

"I was working on a classified op that took up a lot of my time." Jenny snaps at her.

"That's the job of your MTAC technicians and you're Operations Managers." Hollis smirks at her.

"Well he may have been in your bed, but keep in mind; his thoughts were not on you." Jenny icily reminds her.

Hollis washes her hands at the sink. "I can say the same thing about you." Hollis sarcastically answers.

"The difference between you and I Hollis is I can accept that a part of Jethro will always love Shannon, she was his first love and bore him his only child."

"Your right I could never accept it." Hollis sadly says.

"To love Jethro, you have to love all of him." "Jethro will always be haunted by their deaths."

"You're that secure with yourself." Hollis frowns.

"Yes!" Jenny smiles and walks off for the door, just as she's about to walk out the door.

"Good luck!"

Jenny turns and faces Hollis. "Thank you Hollis, but I don't need well wishes when it comes to my relationship with Jethro, I know where I stand." Jenny nods and walks out the door.

"Hopefully on top." Hollis answers and shakes her head.

Gibbs' House

0200 Hours

Gibbs is all over Jenny as they make their way up the stairs. "Jethro!" Jenny says in between kisses.

"If I don't get you into bed." Gibbs growls in sexual frustration.

"Since you're an impatient little boy, I'm going to get out of my gown in my study, while you get undressed in the bedroom." Jenny playfully chastises him as they reach the top of the stairs.

"I'm giving you two minutes to get out of that thing before I go in after you." Gibbs barks.

"Five minutes!"

"Five is stretching it." Gibbs groans and walks off for the bedroom.

"And I counted at least six glasses of bourbon in between the glasses of wine and champagne." Jenny sighs and walks off for the study.

Three minutes later, Jenny naked walks out of her study, Gibbs is standing in the doorway to his bedroom. "I don't believe we've done it up against the bannister yet." Gibbs smirks.

"That will be a nice visual for Ducky and your team when they come to the house and find the two of us dead and naked at the bottom of the stairs with a broken bannister underneath of us." Jenny laughs.

"For the next four hours, you are going to be mine without any interruptions."

Jenny slowly walks over to him. "I take it you didn't like sharing me tonight."

"Hell no!" Gibbs snarls and pulls Jenny's face up passionately kissing her on the mouth. As they work their way over to the bed, their kisses become more demanding, Gibbs falls down on to his back pulling Jenny on top of him, his strong calloused hands glide down her waist, over the back of her thighs, and then making their way in between her legs. Stroking out her arousal, and feeling that she's ready. "That's the one problem I don't have with you, you're always ready."

Jenny arching down on to his hand. "You going to do something about that." She moans out with pleasure.

"No you are." Gibbs smirks, pulling her down into his throbbing shaft.

"Figures!" She cries out with pleasure.

Gibbs once he's fully inside of her begins to thrust up against her. Jenny grabs a hold of his hands and slowly begins to make love to him. Through the faint light in the bedroom, Gibbs loses himself in his lovers green eyes darken from arousal, her long red hair sprayed out against his chest. "Don't stop!" He cries out.

For ten minutes they slowly torture one another, not giving into one another, their bodies collide against one another not giving an inch. "Jethro!" Jenny screams out.

"I want to hear you say it."

"I love you!" She cries out clutching on to her lovers hands, with a final thrust Gibbs climaxes inside of her. Jenny soaked with sweat collapses on top of him.

"I guess after sex foreplay is out of the question." Gibbs pants.

Jenny raises her head from the top of his chest. "You got to be kidding me." She protests.

Gibbs shoves Jenny on to her back. "While you're coming down from your orgasm I want to see what you did to yourself at the spa today."

"I am not up for oral sex after that." Jenny hisses and grabs a hold of the blankets and covers them up.

"Come on Jen." Gibbs mischievously asks.

"I only got my legs and eyebrows waxed, and a manicure and pedicure." "There's nothing to see."

"I thought maybe-"

"Not until next month, when I stop over in Paris while I'm at the Interpol Anti-Terrorism Conference in Madrid."

"Paris spas are better?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes less painful, but you wouldn't know what I mean." Jenny mutters.

"No I wouldn't I don't need to wax down there." Gibbs grins.

"Why not some male celebrities are starting to do it?" Jenny shrugs

"Well this Marine only shaves the hair on his face and on the back of his head for formal functions and that's it." Gibbs growls.

"I'm just teasing you." Jenny giggles and leans up and kisses him on the mouth, her hands go down to his belly caressing the hairs that lead to his pubic hairline.

Gibbs deepens her kiss and rolls Jenny on to her back; passionately they make love until first light. Jenny exhausted from being up for nearly twenty-four hours closes her eyes in the crook of Gibbs right arm. Gibbs intertwines their left hands, raising their ring fingers. "Tonight I announced to the whole damn world that you were mine, I still had other men looking at you." "The only way I'm going to keep them from looking at you is by getting a wedding ring on your finger." Gibbs mentally says to himself. With sunlight filtering into the bedroom, Gibbs lies in bed and begins to think over his future with Jenny a future as Mrs. Leroy Jethro Gibbs number five. "Should have been number four." Gibbs inwardly frowns and closes his eyes.


	61. Exile To Hell

November 16th 2011

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

0815 Hours

Abby is showing Ducky the video footage that she took from Gibbs' house on Saturday of Gibbs and Jenny dressed up for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. "As usual our lovely Director looks radiant as ever." Ducky smiles.

"Gibbs was right; blue does go well with the Director's red hair and green eyes." "She should wear blue to work more often, for some reason, Director Shepard likes to wear, black, green, and brown to the office a lot."

"The green and brown may have to do with Jenny's upbringing, they are military colors."

"Drab, drab, drab, if you ask me." Abby sighs.

"Abby you wear black to work most of the time." Ducky chuckles.

"That I do and here I am critiquing the Director's choice in colors to work." Abby laughs.

"As far as I'm concerned our lovely Director could wear a brown paper bag to work and she would still be a vision." Ducky muses.

"I noticed that the first time I saw her wearing jeans over at the Swartz's."

"Speaking of the Swartz's, Mrs. Swartz came home unexpectedly the other day."

"Did she notice the difference in the upstairs closet?" Abby curiously asks.

"Apparently not!" Ducky answers.

"I doubt that they'll notice the difference, Megan is a pro at duplicating wallpaper." Abby smiles and takes out the flash drive from her computer. "Do you think Gibbs and the Director will get married?"

"I believe that Jethro wants to propose, but whether Jenny will accept his proposal is anybody's guess." Ducky answers with a smile.

"I'll handcuff her to a chair until she says yes."

"Abigail you keep forgetting that Jenny is a highly trained federal agent."

"Who was trained by Gibbs, I know, I know." Abby sighs.

"And also under took some Mossad training with Ziva."

"Right I keeping forgetting that the two of them worked together over in Europe."

Out in the parking lot Gibbs is getting out of his car with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Still addicted to Starbucks." Hollis calls out to him next to her rental car.

"Hollis what are you doing here?" Gibbs growls.

"You don't need to get defensive with me Jethro, I only stopped by to say hello to Ducky."

"You came by to cause problems." Gibbs barks.

"I believe your imagination is running wild." Hollis laughs and walks over to the elevator.

Gibbs chases after her. "You could have called Ducky and met him for lunch."

"I have a four o'clock flight back to Honolulu; I don't have the time for lunch."

"Going back with Tom." Gibbs smirks.

"No Tom has been assigned to Quantico." "I'm flying back to pack up my condo and I'll move in with him."

"Great you're moving back to Washington." Gibbs groans and pushes in the button for the elevator.

"Moving back and I also took a job with the ATF, so we'll be bumping into one another."

"NCIS rarely works with the ATF." Gibbs laughs.

"You never know Jethro." Hollis winks.

Up in the bullpen, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are sitting around at their desks bored with nothing to do. "We better get a case and fast." Tony groans and tosses a rolled up piece of paper into McGee's trashcan.

Ziva gets up from her chair and walks over to the filing cabinet next to Tony's desk. "You could go down to the gym and work on your six pack." Ziva snickers.

"Don't go there again." Tony protests and is about to roll up a sheet of paper when he spots Gibbs and Hollis getting out of the elevator together. "Ut oh!" He alerts them.

"What?" McGee asks and cranes his head towards the direction of the elevator.

"You'll see." Tony smirks.

Gibbs and Hollis walk into his section. "Ducky's extension number is 225." "Use the empty desk at the end." Gibbs grunts.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee look at one another. "Agents DiNozzo and McGee, Officer David." Hollis nods over at them.

"Um it's Special Agent David; I'm now a US citizen and resigned my position at Mossad a few years ago." Ziva corrects her.

"Congratulations!" Hollis smiles and walks over to the end desk next to McGee.

Gibbs walks over to his desk and puts his cup of coffee down on top of his desk. "Since we have nothing to do I want each and every one of you going over cold cases." Gibbs orders them.

"I hate doing that boss." Tony whines.

"Does it look like I care Tony?" Gibbs snarls, he takes off his coat and throws it up against the bookshelf behind his desk.

Up on the balcony, Jenny steps out of MTAC with her Blackberry up against her ear. "I don't care, I want results." Jenny screams into her phone. "Well if your team can't get it done, I'll have to send down the Special Projects Team from LA down to San Diego, Agent Snyder."

Down in the bullpen everyone's focus is up on Jenny as her voice gets louder and louder. "Boss how do you deal with that mouth twenty-four hours a day?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Easy, I go down into my basement." Gibbs snorts.

"Tell Doctor Mallard I'll be down in a minute." Hollis softly says and hangs up. Having listening into part of Gibbs and Tony's conversation. "Gibbs, I was meaning to ask you the other night, whatever came about 'The Kelly'?" "We worked hard on her." Hollis smiles with pride.

"Destroyed!" Gibbs frowns.

"Destroyed?"

"Another long story that I do not want to revisit." Gibbs snaps.

"Did you work on another boat?"

"Finished number three, and when I have weekends off I go fishing out in the bay."

"Who did you name her after?" Hollis asks out of curiosity. Gibbs smirks up towards the direction of the balcony. "You didn't!" Hollis laughs.

"When I named the boat after her nine years ago, it was on a lost love that I thought I lost forever." "I started working on 'The Shepard' again about three months before Jenny had died." Gibbs swallows and looks up towards his lover up on the balcony. "After Jenny's death it got me through my grief." "If I couldn't have Jenny in life, the boat was a way for me to have her in death."

"What was her reaction to finding about the boat being named after her?" Hollis laughs.

"She wasn't a happy camper that's for sure." Gibbs grins.

"You're a piece of work." Hollis laughs and walks off for the elevator.

Back up on the balcony. "You have twenty-four hours to get it done, if not I'm sending G Callen's team down." Jenny angrily warns him and hangs up. "Lazy and Vance hired him." Jenny sighs in exasperation and stalks off for her office.

"Finally!" Tony groans with relief.

"She needs to rest her vocal cords." Ziva snickers.

"I'm surprised that her vocal cords are still working after the work out I gave her in the shower this morning." Gibbs mentally gloats.

Down in Autopsy five minutes later, Hollis and Ducky are catching up. "I wasn't expecting to see you back in Washington after you retired." Ducky smiles with surprise and pours some water into two cups.

"Neither did I." Hollis laughs and begins to dunk her teabag into her cup.

"Marine Corps Birthday Ball brought you back."

"That and my boyfriend Colonel Thomas Humphries has been stationed over at Quantico." "I'll be moving in with him and if everything goes well after the first six months we're going to elope."

"So what are your plans when you move in with your boyfriend?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Since I retired three years ago from Army, the ATF and the DEA constantly harass me with job offers." "I accepted a position with the ATF and I will start in January." "I need to move out of my condo in Honolulu and put that up for sale."

"Does Jethro know you're working for one our sister agencies?" Ducky chuckles.

"Yes and he wasn't thrilled with it." "I don't believe I've heard that term sister agencies before." Hollis laughs.

"Director Shepard refers to the other federal arms agencies as sister agencies just to aggravate Jethro." Ducky laughs.

"I see he hasn't changed a bit other than his living arrangements, I'm surprised that SecNav Jarvis is letting that slide by."

"Well it was the only way Jenny would take her position back as Director of NCIS." "After what Gibbs and Jenny went through the past three years, Jenny's priority was Jethro first, her job second."

"What happened?"

"I'm afraid that we're under orders not to discuss it." Ducky informs her.

"There was a reason why Jenny was put into the witness protection program." Hollis ponders.

"Whatever the reasons were, I'm not at liberty to talk about it."

Palmer walks in. "Things are slow around here." Palmer grumbles.

"Shhhh!" Ducky chastises him. "Don't speak so soon or that phone will be ringing."

"I use to say that to my agents when we would be sitting around doing nothing for days on end." Hollis laughs.

"With the work we've put in recently I'm going to enjoy a few days of slow time." Ducky answers and removes the teabag from his cup.

"Not as busy as Agent Gibbs' team, figured they had the joint Solberg investigation with CGIS that took over a month." "Then Agents DiNozzo and David got sent down to Miami on another investigation." Palmer openly announces.

"Gibbs must have enjoyed working with CGIS since their lower on the totem pole than NCIS." Hollis snickers and takes a sip from her cup of tea.

"No, the agent that Jethro frequently works with at CGIS is a woman and she is a mirror image of him." Ducky laughs.

"And I bet there was some romance between the two of them." Hollis wickedly implies.

"No Jethro wasn't interested in Borin in that way." Ducky answers, quickly dismissing the notion that Gibbs and Borin were dating off the job.

"Agent Borin did have red hair." Palmer nods.

"What is it with Gibbs' fascination with redheads, I know his first wife and his ex-wives had red hair." Hollis curiously asks.

"Not all of Jethro's women have red hair." "You're a blonde, Allison Hart a lawyer he briefly dated was a brunette and so was Lieutenant Commander Faith Coleman from JAG." Ducky informs her.

"But he still has a weakness for redheads." Hollis sighs in exasperation.

"I believe Agent DiNozzo said it has something to do with John Wayne." Palmer shrugs.

"Maureen O'Hara was his frequent co-star." Ducky smiles.

"Which characters are his ex-wives?" Hollis laughs.

"Jethro's first ex-wife, Min Wead from 'The Wings of Eagles'." "Diane, his second ex-wife Mary Kate Danaher, from 'The Quiet Man'." "Stephanie ex-wife number three, Kathleen York from 'Rio Grande'." Ducky laughs and shakes his head.

"I'm surprised that you didn't have "McLintock on your list." Hollis snickers.

"That movie character role is reserved for one Jennifer Shepard; she's Katherine McLintock opposite Jethro's GW McLintock." Ducky says with a mischievous grin on his face.

Up in Jenny's Office, Gibbs is sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table. "That's a smart pick up for the ATF." Jenny says to Gibbs as she's reviewing case files at her desk.

"What, you mean that you're happy that Hollis is back in Washington?" Gibbs barks.

"Who cares, it only affects me if we have a joint investigation with the ATF and you don't play nice with her." Jenny snickers.

"Great I'll have to deal with her and Borin." Gibbs groans.

"Truthfully I would rather deal with Hollis as an agent, Borin is a borderline pain in the ass like you."

"Gee thanks a lot."

"Jethro I would really like to get these case files finished before I go to my shrink session with Dr. Cranston at 1100 hours."

"I came up here because I was bored out of my mind in the bullpen."

"You came up here to hide from Hollis." "You have two options, suck it up or hit the gym."

"I would rather hit the gym." Gibbs grumbles and gets up from the couch. "Want anything for lunch?"

"I don't care bring back whatever comes to mind."

"We had Chinese yesterday I'll think of something." Gibbs shrugs and walks out of the office.

Jenny takes off her glasses and drops them on top of her desk. "I'm not looking forward to my appointment with Dr. Cranston." Jenny sighs and rubs her temples.

Doctor Rachel Cranston's Office

1105 Hours

Rachel leads Jenny over to a leather couch. "I like to talk to my patients the old fashion way." Rachel smiles and takes a seat in a leather chair beside the couch.

"I don't know why I'm here." Jenny frowns.

"Yes you do, it's written all over you." "You need to get it out." Rachel gently says to her.

"Some of what I'm about to tell you is highly classified." Jenny sharply says to her.

"I talk with federal law enforcement, Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airman that are involved with classified black op's." "I've heard it all Director Shepard." Rachel reassures her.

"I don't know where to start." Jenny whispers.

"From the beginning." Rachel softly says to her.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs returns from the gym and finds Hollis waiting for him at his desk. "Still here!" Gibbs growls and walks over to his desk and flops down in his chair.

"I came to say good bye."

"Goodbye Holli have a safe flight back to Honolulu and not to be sarcastic, I hope our paths do not cross when you take your position at ATF."

"I have a feeling that we'll be bumping into one another." Hollis winks and walks off for the elevator.

"Great another female agent from another agency to annoy the crap out of me." Gibbs grumbles and takes his glasses out of his jacket pocket.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee return from a trip down in the gun range. "I can't believe you were ten for ten." Tony groans.

"You're not an assassin Tony." Ziva smirks.

"Well at least I beat out McGeek." Tony snickers and then glances at Gibbs who's tuning them out by reading an old case file that hasn't been solved. "Colonel Mann leave?"

"Yes, she's on her way back to Honolulu."

"I heard she's moving back to Washington?" Tony grins.

"And took a job with the ATF." McGee baits him.

"So?" Gibbs shrugs.

"It means that we might be working with her again." Tony laughs.

"How often have we worked a joint investigation with the ATF?" Gibbs roughly asks.

"Bout once a year." Tony answers.

"Once a year and who's to say that Hollis will be the agent that my team will have to work with."

"You keep getting stuck with Borin." Tony chuckles.

Gibbs throws a rolled up piece of paper at Tony. "Get cracking on those cold case files." Gibbs barks.

Tony concealing a laugh rushes back over to his desk and sits down. Ziva leans over Gibbs' desk. "Is the Director getting her psyche evaluation with Dr. Cranston?"

"No, she's just going to talk with her; hopefully Rachel can exercise the demons that Kosmo Galanos put inside of her." Gibbs frowns.

A half an hour later at Dr. Cranston's Office, Jenny has mentally exhausted herself to continue. "We'll take a ten minute break." Rachel softly says to her.

Jenny getting up from the couch. "If I take a break now I won't be able to finish."

"We don't have to do this in one session."

"I may not want another session." Jenny snaps.

"For your sake you are going to need several."

"I think better when I walk around."

"Ok!" Rachel nods at Jenny to continue.

"My father meant everything to me." "I don't understand how the man I idolized could do that to me." "By faking his own death." "I become a federal agent to bring down his killer." "I murdered La Grenouille in cold blood as revenge." "The same gun I used to kill La Grenouille, my father had his flunky Trent Kort break into my house and stole it when I wasn't home and used that gun to blackmail me out of a job that I worked very hard for; it took me away from my friends, who I looked upon as family." "And what it did to them, some of them knew I was alive, other's-" Jenny stops and begins to openly break down.

"Thought you were dead." Rachel finishes.

"Jethro!" Jenny sobs.

"I know about Agent Gibbs' past, he lost his wife and daughter twenty years ago." Rachel sadly answers.

"He had to go through that all over again." "Then that bastard Vance, after my funeral broke up his team when Jethro needed them the most." "McGee stayed at the Navy Yard working in another department, but it wasn't the same." "He needed his family for support."

"And while he was going through that alone, you were at your father's villa healing up from your gunshot wound."

"Healing and whoring myself for him." "I went from being the first female to be appointed as Director of a federal arms agency to whoring myself for the CIA, purchasing weapons off of every arms and drug dealer in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, Central and South America." "I did not like myself."

"You shouldn't blame yourself for what you father did to you."

"I pulled the trigger on La Grenouille, I killed him." "I have to take some responsibility for my actions." "My actions caused my exile to hell on the Island of Kalymnos." Jenny icily answers.

"You pulled the trigger, but who put you where you were at?"

"Leon Vance, Phillip Davenport, my father, and Trent Kort."

"Do you see where I'm getting at?"

"No!" Jenny swallows.

"You need to take a few steps backwards." "Think of how you got into the position you got into when you were working for the CIA under your alias Harriett Jones and then think on the ways you got yourself out of it."

"By getting shot by Benoit's men." Jenny answers and shakes her head.

"There was a reason why you went to Agent David with the information on EJ Barrett."

"You mean I wanted my cover to be blown."

"By blowing your cover, it brought you back as Jenny Shepard and to the people you care about."

"There would have been an easier way of blowing than getting shot at." Jenny laughs.

"I think I'll end our session on this positive note since your laughing." Rachel smiles and gets up from her chair. "I think you need a few more sessions with me." Rachel recommends.

"Next week I have meetings and Wednesday night Jethro and I are taking a flight up to Harrisburg, we're spending Thanksgiving Weekend with his father up in Stillwater." "Maybe the first week in December."

"Set an appointment up with my secretary on a convenient time."

"I'll have my assistant Cynthia look over my schedule and I'll have her call and make the appointment."

"See you in two weeks." Rachel softly says to her.

NCIS Headquarters

1200 Hours

Gibbs is out in the parking garage walking over to his Dodge Challenger when his cell phone rings for an incoming text message. Flipping open his phone, Gibbs squints down and notices it's an incoming text message from Jenny. "You would make me put on my glasses." Gibbs groans, taking out his glasses from his inside jacket pocket and putting them on. "I wonder if her shrink session is going over." Gibbs shrugs and pushes in the accept. "'Meet me on 'The Shepard'."

Tony and Ziva step out of the elevator. "Going out to lunch." Tony calls over to Gibbs.

"What's it look like DiNozzo?" Gibbs growls and gets inside of his car.

"He's been a bit touchy since Hollis came into the office." Tony frowns.

"I don't think it has anything to do with Hollis." Ziva answers with concern.

Half an hour later on 'The Shepard' in the V-berth sleeping cabin, Gibbs lies in bed propped up against the pillow stroking his lovers long red hair as she has her face pressed up against the side of his ribcage with her eyes closed. "You want to talk about it or is this something between you and Dr. Cranston?" Gibbs gently asks.

"Something that's between Dr. Cranston and myself." Jenny mumbles against him.

Gibbs pulls Jenny's face up and looks into the depths of her tortured green eyes. "I never got the chance to tell off that bastard for what he did to you." Gibbs snarls.

"You would have killed him Jethro."

"Damn right I would have." Gibbs angrily shouts. "It's not just what he did to you; it's what he did to us." "I thought you were dead." Gibbs chokes, pulling Jenny up against his chest. "A knife went through my heart when Tony told me that you were dead." "It was like losing my mother, Shannon, and Kelly all over again." "I didn't want to live."

"But you did." Jenny says above a whisper. "Even if I had died, I wouldn't have wanted you to kill yourself." "You mean more to the people you love." "Don't you realize on how special you are Jethro?" "Tony, McGee, and Ziva, idolize you." "Abby, I don't know if she could function."

"And Ducky would have been stuck around to pick up the pieces." Gibbs sighs.

"Like he usually is." Jenny teases him.

"It's just dawned on me that the student has taught the teacher something." Gibbs says in awe.

"It's not the first thing I taught you." Jenny purrs and leans up and kisses him on the mouth. Gibbs as he deepens Jenny's kiss, rolls on top of her.


	62. Male Bonding In Stillwater

November 23rd 2011

Stillwater, Pennsylvania

1815 Hours

Gibbs' rental car pulls on to Main Street. Jenny taking in the closed storefronts. "I guess back in the day this was a prospering town." Jenny softly asks.

"When the coal mine was booming." Gibbs smoothly answers. "The new owner that bought the coal mine from Chuck Winslow is slowly downsizing it."

"I guess he needed the money to pay for his legal fees." Jenny sarcastically answers.

"He can appeal all he wants." "The coal miners he hired to murder his son Ethan testified against him to get the death penalty off the table for killing a Marine and then there's the attempt on Ethan's life." "He'll be in prison for the rest of his life."

Gibbs pulls up outside in front of the 'Stillwater General Store'. "The rate your dad is going I can't see you retiring until your ninety." Jenny laughs.

"Unlike my dad I have a place waiting for me and somebody to live my years out." Gibbs smiles and gets out of the car.

"You mean two places waiting for you."

"Right your apartment in Pairs." Gibbs grins and walks over to the passenger side door and opens it.

Jenny gets out of the car. "I brought a satellite phone with me, just in case something should happen over the weekend."

"Can't you tell them you're off the clock." Gibbs growls and slams the door shut.

"Unfortunately no, terrorists don't keep schedules." Jenny mutters.

Jack walks out. "Leroy, Jenny!" He cheerfully calls out to them and affectionately hugs them. "I have your old room set up for the two of you."

"You didn't have to go through the trouble." Gibbs smiles and affectionately hugs his father.

"I've been looking forward to this weekend for two months." Jack smiles….Gibbs walks over to the trunk and opens it up. "Let me help you with that."

"I stopped at the store on our way into town." "We're having salmon for dinner."

"Jenny cooking?" Jack asks.

"I hope you have insurance on your place." Gibbs smirks.

"Really Jethro!" Jenny hisses and grabs a light carry-on bag from the trunk.

Sheriff Ed Gantry passes by in his patrol car. "Hey Leroy I still want to finish what you chickened out on thirty years ago." Gantry shouts over to him.

"I'm not here on official business, name the time and place." Gibbs barks.

"Friday night out front of your old man's store."

"Should be an even match, your pal Winslow isn't here to double team me."

"I feel like I'm standing outside my college classroom watching my current boyfriend and ex-boyfriend jawing at one another, before one of the professors break them up." Jenny sighs and walks into the store.

"What's with her?" Gantry shrugs.

"She deals with this in work all day long with DiNozzo and McGee." Gibbs laughs and hands his dad a light suitcase.

"Work?"

"We have an official visitor Ed." "The Director of NCIS will be staying in town for a few days." Jack smiles.

"That's the Director of NCIS." Gantry asks with surprise.

"Yes and you made a complete fool out of yourself." Gibbs laughs taking the heavier of the suitcases and closes the trunk. "Which is nothing new even after thirty years." Gibbs smirks and walks into the store.

"Bastard got the last word in as usual." Gantry groans and pulls away.

"He usually does." Jack chuckles.

At the kitchen table an hour later, Gibbs, Jenny, and Jack are talking as they eat their salmon. "I'm looking forward to Saturday morning son." Jack smiles.

"So am I." Gibbs smiles and takes a bite from his salmon.

"So what are you going to do while Leroy and I go deer hunting." Jack curiously asks Jenny.

"I'll manage!" Jenny shrugs.

"Just don't go off to far." Gibbs instructs her.

"Really Jethro, how far can I possibly get it's not Paris." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"Louise and her niece Althea will be by around nine to start cooking the turkey." Jack smoothly says to him.

"I had Thanksgiving Dinner at Ducky's the past two years." Gibbs answers.

"I had it over at the McKenzie's." Jack nods.

"I was Manila selling myself for Kosmo." Jenny icily answers and takes a sip from her glass of white wine.

Gibbs noting that Jenny is tired from an early morning op, quickly changes the subject away from her father. "Still seeing Leslie Sutherland." Gibbs smirks.

"Broke up a few weeks ago." Jack shrugs…"I was getting bored with her anyway."

"She can't pace herself with you anyways." Gibbs laughs.

"She was fine in the bedroom, it's just she was beginning to sound like a nag."

"You mean a wife." Jenny snickers.

"There will only be one Mrs. Jackson Gibbs and that's Leroy's mother." Jack smiles.

2100 Hours

Gibbs, Jenny, and Jack are sitting around the large table in in the store, Gibbs and Jack are talking about the life that they use to share, Gibbs and his parents living and working in Jack's General Store. "Mom use to make cookies every Friday afternoon when I came home from school." Gibbs fondly recalls.

"You would have a smile from ear to ear." Jack says in awe.

Gibbs nudges Jenny on the elbow. "Why don't you head up to bed, you can barely keep your eyes open?"

"I was way ahead of you on that." Jenny yawns and gets up from the table. She leans over and tenderly kisses Gibbs on the mouth. "Good night!" She softly says to him and then glances over at Jack. "Good night Jack."

"Good night Jenny." Jack smiles at her.

"Night Jen!" Gibbs smiles and watches as Jenny walks out of the room.

"I have some of your grandfather's hand tools out in the garage that I kept for you."

"Let me have a look at them."

Out in the garage an hour later, Gibbs is picking out the tools that Jack will ship out to Gibbs' house in Washington. "How are things going, now that Jenny is living with you full time?" Jack curiously asks.

"Fine, it's great to find her sleeping in my bed finally." Gibbs smiles.

"You look happy."

"That's because I am." "I haven't been this happy since we left Paris in 1999."

"You of all people deserve it."

"No she deserves it." "What Jenny went through the past three years?" Gibbs angrily snaps.

"Leroy what's done is done."

"Yeah, that no good bastard Jasper Shepard has his daughter's head all screwed up." "I wish Iris didn't blow him away."

"That's because you wanted to do it."

"Damn right I did." Gibbs snarls.

"It wouldn't have solved anything Leroy by killing him." Jack scolds him.

"Wouldn't have solved anything but I would have made me feel better." Gibbs growls.

Gibbs' Room

0000 Hours

Gibbs wearing a Marine T-shirt and his boxers crawls into bed, cuddling behind Jenny. Feeling one of his flannel shirts under the covers. "I know a good way to get you warm."

"And keep your father awake." Jenny grumbles half asleep.

Gibbs hands venture up under Jenny's shirt, feeling up her breasts. "This is extremely frustrating not having your bare skin touching mine." Gibbs whispers against the back of her head.

"You will survive." Jenny mumbles.

"Yeah a cold shower at first light." Gibbs yawns and closes his eyes.

The next morning Gibbs and Jack are sitting around the table drinking coffee and reading the paper. "The closet gourmet coffee shop is in Bloomsburg, I don't understand how you get your coffee tasting so good." Gibbs laughs and shakes his head.

"I'm a Maxwell House person through and through; it's just that with you living abroad you got use to drinking the fancy coffee blends." Jack smoothly answers.

"The stronger the better for me and if I taste any of that French Vanilla or Mocha crap in my coffee, I quickly dump it out." "Coffee is meant to be drank strong and black."

"I noticed your other half drinks her coffee black."

"In my presence only, the minute my back is turned Jen puts cream and sugar in it and also drinks those fancy latte's and mocha whatchamacallits." Gibbs grumbles.

"Is she still sleeping?"

"Yeah, I didn't bother waking her up this morning, Jen went into work at 0400 Hours yesterday morning, an early op to oversee." Gibbs answers with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"You don't seem happy."

Gibbs with his eyes trained on the entranceway of the back of the store, so that he can watch out for Jenny entering the room. "I don't like it that she's back at her old job at NCIS." "I wanted her home." Gibbs answers in a low tone of voice, so that Jenny can't hear him.

"You mean you don't like it that she's your boss again." Jack chuckles.

"Sneaky bitch didn't tell me that Jarvis had offered Jenny her job back." "I come back from hauling a suspect back from Idaho on a flight from hell and wham I get blindsided when I walk into Fornell's Office only to find Jenny sitting in one of her power suits at the conference table." "At first I thought that Fornell was pulling my leg."

"But he wasn't!"

"We had an icy first twenty-four hours at home and at work."

"Then you made up."

"No a compromise, we'll try to keep work at work and home at home." Gibbs sighs.

"You still don't seem happy about it."

"I wanted her home doing absolutely nothing." "I made the back room into a study for her, so that Jenny could relax at home during the day while I was at work." "I even hired her old house keeper so that Jenny didn't have to do any house work."

"Leroy a woman like Jenny Shepard can't sit around the house and do nothing all day long."

"Why not?" "After what she went through, she needed it." Gibbs growls.

"No it's what you needed." "Face it Leroy Jenny is not a stay at home kind of a gal."

"If there was a house full of kids Jenny would be a stay at home kind of gal." Gibbs smiles.

"Kids in your plans?"

"No Jenny had her tubes tied a few years ago and she just turned forty-eight a few months ago." Gibbs frowns in disappointment. "It would be too risky for Jenny to have a baby at her age."

"There's adoption?"

"With our busy dangerous careers."

"Keep forgetting about that."

"What's done is done and the both of us have to move on." Gibbs sadly answers.

"So when are you going to propose to her?"

"She's not ready yet."

"The question is are you ready?"

"Yes, but I have to wait for the right time and place to ask her." "I took Jenny to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball last weekend and even though Jenny was with me, she still had a bunch of Senators and Congressmen all over her." "It took my will power not to beat the crap out of them." Gibbs snarls.

"I guess the old Gibbs glare of warning didn't work huh." Jack chuckles.

"No, their use to it up on the hill." Gibbs laughs.

Jenny walks in. "Good morning!" She yawns and walks over to the table.

Gibbs gets up from the table and walks over to two burner coffee maker at the end of the counter. "Jen you're in for a real treat."

"What's that?" Jenny mumbles half asleep and flops down in a chair in front of the kitchen table.

"Dad's coffee." Gibbs smiles pouring Jenny a cup of coffee.

"As long as it wakes me up."

Gibbs walks over to the table and hands Jenny her cup of coffee. "The smell of it alone will wake you up." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny takes a sip from her cup, immediately her eyes widen. "Whoa you could have warned me that it was strong." Jenny chokes.

"Not use to coffee this strong I gather." Jack laughs.

"Not this strong." Jenny grimaces.

"After the third sip you'll acquire a taste for it." Gibbs chuckles.

Louise and Althea walk into the store carrying some plastic grocery bags. "Morning Jack!" Louise smiles over at him and walks over to the table.

"Louise, Althea this is my son Leroy and his lady friend Jenny Shepard."

"It's all Jack has talked about for weeks." Louise smiles at them.

"You need any help with those bags." Gibbs offers.

"No its a few odds and ends that I forgot to stock up on." Louise smiles and walks off towards the kitchen with Althea following her from behind.

"Althea is a good cook." "She makes me breakfast and lunch every day."

"I can tell by your gut." Gibbs laughs.

"I wouldn't talk Leroy, since you've hired Noemi to do the cooking; your waist line has gotten bigger." Jenny teases her lover.

"I've put on a few pounds since we've came back from Paris."

"Try five!" Jenny snickers.

"I'll hit the gym when we get back from Stillwater; I'll have the weight off in a few weeks."

"How, you have the Christmas holidays coming up?"

"Forgot about that." Gibbs grumbles.

"That'll teach you for sticking your foot in your mouth Leroy." Jack laughs.

That evening Gibbs, Jenny, Jack, Louise, and Althea are gathered around the dining room table with their hands held on top of the table, Jack has decided to bring back a Thanksgiving Dinner tradition, of saying the blessing before dinner. "We give thanks our father in heaven, we give thanks for the pleasure  
>of gathering together for this occasion." "We give thanks for this food prepared by loving hands." "We give thanks for life, the freedom to enjoy it all and all other blessings." "As we partake of this food, we pray for health and strength to carry on and try to live as you would have us." "This we ask in the name of Christ, our Heavenly Father, amen."<p>

"Amen!" Gibbs, Jenny, Louise, and Althea answer in unison.

"Leroy pass me Louise's famous sweet potatoes." Jack drools.

Gibbs hands his father the bowl of sweet potatoes. "It's all he's talked about all morning long." Gibbs laughs.

"And my cherry pie." "I know I've heard it all week." Louise giggles.

An hour later, the Gibbs men are sitting at the table out in the store while the women are doing the dishes in the kitchen. "Jen does have some usefulness in the kitchen." Gibbs smirks.

"Leroy you're terrible." Jack laughs.

"Dad it was good to hear the Thanksgiving blessing." Gibbs smiles.

"Thanksgiving 1974 was the last time I recited the Thanksgiving blessing, it was the last Thanksgiving that we shared with your mother." Jack sadly answers.

"She was sick in the hospital for her last Thanksgiving." Gibbs frowns.

"It's been lonely the past thirty-four years going place to place for Thanksgiving dinner." "I couldn't go to your place, because I wasn't welcome in your home at the time."

"Dad!" Gibbs sighs at his father for bringing up the past.

"I know what's done is done." "But the memories of going to other people's houses for Thanksgiving, knowing that I had a son that was alive and I could have been joining him and his family or joining him after Shannon and Kelly had died."

"And I spent about fifteen miserable Thanksgiving Day dinners either alone or with my wives." "The time I spent alone I could have been sharing Thanksgiving Day with you." Gibbs chokes.

"Wasted years."

"Wasted and I'm going to make up for them now." Gibbs vows.

Jenny, Louise, and Althea walk into the room carrying a cherry, pumpkin, and apple pie. "Do you have room for pie?" Louise nods over at Jack.

"There's room for two slices." Jack grins.

"And you Leroy?" Louise asks with a questioning eyebrow.

"One!" Gibbs answers and glares over at his lover who's smirking over at him.

"He'll sneak a second slice during the middle of the night." Jenny sweetly tattles on him.

Louise putting the cherry pie on top of the table. "You two are a piece of work." Louise laughs and walks over to the coffee maker at the end of the counter.

Later that night, Gibbs, Jenny, and Jack are sitting around the table. Jack pulls out a deck of cards from his shirt pocket. "Leroy tells me you're a whiz at poker."

"He hasn't beaten me yet." Jenny smirks.

"Really?" Jack grins and begins to shuffle the cards. "Leroy the chips are in the sideboard table, center drawer.

Gibbs getting up from the table. "You're asking for trouble." Gibbs chuckles.

"Bring in a bottle of bourbon and some glasses on your way back."

0100 Hours

Jenny has won her fifteenth hand in a row. "Full House!" She gloats and pulls in her poker chips.

"Damn!" Jack growls in protest and tosses down his cards on top of the table.

"I told ya." Gibbs laughs and gets up from the table, tugging Jenny from her chair. "Come it's late."

"Night Jack!" Jenny smiles at him and gets up from the table.

"Rematch on Saturday night." Jack inquires.

"No try next month, we have a flight back to Washington at noon on Sunday." Gibbs reminds him and starts off for the doorway. "Night Dad!"

"Night Leroy, goodnight Jenny."

Ten minutes later up in Gibbs' bedroom, Jenny buzzed by the alcohol gives into her lover, Gibbs partially undresses her in bed. "Take me!" She begs him and wraps her legs around his waist.

Out in the hallway Jack is making his way over to the bathroom when he hears the two lovers. "I see Jenny caved in after all." Jack laughs and steps into the bathroom.

Inside the bedroom. "Don't stop!" Jenny moans out grabbing on to Gibbs' butt as he strokes harder and faster against her.

"Watch the nails." He growls increasing his strokes.

Aggressively they move against one another. The box spring under the mattress squeaks in rhythm as Gibbs thrusts harder and faster against her. With a final thrust, Gibbs climaxes inside of her, opening up the first three buttons on the flannel shirt that Jenny is wearing for a nightgown; Gibbs buries his face in between her breasts. Jenny drunk and exhausted drifts off to sleep. "Half a bottle of bourbon and I get you to cave into me." Gibbs mumbles against her chest.

The next morning, Jack is behind the counter when Gibbs walks out from the doorway. "Hung over!" Jack laughs.

"I haven't consumed that much bourbon in over three years." Gibbs grimaces.

"Jenny still sleeping."

"No getting dressed." Gibbs yawns and walks over to the coffee pot.

Mrs. Enberg walks into the store. "Good morning Jack!" She smiles at him.

"Morning Lucy!" Jack smiles at her.

"I'm all out of sugar." Lucy sighs and walks over to the shelf where the sugar is located at.

"Lucy this is my son Leroy, he's come up for the holiday."

"Jack has told me so much about you." Lucy says with surprise and walks over to the counter carrying a five pound bag of sugar.

"Has he?" Gibbs answers raising a questioning eyebrow at his father.

"He's so proud of you."

"As I should, he risked his life serving for the Marine Corps and now he's protecting our country working as a federal agent." Jack says with pride.

Jenny walks out with a pounding headache. "Good morning!" Jenny grimaces.

"Good morning Jenny!" Jack smiles.

"The strong coffee should get rid of your hang over." Gibbs laughs.

"Lucy this is Leroy's lady friend Jenny."

"Nice to meet you Jenny." Lucy smiles and hands Jack a ten dollar bill to cover the price of the sugar.

"Same here!" Jenny grimaces and walks over to the table taking a seat in one of the chairs.

"Don't mind her." Gibbs laughs as he pours Jenny a cup of coffee.

"I know the feeling of waking up to a bad hangover." Lucy laughs and takes her change from Jack.

"It's been years since I had a hangover like this." Jenny groans.

Gibbs walks over to the table and hands Jenny her cup of coffee. "Drink this."

"Going out for Black Friday Christmas shopping." Jack curiously asks.

"Tonight, by then the stores should not be as crowded; I'm going with my granddaughter Katelin." Lucy smiles.

"Give Otis my best." Jack nods over at her.

"I will!" Lucy warmly answers. "Nice to finally meet you Leroy and your lady friend is breath taking." Lucy smiles and starts off for the door.

"Goodbye Lucy." Gibbs calls out to her.

"Goodbye Lucy!" Jenny mumbles and buries her face into the table.

"Come on Jen I'm suppose to show you my childhood haunts today."

"Tell that to my pounding headache." Jenny hisses.

"Where are you going to take her today?"

"My grandfather's old farm."

"Still going strong, Ralph Turner still has sheep grazing in the fields and also raises beef and dairy cows." "His wife Ellen raises goats and breeds Shetland Sheepdogs." Jack smoothly answers.

"I'm glad that it wasn't developed." Gibbs smiles with relief.

"No, it's on a Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation list; it can never be developed and will always have to be a farm.

"Soon as Jenny gets two cups of coffee in her system and some breakfast into her, we'll be on our way out for the day."

"Will you be home in time for dinner?"

"Yes, we should be home by five o'clock."

"Good Louise made some stuffed peppers a few weeks ago and put them in the freezer for me." "That will go nicely with the left over mash potatoes." Jack smoothly answers.

Rohrsburg, Pennsylvania

Turner Farm

Gibbs pulls along the shoulder of the road in front of his grandfather's old farm, he flashes back to the summers he spent, helping his grandparents with the up keep of the farm. "You look like your reliving something from the past." Jenny softly says to him.

"I spent my summers helping out my grandparents." "My grandfather would have at least twenty acres of corn planted, that I would help him harvest every summer." "My grandmother would have her vegetable garden, tomatoes, peppers, peas, carrots, beets, beans, and potatoes." "At the end of driveway she would have a vegetable stand going on the weekends." "By working hard during the summer months is what made it possible for them to get by during the winter."

"It's a shame that young people don't have their dedication to work anymore." Jenny frowns.

"If it ain't the latest gadget today's youth could care less." Gibbs sadly answers and pulls into the driveway.

Ralph Turner who was expecting Gibbs, steps out of the barn with two of his wife's breeding Shelties, Bingo and Molly running out behind him. Gibbs pulls up in front of the barn and gets out of the car. "Your father told me that I would be expecting you." Ralph smiles and reaches for Gibbs' hand.

"Jethro Gibbs." Gibbs smiles and shakes Ralph's hand.

"That's not what your father told me." Ralph laughs.

"I'm referred to as Leroy Gibbs back in my hometown." "I've been going by Jethro Gibbs for the past thirty years."

Jenny gets out of the car and is nearly knocked over by Turner's energetic dogs. "Bingo, Molly!" He chastises them.

"It's ok!" Jenny laughs and gets down on her knees and begins to pet the dogs. "Which one is which?"

"The male is the bigger one his name is Bingo, the female is the smaller one." "Her name is Molly Rose." Ralph smiles.

"My grandfather had several Collies that would look after his flock of sheep." Gibbs smiles.

"I have two Border Collies, Milo and Danny that look after the sheep and the cows." "Bingo and Molly are my wife's pride and joy; they have one litter of puppies a year."

"Is it ok for me to show Jenny around the far?" Gibbs asks.

"Go right ahead, I'll have the Mrs. make a pot of coffee."

"You don't have to go through the trouble." Gibbs shrugs.

"No trouble at all, it's a bit nippy outside." Ralph answers and starts off for the house.

Gibbs walks Jenny over to the gate that overlooks the three pastures where the cows, sheep, and goats are grazing. "Which gate did you accidently open?" Jenny playfully asks her lover.

"The pasture in the middle." "I never heard the end of it from both my dad and grandfather; it took hours to get the sheep back inside the pasture." Gibbs groans.

"Well almost forty-five years later you dad finds it amusing." Jenny giggles.

"My ass didn't find it amusing that night when my grandfather took the strap to me." Gibbs growls.

"No wonder it's so sensitive when I grab on to it." Jenny laughs.

"No it's your sharp manicured nails digging into it that makes my ass sensitive."

"What did you expect; you were making me crazy last night." Jenny purrs and leans up and passionately kisses him on the mouth.

An hour later after touring the farm, Gibbs, and Jenny are inside the farm house eating lunch with Ralph and his wife Ellen. "I stop by your father's store once a week; I sell my homemade preserves in his store." Ellen smiles at Gibbs.

"I had the peach preserves on toast this morning." Gibbs smiles.

"So how long are you going to be staying with your father?" Ralph curiously asks.

"Until Sunday morning, we have jobs that we have to get back to on Monday." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"What do the both of you do?" Ellen asks.

"Federal Agents with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service." Gibbs answers.

"You mean you're a federal agent, I'm the Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service." Jenny corrects him.

"Is there a difference?" Ralph shrugs.

"Yes, I'm his boss." Jenny smirks over at her lover.

"From the looks of things it's on and off the job as well." Ellen winks.

Jenny chokes on her homemade bowl of turkey soup. "Very funny Jen." Gibbs grumbles at her.

"Going back to your dad's from here?" Ralph asks.

"No we're going to drive around the county." "I'm going to show Jenny the places I use to go with my parents when I was a kid." Gibbs smiles.

"Hope you have a GPS Unit in your car, a lot has changed throughout the years." Ralph warns him.

"I have a map in the car; I don't rely on modern technology." Gibbs smirks.

Later that night at Jack's after eating dinner, while Jenny is out in the kitchen doing dishes, Gibbs and Jack go out into the garage for some male bonding. "I usually get up at four on the first day of hunting."

"I'll be up." Gibbs answers.

"Will Jenny be alright by herself?"

"We'll only be gone for half the day, besides she'll crawl up on the couch and lose herself in her book."

"Not worried that Jenny may take off."

"To where?" Gibbs shrugs.

"I think your overly optimistic Leroy." Jack snorts.

Before Gibbs can answer he hears a car horn blaring out front. "I bet that's Ed Gantry." Gibbs chuckles.

"Can't he let bygones be bygone's." Jack grumbles.

"If he were smart yes, I'm not the skinny kid who left Stillwater in 1976." Gibbs laughs.

Outside, Gantry impatiently leans up against the hood of his Jeep Wrangler. "Hey Leroy you chickening out on me." Gantry shouts towards the direction of Jack's store.

Gibbs rounds the corner from the driveway leading to the garage. "No I thought you had chickened out on me." Gibbs smirks and walks over to the center of the street.

"Not going to need daddy to bail you out." Gantry grins and slowly makes his way over to Gibbs.

"My dad only bailed me out because I was involved an uneven fight between you and Chuck Winslow."

"You walked with a chip on your shoulder back in '76'; we thought that you could handle the both of us at once." Gantry snorts.

Inside the store, Jenny and Jack watch through the window. "I believe that Gantry is all mouth and no action." Jenny laughs.

"He was back then, Winslow did all of the talking for him."

"One punch and Jethro will have him on the ground."

Back outside, Gantry and Gibbs are still exchanging pleasantries with one another. "This punch is thirty-five years overdue." Chuck smirks and throws a punch at Gibbs, who ducks out of the way.

"The problem with you Ed is that you're reflexes isn't fast enough." Gibbs laughs and throws a punch that lands squarely on the Gantry's jaw, sending him to the ground.

Jenny and Jack walk out of the house. "You were right." Jack laughs.

Gibbs kneeling over an unconscious Gantry on the ground. "Dad we better drive him home."

"You follow me over in his Jeep." Jack instructs him.

Gibbs hauls Gantry over his shoulder. "You could eat a few salads' Ed." Gibbs grumbles.

"While you're taking Gantry home I'll head back inside of the store and pick up where I left off on with my book." Jenny laughs and walks back inside of the store.

The next morning out in the woods, Gibbs and Jack are positioned near a clearing. "A herd of deer usually pass through here every morning at this time." Jack whispers.

"You staked out your position here." Gibbs whispers.

"For twenty-five years I've known the in's and outs of this spot."

With that a herd of deer walks past Gibbs and Jack, choosing the two larger females in the rear. Gibbs and Jack point their rifles on the doe's firing at them. The younger doe's run off into the open field. Gibbs and Jack walk out and approach the two lifeless deer lying on the ground. "You'll be eating good this winter." Gibbs smirks.

"I'll send you some venison." Jack grins.

"I saw some coyote and fox tracks on the trail, they should find the intestine's right away."

"Nothing gets wasted in these parts, if we don't eat it the wildlife usually does."

"I can't wait to show Jenny." Gibbs smiles with excitement.

An hour later back at Jack's store, Jenny is talking on her satellite phone with Abby, when she hears Jack's truck horn. "The great hunters have returned." Jenny laughs and gets up from the table. "I'll talk to you on Monday at work." Jenny answers waiting for Abby to answer. "Bye Abs!" Jenny smiles and hangs up.

Gibbs walks into the store. "You should see the size of the two doe's that we shot."

"And Jack is going to eat all of that."

"He's going to send me some venison."

"You'll be eating it by yourself; it was a taste I could never acquire from my father." Jenny informs him.

"Whatever more for me." Gibbs shrugs and escorts Jenny outside.

Jenny walks over to the back of Jack's truck. Jenny widens her eyes at the size of the two doe's lying in the back of Jack's truck. "What do you feed your deer around here?"

"Plenty of farm fields that the graze on." Jack smoothly answers. "We're going to hang them in the back so that the blood drains out."

"You gut your own deer." Jenny grimaces in disgust.

"No a friend of mine runs the local butcher shop; he'll pick them up for me tomorrow."

Half an hour later after hanging the deer up in the back, Gibbs is taking a shower, as he lets the water run down the back of his shoulders when he feels his lovers hands on the small of his back. "You miss me when you woke up." Gibbs grins and turns and faces Jenny.

"No, I enjoyed sleeping in this morning and not having you on top of me ravishing my chest at the crack of down."

"I can't help it that another part of my body gets me up."

Jenny touching his harden length. "You're up and you've been wide awake for hours." Jenny wickedly purrs. Gibbs grabs Jenny's face and passionately kisses her on the mouth; he drops back on his father's shower bench pulling Jenny's legs around his waist. He enters her with a deep thrust. Jenny breaks away from his kiss, crying out with pleasure as he slips deeper inside of her.

"This will teach you to keep your hands to yourself while I'm in the shower."

Out in the hallway, Jack hears the sound and fury of their lovemaking in the shower. "Makes sense, their conserving on my well water." Jack chuckles and walks inside of his bedroom.

Five minutes later, Jenny has her arms wrapped around Gibbs neck exhausted from their love making. "I'm putting one of these benches in my shower at home when my dad visits next month." Gibbs mischievously informs her.

"You better not have an idea's entertained to use it on me." Jenny hisses in protest.

"It will keep me from falling on my ass."

"Which you almost did on Tuesday morning." Jenny giggles and gets up from his lap and goes under the shower head.

"That's because you got way too aggressive for my liking in the shower." Gibbs barks.

"You're not use to me being fully awake at the crack of dawn."

"That's because you went to bed early the night before."

"You weren't home, I was caught up with my work, and I wasn't in the mood to watch TV or read a book so I went to bed." Jenny shrugs and begins to shampoo her hair.

"And more than likely you were wide awake when the alarm went off at 0500 Hours."

"I was up for about a half an hour."

Gibbs grabbing the shampoo bottle from Jenny. "I only get to have you for a week before your trip over seas." Gibbs frowns.

"It will only be a week, I'll stop in Paris for an over nighter on Thursday night into Friday afternoon, then I'll take a flight back to Washington."

"Paris without me." Gibbs sighs.

"The next time I go you'll be with me." "Valentine's Day 2012."

"First up is our weekend in Baja during New Year's weekend."

"I haven't forgotten Jethro." "I'm looking forward to that also."

The next morning Gibbs, Jenny, and Jack are standing out in front of Jack's store saying goodbye. "See you at the end of next month." Gibbs smiles and pulls his father into a warm embrace.

Jack tightens his hold on his son. "You take care son, and take care of your lady."

"I will!" Gibbs chokes and squeezes on to his father's shoulders before pulling away.

Jack pulls Jenny into his arm. "Keep Leroy in line for me."

"I will!" Jenny softly answers, before pulling away she leans up and affectionately kisses Jack on the cheek.

Gibbs opens up Jenny's car door, Jenny gets inside. "Keep the speed down, Ed Gantry is more than likely looking to pull you over."

Gibbs slams the door shut. "Doubt it he's probably at home with a bruised ego." Gibbs chuckles and walks over to the driver's side of the car and gets inside. Gibbs and Jenny wave at Jack, before pulling away from the curb. Jack waves back and stands on the sidewalk watching their car driving off in the distance. A customer walks inside of the store. "Back to work." Jack smiles and walks back inside of his store. "Good morning Nathan what can I do for you?"


	63. Joint Op With OSP

December 5th 2011

NCIS Headquarters

Jenny's Office

0900 Hours

Gibbs as Acting Director of NCIS is sitting behind Jenny's desk talking on the phone with SecNav Jarvis. "It's 0600 Hours in LA sir, not sure if Callen is in yet." Gibbs smoothly answers. Cynthia walks in with a carafe and places it on the corner of the desk. "I'll see if I can get a direct MTAC feed around 0700 Hours LA time." Gibbs answers waiting for Jarvis to respond back. "I'll get back to you on it." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Jen's right, Jarvis is a flake." Gibbs grumbles.

"I think it's because the Director is use to having the SecNav around your age Agent Gibbs." Cynthia sweetly says to him. Gibbs giving Cynthia a glare of warning, which Cynthia quickly shrugs off. "But then again besides the Director being a woman, you don't take orders very well from somebody who's younger than you." Cynthia smirks.

"Besides the coffee, is there anything else?" Gibbs snarls at her.

"No!" Cynthia smiles.

"Call over to MTAC; I want to speak with Special Agent Callen from NCIS LA OSP in about an hour." Gibbs instructs him.

"First day on the job as Acting Director and it's a busy one." Cynthia answers and walks out of the office.

Down in the bullpen, Tony has his feet up on his desk. "I better not hear Tony coming from your lips for the next week when Gibbs isn't around." Tony smirks over at Ziva and McGee.

"I never called you boss the four months you were Team Leader of the Major Case Response Team." Ziva snickers over at him.

"Ziva you rarely call Gibbs boss." McGee reminds her.

"I don't think Jenny ever called Gibbs boss when she worked under Gibbs." Tony laughs.

Gibbs overhearing Tony as he enters the room. "Only to be a smart ass." Gibbs growls and glares over at Tony's propped up feet that he has resting on top of his desk.

Tony quickly drops his feet down on the floor. "What's the scoop on the Hector Romero?" Tony curiously asks.

"I have to wait for Callen to report to work." Gibbs answers and walks over to his desk.

"Right it's after six, LA time." Tony nods.

"Are you sending his team down to LA?"

"Yes and it's possible that we might be joining them?"

"Aren't you suppose to be filling in as Acting Director?" Tony baits him.

"I have until Friday to review the case files." Gibbs smirks, knowing that he'll screw them up and that Jenny will have to redo them.

"Boss the last time you filled in as Acting Director, Director Shepard was in a pissy mood for almost a week, because you screwed up on a lot of the case files." McGee reminds him.

"That's what she gets for going over to Europe on her little shopping sprees." Gibbs growls.

"Since when is an Interpol Anti-Terrorism Conference shopping?" McGee shrugs.

"They sit around and bull shit about nothing for two hours, and the rest of the time it's a paid vacation." "The venue is Madrid and I know damn well once Jenny leaves the conference she'll be hitting the stores."

"Seems that Jenny and Tony have something in common, shopping at all the high end stores." Ziva giggles.

"Hey what's wrong with looking good in a Armani, Brunello Cucinelli , Gucci, or a Pal Zileri suit to work." Tony protests.

"Because you can look just as good in a suit that does not have a designer name on it." Gibbs barks.

"Before I starting raking in the money from my books, I bought my suits at Sears and Pennies all the time." McGee smiles.

"Yeah and the babes ran in the other direction." Tony smirks.

"I don't know Abby didn't seem to mind them." McGee grins.

"Abby at the time wasn't interested in the suit that you were wearing." Tony laughs.

Gibbs annoyed with the constant bickering interrupts them with their current case. "Now back to Hector Romero."

"We'll be joining Callen and his team out in San Diego." Tony quickly answers.

"While I'm in San Diego, I'll have Hetty Lange fill in as Acting Director of NCIS on an official level, Vance use to have Hetty fill in all the time when he went on his overseas trips."

"Great thinking boss, you'll have Hetty doing your job and when you get back from San Diego you'll do the paperwork half ass so that Jenny has to redo it when she gets back from Europe." Tony laughs giving Gibbs a thumbs up.

"And I also have SecNav Jarvis permission on this also." Gibbs grins.

"Great you go over Jenny's head." Ziva grimaces.

"Need I remind you Agent David that I need to oversee an investigation that may have ties to arms and drug dealers throughout Central and South America?" Gibbs growls at her.

"Which Acting Team Leader Agent DiNozzo could have handled." Ziva sweetly answers.

"Yeah, his eyes would be focused on two areas out in San Diego, women and the beach."

"Boss that hurts." Tony frowns.

"Miami?" Gibbs bitterly reminds him.

"I could smell the ocean from where we were staked out at." Tony whines.

"I rest my case." Gibbs grumbles and takes a seat behind his desk.

MTAC

1000 Hours EST

Gibbs with his headset on is having a live feed with both G. Callen and Hetty Lange at the Special Projects Division in Los Angeles. "G, don't you guys know how to use a razor out in LA." Gibbs growls at the sight of Callen's light beard stubble across his face.

Los Angeles, California

NCIS Special Projects Headquarters

0700 Hours PST

"Hey I have to blend in at times when I go undercover." Callen smirks up at him.

Hetty wanting to get down to business. "What can we do for you this morning Acting Director Gibbs?" Hetty dryly requests.

"You get the information that Director Shepard sent to you about Hector Romero?" Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Yes it was a case that Special Agent Richard Snyder was working on out in San Diego." Hetty answers.

"Dick Snyder!" Gibbs sarcastically corrects her.

"That bad huh Jethro." Callen laughs.

"The walls in the Director's Office have been rattling from the past two weeks from her vocal cords."

"Director Shepard screaming at somebody isn't something new." Callen smirks… "It seemed that she would routinely scream at you back at our office in Naples all the time."

"London also." Hetty laughs and shakes her head. "Rarely does a Junior Agent get away with telling off her boss the way she use to tell you off."

"Well as of now, you are now my boss again until I return behind the Director's desk in Washington."

"Come again?" Callen curiously asks.

"I got a tip from a DEA Agent colleague about a drug and weapons deal going down with Hector Romero." "I figure since you and Hanna have the ability to blend in with the locals, that you can find out when the weapon deal is about to take place."

"I'll need my whole team for that, Kensi and Deeks will join me and Sam." Callen nods.

"Fair enough." Gibbs answers.

"What time will we be expecting you in San Diego?"

"Early evening San Diego time, we'll meet up at our hotel; I have Cynthia booking our rooms."

"Does Director Shepard know about our joint operation?" Hetty asks… Gibbs turns and looks the other way. "Right, while the boss is away the mouse will play." "We won't proceed until I speak with the Director."

"I went over the Director's head." Gibbs smirks.

Callen grimaces…"You went over Jenny's head." Callen laughs and doubles over.

"It's getting the job done." Gibbs mischievously answers.

"No it's getting you out of the Director's chair." Hetty chastises him.

"You filled in enough times when Vance went on his overseas trips." Gibbs comments roughly.

"That's because he didn't trust you with the job." Hetty mutters in annoyance. "Once I speak with SecNav Jarvis then I will proceed with the operation Mr. Gibbs." "The good thing about this when the Director does return from her trip from Madrid, is that you will get all of the blame for this and not me." Hetty sweetly answers. With Hetty's last comment the screen fades out.

Cynthia sitting in a chair next to Danielle. "I'm taking a vacation day the day she returns to the office."

"Servers her right I got blinded sided on her first day back on the job." Gibbs smirks, taking off his head set, he starts up for the ramp.

Cynthia waiting for Gibbs to step out of MTAC. "There's a difference between not telling you about being reinstated with your old job behind your back and going over the Director's head to run an investigation so it gets you out of the Director's chair for a few days." Cynthia angrily snaps out loud.

1430 Hours

On the flight to San Diego, Gibbs seated next to McGee glances out the airplane window. His cell phone begins to ring; taking his phone from his pocket Gibbs notices that it's an incoming phone call from Jenny.

"Director Shepard!" He answers with a smirk on his face.

Spain, Madrid

Hotel Ritz Madrid

Jenny's Suite

2030 Hours CEST

"Behaving yourself Acting Director Gibbs." Jenny sarcastically asks him.

Gibbs glancing out his airplane window. "Slow start so far." Gibbs lies with a mischievous grin on his face.

"I haven't heard a peep out from my loyal assistant so I figured you were being a good boy." Jenny purrs.

"What would have been my punishment Director?" Gibbs grins…Tony, Ziva, and McGee raise a curious eyebrow at him. Gibbs head slaps McGee on the back of the head.

"Ow!" McGee grimaces and rubs the back of his head.

"What did Tony do?" Jenny laughs.

"It wasn't Tony, I head slapped McGee."

"A rarity." Jenny giggles with surprise.

"I know, usually DiNozzo gets head slapped more than McGee because he always baits me into doing it." Gibbs growls and glares over at Tony whose continuing to listening in on his conversation with Jenny. "So what are you up to in Madrid?"

"Having a late dinner with heads of Interpol, MI-5 and your favorite agency, Mossad."

"Tell Eli I said hi." Gibbs chuckles.

"I'll give him your regards, in the meantime, I'm about to jump in the shower."

"Is there-?"

"How the hell should I know if there's a shower nozzle inside of the shower stall?"

"How did-"Before Gibbs asks Jenny the question he stops himself. "Keep yourself safe."

"I will, before you know it I'll be back at the office first thing Monday morning." Jenny softly answers. "I love you."

"I love you Jen." Gibbs smiles and hangs up.

"So is the Director still in the dark about our joint op with OSP?" Tony curiously asks.

"Mind your own business DiNozzo." Gibbs barks.

San Diego, California

Comfort Inn I-805 Naval Base

Gibbs and McGee's Room

1600 Hours PST

The OSP team has gathered in Gibbs room for a joint investigation with the MCR Team. "McGee you know Callen, Hanna, and Blye." Gibbs nods over at him.

McGee nods over at Callen. "I didn't think we would be working together again."

"This is Marty Deeks, an LAPD Liaison Officer that is assigned to our team." Callen introduces to Gibbs and McGee.

"Who you haven't met from my team is my Senior Field Agent Tony DiNozzo and my Junior Agent Ziva David." Gibbs smoothly introduces to Callen and his team.

"So who's Hanna and Blye?" Tony shrugs.

"I'm Hanna!" Sam smirks over at Tony.

Tony noting how big Sam is. "By your size I assume that you served in the military." Tony gulps.

"Navy Seal!" Sam answers.

"Tony you will be rooming with Deeks, I assume that the two of you will have something in common." Callen snickers.

"Agent David we'll be rooming together." Kensi smiles at her.

"You can start by calling me Ziva." Ziva warmly says to her.

"Are you Israeli?" Kensi curiously asks.

"Yes I originally was a Mossad Officer and worked with Director Shepard on anti-terrorism ops over in Europe and the Middle East before she was appointed as Director of NCIS back in 2005." "As a favor I asked her if I could have a liaison assignment with NCIS, since I had just worked on a mission involving Gibbs' Team." "We were familiar with one another, so Director Shepard assigned me as a Liaison Officer on Gibbs' Team." "A few years ago, I became an American citizen and resigned my position at Mossad and became an NCIS Agent."

"Seems that you and Deeks also have something in common." Kensi notes.

"Now that we've introduced ourselves, let's get into the investigation that we're jointly working on." "Hector Romero is running a drugs and weapons operations in the Chula Vista section of the city." "He was one of the various weapons and drug dealers that was on the take with former Director Vance."

"And Special Agent Snyder was dragging his feet on the investigation due to his loyalty with Director Vance." Callen adds.

"Why would anyone be loyal to a man that was talking kickbacks and bribes from weapons and drug dealers?" Kensi icily says in disgust.

"Maybe Snyder was also on the take?" McGee theorizes.

"I'll have Beale look into that right away." Callen suggests.

"Good thinking McGee and Callen." Gibbs nods and gets back to the task at hand. "I want Callen, Hanna, Deeks, and DiNozzo going undercover in Chula Vista."

"What about Ziva and Kensi?" Tony curiously asks.

"They will be playing the part as my fictional lovers." Gibbs grins.

"Oh you're going to be posing as an arms dealer." Tony says out loud.

"McGee will be part of my entourage, you'll be my driver."

"Why can't Tony be your-" Gibbs interrupts him with a hand to the back of the head. "Ow!"

Kensi and Deeks raise a questioning eyebrow over at Tony. "Don't ask!" Tony laughs.

Over in Callen's room a half an hour later; Callen is briefing Beale and Hetty on their current investigation. "I need Eric to look into former NCIS Special Agent Richard Snyder's cell, desk, and home phone call log records and you'll also need to confiscate his computers from the San Diego field office." Callen informs them.

"Dirty Agents!" Hetty chastises Snyder. "Anything else?"

"We'll let you know." Callen smiles.

"When Director Shepard gets back from Europe, without being told about this joint op." Hetty winces.

"I know the big you know what will hit the fan." Callen laughs.

"The good thing about it is we're out on the west coast and won't have to listen to her." Hetty snickers.

"There's always the mute button option when she appears on the MTAC screen." Callen smirks.

"Unfortunately Gibbs won't have that option when they meet face to face up in her office in Washington." Hetty laughs.


	64. Hitting The Fan

The next morning Tony, Callen, Hanna, and Meeks are in the Chula Vista section of San Diego driving along Davidson Street in a 1972 white Ford Torino convertible. "According to Gibbs' DEA contact, Romero usually eats breakfast every morning at the Family House of Pancakes on Broadway." Tony smoothly says to him from the back of the car.

Callen behind the steering wheel. "I want you and Deeks to monitor them from inside of the restaurant." "Hetty got a warrant for us to put a GPS device on Romero's car, so that we can monitor Romero's movements from here on out."

"Since when do I take orders from you?" Tony sarcastically asks Callen.

"Since I have the most seniority after Gibbs and Hetty." "If you have a problem with it DiNozzo, pick up your cell phone and talk to your boss and he will tell you the same thing I just told you."

"How long have you been an NCIS Agent?" Sam curiously asks.

"It will be ten years next May that Gibbs had offered me a job at NCIS from the Baltimore PD."

"The dude doesn't like playing second." Sam laughs.

"Like you do?" Tony smirks.

"Unlike you Tony, I do not have a problem with it; for the most part G and I are on equal planes when we work together." "And I know my standing on the team and I'm comfortable with it."

"Were you ever a Team Leader?" Tony asks.

"Yes with the Navy Seals, why?" Sam shrugs.

"I was the Team Leader of the Major Case Response Team for a few months when Gibbs briefly retired down in Mexico." "It felt good having somebody call me boss." Tony smiles.

"Well I could care less one way or another." Sam answers. "Best part about being second is I don't have to face the music in Hetty's Office whenever the team screws up." Sam laughs.

"I'm sure Tony has heard it before." Callen grumbles.

"Does Hetty's voice make the paint peel when she screams at you?" Tony laughs.

"No but keep in mind as Jethro's Probie, I've heard Junior Agent Shepard screaming at her boss in our field office in Naples." Callen laughs.

Family House of Pancakes

Tony and Deeks are sitting at a booth across from Romero's table and casually try to listen in on Romero's conversation. With his earwig in place, Gibbs is communicating with Tony poolside from his hotel. "Talk to me Tony."

"Nothing to talk about." Tony answers.

"I take it that you have a table next to Romero's." Gibbs smoothly asks.

While Gibbs and Tony are talking, Ziva and Kensi wearing their bathing suits walk out of the hotel and spot Gibbs lying on a lounge chair shirtless wearing his Carrea Silver Wired Blue Mirrored Lensed Sunglasses. "Abby is going to die when I send this to her." Ziva giggles and discretely gets close enough to Gibbs and snaps several photos of him.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

1130 EST Hours

"No fair, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are out in San Diego with Callen and his crew and I'm stuck here." Abby pouts into her camera.

Autopsy

"I would rather be here in Washington, keep in mind Gibbs has went behind the Director's back and is out in San Diego working on an investigation with Callen, when he should be back in Washington filling in for her as Acting Director." Ducky sighs.

Abby hearing her cell phone ringing for an incoming photo. "My cell phone is ringing hold on a minute." Abby nods over to Ducky and picks up her cell phone from on top of the counter. "Incoming photo from Ziva." "Hum its eight-thirty San Diego time, I wonder what she wants?" Abby shrugs and accepts the photo; suddenly a shirtless photo of Gibbs appears on her display screen. "Oh my god!" Abby screeches with excitement.

Ducky holding on to his ears. "Abigail lower the volume." He chastises her.

"It's what I've been hoping to see for the past eleven years Ducky, Gibbs with his shirt off." "He's sitting on a lounge chair pool side in his bathing suit wearing sunglasses." "The chest, the abs, those legs, the Director-"

"Abigail!" Ducky interrupts her.

"Sorry, I lost myself." Abby drools and hooks up her phone to her computer via a USB device. "I have myself a new wallpaper on my computer."

"Lord help Jethro." Ducky snorts and shuts off his web camera.

Back in San Diego, Ziva and Kensi innocently approach Gibbs and sit in nearby lounge chairs. Ziva's cell phone rings. "David!" She innocently answers.

"Oh my god!" Abby squeals.

Ziva flinches from the volume and moves the phone away from her ear. "So you enjoyed it I gather."

"It's my new wallpaper in my lab." Abby grins.

"I would like to be a fly on the wall when his girlfriend walks in and see's it." Ziva snickers.

"She wouldn't be able to concentrate on her work that's for sure." Abby giggles.

"Keep in mind she's seen every inch of that magnificent frame." Ziva wickedly says to her. Gibbs raises a curious eyebrow over at Ziva. "I'm at work now, so I'll call you later?"

"I take it he's listening on you." Abby laughs.

"Yes!" Ziva answers…"Goodbye Amy!"

"Goodbye Lisa!" Abby smiles and hangs up.

"Who's Amy?" Kensi curiously asks.

"A friend that I work out with in back in Washington." Ziva lies.

"No your dysfunctional older sister back at NCIS Headquarters in Washington." Gibbs growls.

"You're her new computer wallpaper." Ziva laughs.

"I knew I should have put a shirt on when I came out here." Gibbs grumbles and gets up from his chair.

"Problem?" Tony's voice comes over his earwig.

"My hand across the back of your head if you don't get back to work." Gibbs barks.

"My subject is in the men's room." Tony informs him.

"Callen putting the GPS device on Romero's car?"

Tony glances out the window and notices that Callen is under Romero's red Corvette. "As we speak."

"Good, now we will know Romero's every movement without having to follow him."

"So when do we go ahead with phase two of our plan."

"Soon as Hetty gets back to me on what Beale has uncovered on Snyder's computers." Gibbs answers.

Los Angeles, California

NCIS Office of Special Projects

1100 Hours PST

Eric Beale is reviewing Dick Snyder's office computer and laptop. Hetty walks in and approaches Beale from behind. "What do you have for me Mr. Beale?"

"That Romero is in desperate need of a distributor." Beale answers and puts the information up on the plasma screen for Hetty to review.

"Did Snyder give him a name yet?"

"There hasn't been any contact with Snyder via his cell, home, or office phones with Romero in over two weeks, as a matter of fact; Snyder has not made any outgoing phone calls from his house phone in a week and a half." Beale notes.

"I'll send Ms. Blye and David over to Snyder's apartment to check up on him."

"What about Romero's distributor?" Beale curiously asks.

"Hopefully Mr. Gibbs doesn't mind wearing facial hair." Hetty laughs.

San Diego

In the Little Italy section of the city, Ziva and Kensi arrive at Dick Snyder's apartment. When Snyder doesn't answer, Ziva picks the lock and opens the door, instantly the smell of death filters through Ziva and Kensi's nose. "I believe we've found him." Ziva chokes from the smell and steps inside of the apartment with her Sig drawn.

Kensi with her Sig drawn follows Ziva from behind. "The question is which room Snyder is in?"

Ziva slowly approaches the bathroom and finds Snyder's leg draped over the bathtub. "Bathroom!"

"I'll check the other rooms." Kensi nods and walks off towards the bedroom.

Half an hour later, Gibbs and McGee arrive. "NCIS San Diego Office is sending crime kits over for us along with their coroner." Gibbs informs them.

"How long do you think he's been dead?" Kensi curiously asks.

"More than likely a week and a half." "Ziva and McGee I want the two of you to go to the San Diego Office and work through the night, first thing in the morning send out what you have to Hetty back in Los Angeles."

"In the meantime you will be working on phase two I gather." Ziva asks.

"I had a beard and mustache when I came back from Mexico, need I remind you David." Gibbs barks.

"Abby found it sexy." Ziva winks.

"So did the Director." Gibbs smirks and walks off for the bedroom.

"Is the Director sleeping with him?" Kensi asks and grabs a hold of Ziva's arm.

"Back then no, now yes." "And I'll leave it at that, because we're under orders by her not to discuss her private life with Gibbs outside of work."

Back at NCIS Headquarters in Washington, Cynthia is sitting behind her desk, when her phone begins to ring, spotting Jenny's number on the caller ID. "I hope she doesn't ask about Gibbs." Cynthia cringes and picks up the phone. "Good evening Director." Cynthia sweetly answers.

Madrid, Spain

Hotel Ritz Madrid

Jenny's Suite

2200 Hours CEST

"Thought I would check in and see how you were doing?"

"Fine!" Cynthia lies.

"That's a surprise." Jenny laughs and flops down on to her bed. "I can't wait to get out of here tomorrow afternoon."

"Men hinting up on you." Cynthia giggles.

"I don't mind the younger good looking one's hinting up on me." Jenny smirks.

"Director you're bad." Cynthia laughs.

"I may have taken them up on their offer a year ago, but not now."

"I know you have eyes for only one man." Cynthia smiles.

"I was about to call my little boy, is he in the office or down in the Squad Room?"

"I really don't know?" Cynthia shrugs.

"I better give him a buzz on his cell phone." Jenny answers…"If anything major happens call me."

"I will!"

"See you on Monday." Jenny answers and hangs up.

Cynthia hangs her phone up and buries her face on top of her desk. Ducky walks in with a folder. "That bad." He muses over to her.

"I just had to lie through my teeth to Director Shepard on the phone." Cynthia grumbles and raises her face from on top of the desk.

"Did you order the leather sofa pull out yet?"

"Yes it came in today."

"Looks like our lovely Director may be sleeping at the office for a few nights." Ducky snorts and walks into the office.

Comfort Inn I-805 Naval Base

Borrowing an unused conference room, Gibbs, Tony, Callen, Sam, and Deeks are on a live conference call via Sam's laptop with Hetty back in NCIS OSP. "Romero needs a distributor to fly out his latest stash of weapons." Hetty informs them.

"And that's where Gibbs comes in." Tony smirks.

"I have a forty-eight hour lease at a hanger out at Montgomery Field." Hetty informs them.

"I called one of Romero's associates; he's suppose to call me back on my burn phone sometime this evening." Gibbs smoothly says.

"Think maybe we can get a drop as early as tomorrow night?" Callen shrugs over at Hetty.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "We'll soon find out." Sam answers.

"That's my regular cell phone." Gibbs answers and takes his phone out of his pocket. "Yeah Gibbs!"

"Behaving yourself." Jenny purrs from her hotel bed.

Gibbs gets up from the table and walks over to the window for some privacy. "Mommy!" Tony snickers.

"Mommy!" Callen and Sam laugh out loud.

"Who's there?" Jenny curiously asks hearing Callen and Sam's voices in the background.

"Nothing bullpen chatter." Gibbs lies.

"I thought I heard a familiar voice and it wasn't DiNozzo's."

"You're probably tired." Gibbs shrugs and then gives Tony a glare of warning for almost giving him away.

"Tomorrow afternoon the conference is over and I'll be heading over to Paris for two nights."

"I thought you were heading to Paris, Thursday morning?"

"I changed my mind." Jenny smiles.

"Don't miss me too much."

"I already do." Jenny frowns.

"I love you."

"I love you Jethro."

"Bye!" Gibbs answers and hangs up. Callen and Sam begin to make kissy noises at Gibbs, Gibbs walks over to Tony and head slaps him from behind. "Thanks a lot you almost gave me away." Gibbs snarls.

"Sooner or later she's going to find out Jethro and when she does, the shit is going to hit the fan." Callen grumbles.

"Really Mr. Callen!" Hetty mutters in annoyance.

Gibbs burn phone begins to ring. "Bennett!" Gibbs answers.

From Hector Romero's Chula Vista home, Romero is sitting pool side with his phone on speakerphone. "I heard you have an airplane to deliver some goods no questions asked?"

"At the right price." Gibbs answers.

"Ten million in cash, five million up front and the balance delivered when my goods arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica."

"You got yourself a deal." "When do you want me to fly out your goods?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Noon tomorrow?" Romero shrugs.

"I'm at hanger number 204 at Montgomery Field." "I'll have my plane fueled up and ready to fly out to San Jose."

"I'll see you then Senor." Hector smiles and hangs up.

"We're on tomorrow at noon." Gibbs shouts over to the direction of Sam's laptop.

"By then we'll have plenty of back up teams in place from the San Diego Division and San Diego PD." Hetty informs them.

"Hopefully Beale can uncover on what Romero is going to fly out to Costa Rica." Callen cryptically says to Hetty.


	65. Blind Sided

The next morning over breakfast, Gibbs and Callen along with their teams are going over strategy on the take down of Hector Romero at Montgomery Field. "Since I'm now a pilot and not arms dealer, I'll have Callen and Hanna with me when I meet with Romero." "And by the way I'm opting out of the facial hair, I have the perfect disguise." Gibbs smirks.

"Right, because Romero already saw Deeks and I at the restaurant the day before that." Tony answers.

"Soon as Romero's truck pulls over to the hanger I want my team along with Kensi and Deeks to approach us with the several Hollywood Agents as back up."

"Since when is San Diego considered Hollywood?" Callen curiously asks.

"Still Southern California and it's to lay back for my liking." Gibbs grunts.

"San Diego PD will cordon off the area around the hanger once you move in DiNozzo." Callen nods over at him.

"Hopefully everything goes off without a hitch." Tony grins.

"If it does, I'm giving my team the evening off." Gibbs smoothly says to Tony, Ziva, and McGee.

"If it's early enough I'm hitting the beach." Tony smirks and high fives Ziva and McGee.

"You're going to swim in sixty degree water temperature?" McGee asks.

"Sixty!" Tony shivers.

"I surf in sixty degree water all the time." Callen laughs at them.

"That's because your use to it G, the average water temperature along the Atlantic Ocean along the Mid-Atlantic coast in the summer months is in the upper 70's to low 80's." Gibbs informs him.

"And we don't need a body suit to swim in the ocean." McGee teases Callen.

"If I had to ask Tony if he had two options of where he would want to work at LA or Washington where would it be?" Callen asks wiggling his eyebrows at him.

"LA!"

"Me, it would Buenos Aires." Ziva sighs.

"NCIS doesn't have a Buenos Aires office." Tony laughs.

"Who said I would be working for NCIS, I would be lounging on the beach." Ziva winks.

"Ok enough on our favorite locales and on to the op." Gibbs barks.

Montgomery Field

Hanger 204

1200 Hours

Gibbs, along with Callen and Sam are standing in front of the airplane. Off in the distance, Tony is laughing at the sight of his boss, dressed in a white Cubavera Shirt with gold leaf embroidering on the front panel of the shirt, khaki cargo shorts, with brown sandals to compliment his wardrobe. "Gibbs looks out of place." Tony doubles over in laughter.

Through Tony's earwig. "You're begging for a head slap." Gibbs warns him.

"Didn't realize you had your COM turned on." Tony laughs.

"I think you look sexy Gibbs." Ziva compliments him.

"Going to take another photo for Abby?" Kensi curiously asks.

"No because Gibbs has his chest covered." Ziva smirks.

"Want to send a photo of my chest." Tony grins.

"And scare the poor woman." Ziva answers in horror.

"What's wrong with my chest?" Tony protests.

"I compare it to a fourteen year old boy's chest with hair." Ziva teases him.

Suddenly Romero's red corvette with a 26'ft box truck behind pull into the hanger. "Soon as Gibbs gives us the code word we move in." Tony instructs them.

"I'll send word over to San Diego PD." Deeks nods and steps aside grabbing his two-way radio.

Romero parks out in front of the hanger and gets out of his car with his bodyguard Hugh watching Gibbs, Callen, and Sam's every move. "I see you have a big guy to take care of you." Romero laughs and glances over at Sam.

"If I die, Sam doesn't get paid." Gibbs smirks and walks over to Hector. "Got the cash?"

Hugh gets out of the car and hands Gibbs a briefcase. "Five million up front as I said." "You'll get the balance once your plane lands in Costa Rica." Romero roughly says to him. "Philippe, Manuel, empty the truck." Romero shouts.

"Wait for it." Tony mumbles to himself from his position.

The back of the truck is open revealing the weapons. Ziva with her binoculars spots several AK-47 assault rifles, M-4 Carbine's, grenade launchers, machine guns, and sniper rifles. "My my, I wonder who Hector's supplier is?"

The ramp to the truck is pulled down; Philippe and Manuel enter the truck and begin to unload the weapons. "I'm dying for a Corona." Gibbs says out loud.

With that Tony, Ziva, McGee, Kensi, and Deeks enter the hanger with their weapons drawn on Romero. "Federal Agents!" They shout over to him.

Philippe and Manuel drop their load down on the ground and raise their hands; Hugh is about to fire at Tony, when suddenly his gun is shot out from his hand. Cursing in Spanish. "Son of bitching Federales." Hugh screams in pain.

"To easy boss." Tony smirks over at him.

"We'll photograph and catalog the weapons and I'll give Abby something to do, I'll send them over to her lab in Washington." Gibbs smirks.

"Boss your bad." Tony laughs.

"You're not a weapons distributor." Hector says with surprise.

Gibbs taking his ID and badge out from his side pocket. "No I'm a Federale that's placing you under arrest." Gibbs taunts him. "Tony do the honors."

"My pleasure." Tony grins and handcuffs Romero. "Hector Romero you are under arrest for owning weapons without a permit, by the way several of those weapons are out lawed in the US, the intent to smuggle said weapons out of the country." Tony informs him and then continues on with Hector's Miranda rights.

"Later on he'll be charged with the murder of former NCIS Agent Dick Snyder." Gibbs nods over to Callen.

Comfort Inn I-805 Naval Base

1600 Hours PST

Poolside Gibbs is standing around with a carry-on bag in his hand. "I'll meet you at the airport tomorrow morning at 0930 Hours."

Callen gets up from his lounge chair. "I guess this is goodbye again Jethro." Callen smiles at him and reaches for Gibbs' hand.

Gibbs returns the gesture. "Until the next time."

"When the Director cools off, give Jenny my best."

"I will!" Gibbs laughs and then looks over at Sam. "Hanna could you see that G shaves the next time I see him."

"G has a mind of his own Gibbs." Sam laughs.

"Kensi, Deeks!" Gibbs nods and walks away.

"Where's he going?" Kensi curiously asks.

"My guess, Margarita Safari." Tony smirks.

Baja, Mexico

The Cantina

1800 Hours

Gibbs walks through the front door. "Senor Gibbs, the bartender calls out to him."

"Miguel!" Gibbs smiles over at him and walks over to the bar. "Is Camilla around?"

"She's with a customer." Miguel answers…"Can I get you something?"

"Corona, hold the lime."

"Lime is only done north of the border." Miguel snorts, he pops open the cap on Gibbs' bottle of beer and hands it over to him.

Camilla walks over to the bar. "Senor Gibbs!" She smiles with surprise.

Gibbs affectionately hugs Camilla. "I finished up a case in San Diego and my flight out isn't until tomorrow morning, I figured I would pop in and say hello and to check up on the progress on the modular that I'm putting in at on the land that Mike had left me in his will."

"I miss that old man." Camilla frowns.

"So do I." Gibbs sighs.

"I also miss Leyla and Amira."

"Their adjusting in Washington, I check up on them twice a week."

"I spoke with Leyla on the phone about a month ago; she told me that Senora Jenny moved in with you." Camilla winks.

"We figured that getting back together and moving in with one another was the best thing for both of us." "Mike would have haunted the two of us from his grave." Gibbs laughs.

"So how is it going?"

"The home part is going good; enjoy waking up with her every morning." "Work part isn't so good, because she's back in her office as Director of NCIS, I would rather have Jenny at home putting her feet up."

"You don't want Senora Jenny bossing you around." Camilla giggles.

"It was better when I was bossing Senora Jenny around." Gibbs growls.

"You and Mike are both little boys." Camilla laughs and affectionately squeezes Gibbs on the hand. "Are you hungry?"

"I've been craving for a real tamale." Gibbs drools.

"And bowl of beans and rice with some tortillas." Camilla smiles and writes down Gibbs' order. "Should be ten minutes."

An hour later, Gibbs pulls up out in front of the house. "Three more weeks and we'll be waking up to the sound of the Pacific Ocean." Gibbs smiles and grabs his carry-on bag from the seat. He gets out of the car and walks over to the front door and takes out the key from his pants pocket. Unlocking the door he steps inside the house and turns on the lights. Noting the furniture has arrived on time and that everything is in order in the living room. Gibbs walks into the kitchen and turns on the lights. "Refrigerator and stove have been hooked up." "I ordered a generic microwave the other day." "By the time New Year's Eve gets here everything will be in place." Gibbs beams with excitement and walks over to the sliding glass doors , unlocking them, he turns on the outside light and steps outside on to the large deck that has been recently constructed by Camilla's brother in-law. "Retirement can't get here soon enough for me." Gibbs says with a hint of anticipation in his voice. He walks over to the end of the deck and sits down hanging his legs over the edge. New Year's weekend can't get here fast enough for him.

0645 Hours PST

Gibbs awakens in bed, the first rays of sunlight filter through the room. "The only thing keeping me from hopping on that plane this morning instead of tomorrow morning is I have a mountain full of case files sitting back on your desk at headquarters." Gibbs grumbles and staggers out of bed.

San Diego International Airport

0930 Hours PST

Tony, Ziva, and McGee find Gibbs sitting in a lounge area near the boarding gate for their flight back to Washington. "We took care of your luggage." McGee nods down at him.

"Knew you would." Gibbs shrugs and gets up from his seat. "When we land in Washington you can head on home, I have case files to review in Jenny's Office."

"It's too bad you couldn't have sent Hetty back to Washington to do the case files for you." Tony laughs.

"I believe that Gibbs is in enough trouble as it is." Ziva giggles.

"Well I will have a three day reprieve from it before Madame Director screams at me for going over her head." Gibbs smirks and walks off for the boarding gate.

"Poor Cynthia!" McGee grumbles.

Dulles International Airport

1245 Hours EST

Jenny steps out of the airport with Melvin following her from behind. "Agent Gibbs will be surprised to find you home a day early." Melvin smiles at her and walks over to their waiting Towne Car.

"Didn't feel right being in Paris staying in a hotel room instead of my apartment." Jenny frowns and finds a familiar face behind the wheel her Towne Car. "Hector, what are you doing in Washington?"

"I'm on my way back to Paris; I just drove the Towne Car over to the airport for Melvin." Hector smiles at her.

"Have a safe flight back."

"I will ma'am!" Hector nods and walks over to the trunk and retrieves his luggage.

"Heading home ma'am?" Melvin curiously asks and opens the rear passenger door.

"No it's early and I'm not that tired, I'll head over to the office and put in a few hours."

"You just want to check up on Agent Gibbs." Melvin laughs.

"He screwed up enough case files the last time he was Acting Director." Jenny sighs and gets inside of the car.

NCIS Headquarters

Half an hour later, Jenny walks into Cynthia's outer office and notices that her assistant isn't sitting behind her desk. "Must be in MTAC." Jenny shrugs and walks into her office. On the left hand corner of her desk the in-bin is over flowing with case files that Gibbs has not reviewed yet. "Son of a bitch!" Jenny screams.

Out in the outer office Cynthia has returned from the supply room and has heard the wrath of Madame Director inside of her office. "Oh my god she's back a day early." Cynthia cringes and hesitantly approaches the office door.

Jenny glaring at her assistant. "I didn't see Gibbs or his team down in the Squad Room is he out of the building working on a case." Jenny angrily asks.

"Try out of state."

"Bastard!" Jenny hisses and walks over to the front of her desk, she glances down and notices that the Red NCIS folder on the Hector Romero investigation is missing. "He wouldn't be out in San Diego by any chance?" Jenny snaps.

"He's on his way back now."

"That was OSP's op, when I got back from my conference I was going to hand that over to them." Jenny fumes.

"You want me to get a hold of Gibbs for you?"

"No, I'll blind side the bastard when he returns to the office." "And from now on, when I call the office when I'm away on my overseas conferences when I ask you when there's anything major going on, you are under orders to tell me exactly what's going on, I'm the boss not Gibbs."

"Problem is Gibbs went over your head to SecNav Jarvis."

"Is that so?" Jenny viciously answers and stalks out of the office.

Inside MTAC Jenny storms down the ramp. "Get me SecNav Jarvis ASAP and when he comes on screen I want everybody cleared out of MTAC."

"Yes ma'am!" Danielle answers.

Two minutes later Jarvis appears on screen. "Director Shepard I'm surprised to see that came back to Washington early?"

"If you ever pull a stunt like this again, you will find my resignation on your desk." Jenny screams at him. "How dare you let Gibbs talk you into sending the Major Case Response Team out to San Diego on the Romero investigation, I was going to hand that over to Hetty Lange first thing on Monday morning." "Gibbs had responsibilities back here in Washington as Acting Director, I have a mountain full of case files that have to be reviewed that are sitting on top of my desk, because Gibbs is out in San Diego and can't look at them, and when he did return to Washington at some point today, Gibbs would have signed off on the cases without reviewing them." "And guess what a case gets thrown out of court on a technicality."

"I didn't know that Gibbs was so lacking when it came to his duties as Acting Director?" Jarvis says with surprise.

"The last time I went away I had Vance oversee NCIS, because Gibbs has screwed up the paper work so bad that it took me weeks to straighten it out."

"When Gibbs gets back to Washington, tell him to call me."

"It's a little late for that Clayton, you can't chew him out."

"He used me." Jarvis shouts.

"No he played you." "I'll handle Gibbs when he gets back." Jenny icily answers.


	66. Cold Front

After a long four and a half hour flight from San Diego, Gibbs goes his separate ways with his team at the airport, he hails a taxi and decides to go home with his luggage and get into a change of comfortable clothes for work. It's going to be along night reviewing case files. "I hate paperwork." Gibbs grumbles as he walks over to his yellow and black Dodge Challenger. "But first I need fuel before I report back to headquarters."

NCIS Headquarters

1815 Hours

Gibbs steps out of the elevator coffee in hand and is quickly mauled by Abby. "I was only gone for four days, cut me some slack." Gibbs laughs.

"I missed you." Abby squeals and tightens her arms around him.

"Abby you need to let go of me, I have case files to review up in her highness' office." Gibbs laughs.

"I'm letting you go under protest." Abby pouts and pulls away. "Did you bring me anything back from San Diego?"

"No Mexico, I spent the night at the house last night and on my way back through town I bought you a margarita glass, it's back at the house."

"Cool, it will come in handy at my New Year's Eve party." Abby winks.

"If you will excuse me I have a lot of work to catch up on between now and tomorrow." Gibbs nods over at her and walks off for the stairs.

Abby cuts through Gibbs' section and makes her way over to the elevator, where she finds Palmer standing with a can of soda in his hand. "Gibbs is back."

"So I heard." Palmer laughs…"Are you giving the others the same treatment tomorrow?"

"Oh yeah!" Abby giggles…The elevator opens and Abby and Palmer step inside. "You working late tonight?" Abby curiously asks as the elevator doors begin to close.

"I have a report that needs to be finished than I'll be on my way."

"For some reason Gibbs decided to send me all of the weapons that were confiscated in the Romero bust." "I'll be working down in my lab until ten o'clock tonight." Abby frowns.

"Sucks to be you." Palmer laughs.

Up on the second level Gibbs makes his way over to the door to Cynthia's outer office, he steps inside and notices that Cynthia isn't sitting behind her desk. "Little early for my loyal assistant to leaving the office." Gibbs smirks and walks over to the office door, just as he's about to step through the office door, Gibbs stands with his mouth open at the sight of Jenny sitting at the conference table reviewing case files.

Jenny angrily tosses her glasses on top of the table in disgust. "How dare you?" She screams at him.

"My team worked on a joint op with OSP?" Gibbs innocently shrugs and steps inside the office closing the door behind him.

"That was OSP's op; they could have handled it on their own without your teams help." "You just wanted an excuse to get out of my chair." "You used the fact that Jarvis doesn't know too much about you, by going over my head, which by the way will never ever happen again while I'm away on an overseas trip again, you pull that stunt again and the SecNav will ask for your badge." Jenny warns him.

"By doing my job, Jarvis will take my badge away." Gibbs laughs… "You're just pissed off that it was your op and I took it over." Gibbs smirks.

"Actually it was Hetty Lange's op." Jenny angrily corrects him and gets up from the table. "I was officially handing it over to OSP Monday morning."

"So I finished it a week earlier big deal?" Gibbs smirks.

"And left me with a mound of paper work on top of my desk, thank you Jethro I really appreciated walking into this."

"Nobody told you to come back to Washington a day earlier, and technically you weren't suppose to report in until Monday, I would have had the case files finished by then."

"And I would have had to redo them." Jenny sarcastically answers. "I came back a day early because I missed you." "Now I'm going to have to spend the night in my study back home and I will be sleeping in there until further notice, so if you have any particular urges that you need to relieve, you got two hands." Jenny icily informs him; she grabs her glasses from on top of her desk and walks out of the office.

"The battery operated device won't be satisfying you for very long Madame Director; you'll be back in my bed with in seventy-two hours." Gibbs shouts loud enough for her to hear him. Suddenly his cell phone rings for an incoming text message. Gibbs flips open his phone, notices it's an incoming text message from Jenny. "Most likely she wants to get in the last word." Gibbs laughs and presses in accept. 'Two initials for you Leroy, F.O.' Gibbs reads out loud. "And as usual it pisses me off." Gibbs inwardly growls and storms out of the office.

MTAC

Jenny, standing under the plasma screen with her arms folded is giving Hetty Lange the Shepard version of the Gibbs stare. "This will never happen again, am I making myself clear Special Agent Lange." Jenny chastises her.

Los Angeles, California

NCIS OSP

MTAC

Hetty can't help herself and bursts out laughing. "Your version of the Gibbs stare is scarier." Hetty chuckles.

"I don't find any of this funny Hetty." Jenny snaps.

"Gibbs had the all clear from SecNav Jarvis." Hetty answers.

"What SecNav Jarvis doesn't know about Gibbs, is he doesn't like filling in as Acting Director, you got stuck doing his job which he was ordered to do by me before I left the office last Friday." "He disobeyed my direct order and went over my head to Jarvis." "I'm angry at all of you."

"Even so the job got done Director."

"A job that the OSP Team was capable of handling on their own without the assistance of the MCR Team." "I was officially handing over the Romero investigation over to you on Monday morning when I had reported back to my office."

"It seems that Mr. Gibbs pulled the wool over my eyes and SecNav Jarvis'."

"He has a gift at it." Jenny mutters in annoyance. "In the future, while Gibbs is filling in as Acting Director and he will fill in for me whether he likes it or not, I want all joint NCIS Team operations to get my approval, before the operation goes forward." "You have my cell phone number, call me." Jenny frowns in disappointment. "Mr. Gibbs dumps you with his responsibilities as Acting Director and now I'm stuck with piles of case files to review on top of the conference table inside of my office." "Gibbs would have reviewed them half ass, down the road the cases may have been over turned due to a technicality because Gibbs was too damn lazy read the case file."

"He's still a little boy." Hetty laughs and shakes her head. "And he loves pushing your buttons to set you off, just the way he did in London." Hetty fondly answers.

"The difference between now and London is I'm the boss not him."

"But you will always be Gibbs' Probie and that will never go away." Hetty smiles.

Down in the basement around midnight, Gibbs is finishing the last chair for the kitchen table set that he's building for Jenny. "Seventy-two hours, hum it will be more like tomorrow morning." Gibbs smirks.

Upstairs in the study, Jenny is settling into bed. "Bastard!" She hisses and closes her eyes. "Seventy-two hours Leroy, I don't think so, it will be a cold day in hell before I crawl back to your bed." Jenny smirks.

0530 Hours

The alarm clock goes off in Gibbs' bedroom; half asleep he reaches over on to Jenny's side of the bed. "Damn it I forgot that she slept in her study last night." Gibbs grumbles and gets out of bed; he walks the length of the hallway leading to the study, noting that the door is open. He pops his head in and finds the room empty with the bed back inside of the library. "Bathroom!" Gibbs shrugs and walks over to the bathroom stepping inside he finds a taped envelope on the shower curtain with Jenny's familiar handwriting on it, 'Leroy' is written on the outside. "Wonder what cryptic message Mata Hari has for me this morning." Gibbs growls and walks over to the shower curtain and retrieves the envelope. Opening it up, the smell of Jenny's perfume invades his nostrils. "That's playing dirty Jen." Gibbs groans and unfolds the sheet of paper.

'I left you plenty of cold water for a cold shower, since hell will freeze over before I crawl back into your bed Leroy, your hands will be your only source of sexual satisfaction until further notice.'

'I hope that the scent of my Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Extrait perfume is helping with your early morning problem that you seem to have at the crack of dawn every day.'

Enjoy your early morning hand job in the shower, regards.

Madame Director

P.S. MTAC will be locked out until further notice so I do not have to glimpse the sight of you.

Gibbs angrily tosses the sheet of paper down into the trash can next to the toilet. "Bitch!" He snarls, pulling his t-shirt over his head. "I'm pissed off and have a hard on from hell." "There's going to be a price to pay Madame Director for being a tease." Gibbs smirks; he steps out of his boxers and goes into the shower, turning on the water for the shower. "Damn it Jen did you have to use all of the hot water."

Starbucks

0640 Hours

Gibbs walks out with his usual Venti sized cup of coffee and is about to walk over to his car. "Agent Gibbs!" SecNav Jarvis shouts over to him from his Towne Car. Gibbs rolls his eyes and walks over to the car; Jarvis opens up the car door. "Get inside!" Jarvis orders him. Gibbs sucking in his teeth gets inside of the Towne Car and closes the door behind him. "If you pull a stunt like that again, I will ask for your badge no questions asked."

"At the time you thought it was a good idea." Gibbs innocently reminds him.

"At the time I didn't' know that you were under strict orders by your Director to stay at headquarters filling in for her duties as Acting Director." "I wouldn't have had a problem if you would have sent Agent DiNozzo out with your team to San Diego."

"DiNozzo out in sunny Southern California unsupervised." Gibbs laughs.

"Agent Callen would have been the lead agent in charge and would have handled DiNozzo." Jarvis bitterly reminds him.

"I don't see what the problem is sir, the job got done. Hetty Lange has filled in from time to time as Acting Director when former Director Vance was out on an overseas trip." Gibbs shrugs.

"Director Vance is in a federal prison holding cell, he is no longer the Director of NCIS." "You were ordered by Director Shepard to take on her responsibilities until she came back from Europe."

"And I didn't know she was reporting back a day early and technically she shouldn't be back behind her desk until Monday morning, the reports would have been done by then." Gibbs protests.

"According to Director Shepard, they would have been done half ass." Jarvis chastises him.

"Whatever?" Gibbs grunts.

"And have a possible murder walk free, when the case went to trial, because you didn't bother to read the case file?" Jarvis angrily snaps. "Jenny almost resigned yesterday, because of what you pulled." "She's done a damn good job since being reinstated as Director." "Two major arms dealers have been arrested on US soil, yes your team and along with Callen's wrapped up the Romero case yesterday, but there was a month's worth of surveillance that went on with Snyder and his team."

"Snyder was a dirty agent." Gibbs growls.

"Snyder yes, but the agents on his team weren't." "They turned Snyder into their Special Agent in Charge when he wasn't forth coming with the evidence on the Romero investigation."

"That's when Snyder resigned his position with NCIS." Gibbs nods.

"I did a follow up on this Gibbs, after my MTAC feed with Jenny yesterday afternoon." "Romero would have been brought down without your team's involvement; there was no need for a joint team investigation." "NCIS is having funding problems as it is."

"I'll pay for the round trip air and hotel expenses." Gibbs barks.

"And rental car."

"Deal!" Gibbs sighs…

"I don't want to ever have a one on one confrontation with Jenny like that again." Jarvis grimaces.

"I'm use to it." Gibbs laughs and reaches for the door handle.

"You find this funny Agent Gibbs; I don't appreciate your attempted flippant humor of the situation." Jarvis angrily fumes.

"I don't find any of this funny." "Until further notice I have to live with the Ice Queen for twenty-four hours a day." "At least in the office I can get away from her by going into the other areas of the building." Gibbs grumbles.

"You should have thought otherwise, before you stuck your nose into an investigation that you had no business being involved with."

"Now the Director knows how I feel when she sticks her nose into one of my cases." Gibbs mischievous grins and opens up the car door.

"Difference between you and Shepard, Agent Gibbs, is she's the boss and can stick her nose into any NCIS investigation that she wants to."

"I hate it when it gets thrown into my face that she's the boss." Gibbs groans and steps out of the car.

"Instead of being resentful that she's your boss, you should be proud." "Jenny's track record as an NCIS and CIA Agent, and the work that she's done as Director." "Under her tenure as Director, Jenny got funding for NCIS that no other Director, including Vance has ever received." "You did a damn good job in training her Jethro."

"I am proud of her sir, but it doesn't mean I have to like it that my Probie as my boss throwing the rules I taught her in my face." Gibbs bitterly answers; he closes the car door and walks over to his Challenger.

NCIS Headquarters

0655 Hours

Tony, Ziva, and McGee step out of the elevator. "The joys of doing paper work begin." Tony whines.

"Keep in mind Gibbs will be in the office until later tonight again." Ziva snickers.

They approach their section and find Gibbs sitting at his desk sulking. "Sitting at the wrong desk boss." Tony baits him.

"Shut up DiNozzo." Gibbs snarls and gets up from his desk. "Going to see how Abby is making out." Gibbs grumbles and stalks off for the elevator.

"I wonder what's eating him." Tony asks in confusion and walks over to his desk dropping his backpack on the floor.

The door to MTAC opens and Jenny steps out, Ziva's and McGee watch in stunned silence as Jenny walks over to her office. "I wonder when Jenny came back."

Tony turns his head up towards the balcony. "Yesterday afternoon!" Cynthia cringes from the entrance of Gibbs' section.

"Scale of one to ten on how angry she was when Gibbs came into her office." Tony smirks.

"I wouldn't know Director Shepard sent me home early so I wouldn't hear what she had to say in him in her office." Cynthia shrugs and starts off for the stairs.

"Rats no play by play on their argument." Tony pouts.

Down in Abby's Lab, Gibbs walks in and finds Abby sitting over at her workstation. "You look tired."

"That's because I didn't get out of here until ten o'clock and I reported in at 0600 hours." "Oh and by the way guess who rode up with me in the elevator on our way up to the Squad Room."

"Ice Queen!" Gibbs growls.

"She didn't look happy." Abby warns him.

"Like I really care, now on to the weapons that we seized out in San Diego." Gibbs grunts.

"Why didn't you have the San Diego Office or OSP check into these weapons, there are so many?" Abby whines.

"Because I wanted the best on it." Gibbs smiles.

"Most of these weapons are either stolen or have entered the US illegally."

"And a drug dealer or terror group won't be getting their hands on them." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"The larger weapons I'll work on later on this afternoon down in the Evidence Room." Abby nods.

"I'm heading down there now." Gibbs answers and walks away.

Abby waits for Gibbs to get inside of the elevator, she runs in the backroom and IM's Ziva, knowing that her desk faces away from the balcony. 'Mommy wasn't a happy camper in the elevator this morning'

Up in the Squad Room. "Incoming IM from Amy." Ziva calls over to Tony and McGee who quickly run over to Ziva's desk. Ziva types back. 'Cynthia was sent home early last night, so we won't be getting a run down on what happened in Jenny's Office between them.'

'Is Tony doing a pool on how long they won't talk to one another?' Abby types back.

Tony pulls the keyboard from Ziva. 'Nah this will blow over, Christmas is coming up.' Tony types back.

'Forgot about that Grandpa is coming home for Christmas and Gibbs has his surprise down in Baja for her also.' Abby types back.

Ducky walks in. "Traffic, traffic, and more traffic." Ducky whines as he walks past Gibbs' section, he notices that the kids are in the midst of an IM gossiping session with Abby. Ducky approaches the partition near Ziva's desk. "Who are you gossiping about?"

"Mommy and daddy!" Tony snickers.

With that Jenny walks out of her office, noting that the Gibblets are huddling around Ziva's desk. "The official NCIS IM system is not for gossiping and I'm not paying the three of you to be standing around doing nothing." "I expect to find your reports from the Romero investigation on my desk at by the end of the day." Jenny scolds them and storms off for the elevator.

Tony and McGee scurry over to their desks. "This is my cue to leave as well." Ducky muses and quickly walks off for the elevator.

"Notice Grandfather's name was kept out of it." Tony grumbles.

"He had his coat and hat on." McGee shrugs.

Over at the elevator the door opens, Ducky cautiously walks in. "I'm not pissed off at you Doctor." Jenny laughs breaking the ice.

Ducky presses in the button for his floor. "So I notice when my name wasn't brought up." Ducky laughs.

"You just came into work and walked into whatever DiNozzo, David, and McGee were gossiping about with their sister down in forensics." Jenny shrugs in annoyance. "I wish they would mind their own business on what goes on between Gibbs and I." Jenny frowns.

The elevator doors close. "That will never happen, because you and Gibbs are a live action soap opera." Ducky chuckles.

"You're comparing my love life with Jethro to a reality show." Jenny laughs.

"Imagine the ratings on it."

"Yeah five million people with no life at all, watching mine." Jenny answers and shakes her head.

"With your personalities try twenty million." Ducky snorts.

The elevator stops on Abby's floor. "Now to chew Jethro's favorite out."

"Be gentle!"

The doors open. "I'll try!" Jenny laughs and steps out of the elevator and walks into the lab finding Abby pretending to be working at her workstation. "I know you're not working Abs." Jenny scolds her.

"Rats!" Abby grimaces and turns and faces Jenny. "I saw Gibbs about ten minutes ago." Abby innocently answers.

"Like I really care."

"You know he said the very same thing when I told him that I rode up in the elevator with you this morning." Abby giggles at her, noting that Jenny is giving Abby her version of the Gibbs stare. "I know the NCIS IM system is not for gossiping." "Yadda, yadda, yadda."

"And you still continue to do it." Jenny snaps at her.

"I couldn't help myself after Gibbs' Ice Queen comment when he walked into my lab." Abby tattles.

"Well you have better control the next time, or you and your siblings will be working every holiday weekend for the next year." Jenny warns her.

"Yes ma'am!" Abby swallows.

"Now I want to have a look at some of the weapons that were confiscated at the airport in San Diego."

"I have them tagged back in the ballistics' room." Abby answers and walks off with Jenny following behind her.

Down in Autopsy, Ducky enters the room after changing into his scrubs and finds Gibbs sitting at his desk. "I don't want to hear about it." Ducky grumbles and walks over to mortuary chamber.

"That's because her majesty got to you before me." Gibbs barks and gets up from his chair.

Ducky approaches drawer number five and pulls the skeletonized remains of woman. "I don't blame her for being angry with you Jethro." "You disregarded her authority once again, because you wanted to get out of her office."

"The reason why I went out to San Diego with my team is because I knew between the two teams we could have resolved it within two days, which we did, and it gave me a chance to check up on the house that I had put in on Mike's land."

"Was it worth upsetting Jenny?" Ducky chastises him. "She almost resigned yesterday."

"Good then I would have had her back home where she belongs." Gibbs smirks.

"What makes you so sure that Jenny would stay with you?" Ducky curiously asks.

"After what we've been through the past three years, Jenny wouldn't have left me over a job."

"She did it once before." Ducky reminds him.

"Frog is dead and buried, that was the reason why she left me for the job offer."

"You are way over confident at times Jethro." Ducky sighs.

"The one thing I'm confident about now is my relationship with Jenny." "Madame Director will come off her high horse eventually and things will smooth over between us." Gibbs smiles.

Palmer walks in after changing into his scrubs. "Sorry Doctor Mallard, I got sidetracked by Breena once again." Palmer groans and walks over to the mortuary chamber. "Agent Gibbs!" Palmer nods over at him.

"Palmer!" Gibbs nods back. "Catch you later Ducky." Gibbs nods over at him and walks off for the door.

"A little birdy up in forensics told me that Director Shepard came back yesterday." Palmer says in a matter of fact.

"Yes it's a bit frigid upstairs; make sure you wear your coat when you get off Agent Gibbs' floor."

Back up in Abby's Lab, Jenny has a list of the weapons that Abby has identified. "I'll pass this on to the ATF Director." Jenny answers.

"I'm starting on the larger weapons after lunch."

"Even though mommy is still pissed off at you for gossiping with your siblings I want you out of your lab at 1800 hours tonight." Jenny orders her.

"But Gibbs-" Abby quickly stops herself as once again Jenny is giving her the Shepard stare. "I'll be out of my lab at 1755 hours and by then I should be entering the elevator for the parking garage by 1800 hours."

"You worked late enough last night." Jenny softly says to her and walks off for the elevator; she presses the in button on the display panel against the wall. "I hope the bastard is off on a coffee run, I'm not in the mood to-" With that the elevator stops, the doors open and standing in the back of the elevator is Gibbs glaring at her.

"In or out Director." Gibbs growls at her.

"Out!" Jenny hisses at him and stalks off for the stairs.

Gibbs steps out in between the elevator and the hallway. "Be very careful that you don't break a heel on your three hundred dollar Prada's." Gibbs sarcastically calls out to her.

Jenny as she approaches the door for the stairs, she turns and glares down at her lover. "Christian Louboutin shoes and they are eight hundred dollars!" She sarcastically corrects him.

"Whatever?" Gibbs snarls at her.

"Get it right the next time." Jenny shouts at him, she steps inside the stairwell slamming the door behind him.

"Unbelievable!" Gibbs grumbles and steps back inside the elevator.

Inside the lab, Abby was listening in on them. "And she got the last word in as usual." Abby giggles.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

1215 Hours

Tony, Ziva, Abby, and McGee are having lunch. "She headed straight for MTAC and hasn't come out since." Tony says in between bites of his French fries.

"Gibbs' mood hasn't been any better since he returned from downstairs." Ziva sighs.

"That's because she got the last word in." Abby laughs.

"And it pisses him off to no end." Tony laughs.

"I don't see this blowing over guys." McGee frowns with worry.

"Jack is coming down for Christmas in a few weeks." "By then things will be back to normal between them." Tony reassures him.

Evidence Room

1600 Hours

Abby has finished identifying the last of the larger assault rifles, Gibbs steps out of the elevator with his team following him from behind. "What do you got for me Abs?" Gibbs asks as he approaches her from behind.

Abby hands Gibbs a list of all of the weapons. "Once again the weapons are either stolen or illegal."

"Or both!" Tony finishes.

"Good job, I'll buy you Chinese take-out tonight and I'll send it down to your lab." Gibbs smoothly says to her.

"I'm not working late tonight." Abby informs him.

"I didn't tell you, you could go home early." Gibbs shrugs over at her.

"No, but keep in mind Gibbs, technically you are not my boss, I work for forensics and a higher authority ordered me to go home tonight at 1800's hours." "Unlike you I don't disobey the Director's orders." Abby sweetly says to him.

"Forward the weapons list to your boss' office since you're now taking orders from her instead of me." Gibbs growls and storms off for the elevator.

Abby waiting for Gibbs to get inside of the elevator. "What am I suppose to do?" Abby shrugs… "I can't disobey a direct order from the Director."

"You did the right thing; Jenny knows when somebody is tired Abby, unlike Gibbs, Jenny as a Team Leader over in Europe would frequently send her team home after they have worked tirelessly on an investigation." Ziva softly answers.

"Unlike Gibbs, Jenny has a soft spot." Tony smiles.

"I noticed that when she took us under her wing, when Gibbs left for Mexico." McGee smiles.

Gibbs' House

2330 Hours

Jenny after working late in the office walks through the front door and finds her lover lying on the couch waiting for her. "Your room should be nice and frigid for you to sleep in tonight." Gibbs smirks.

"Better than the five foot ten ice pop that I usually sleep next to." Jenny laughs and starts for the stairs.

Gibbs gets up from the couch and grabs Jenny by the wrist. "What are we doing?"

"I don't know you started it by-"

Gibbs puts his finger up against Jenny's mouth. "We're at home now." "Jen we can't survive this way if work is brought home."

"What am I suppose to do?" "You disrespected my authority." "I'm suppose to shut that off when I walk through that front door." Jenny screams at him and storms up the stairs. The door to the back bedroom violently slams shaking the picture frames on the walls.

"I guess there will be no pax between us tonight." Gibbs sighs in disappointment; slowly he walks over to the basement door. "It's a good thing I have off this weekend; bottle of bourbon will be companion." Gibbs inwardly says to himself as he starts down the basement steps.


	67. Hung Over

Late the next morning down in the basement, Gibbs awakens on top of his worktable with a horrible hang over. Squinting at the lights that he left on from the night before. "Oh my head." He groans and slowly sits up on the table to find the room spinning counter clock wise. "Drinking a bottle and a half of JD when you're pissed off is never a good thing." Gibbs grumbles and gets off the table stumbling his way towards the stairs.

Upstairs in her study, Jenny is sitting at her desk reading an e-mail when she over hears her lover in the bathroom. "Serves you right you bastard." Jenny laughs and gets up from her chair.

Inside the bathroom, Gibbs has his head inside the toilet bowl. "I'm dying!" He whines….

Jenny standing in the doorway with her arms folded smirks down at her lover. "Best damn form of punishment that you could receive Leroy." Jenny snickers at him.

"Very-" Before Gibbs can finish another wave of nausea hits him.

Jenny walks over to the sink; she retrieves a washcloth from the shelf above the toilet. "Hang over worse than the night Diane threw you out of the house for missing your wedding anniversary with her." Jenny teases him and turns on the cold water.

"You would have to bring that up again." Gibbs groans and continues emptying the contents of his stomach out.

Jenny wringing the washcloth under the faucet. "You slept it off for eighteen hours up in my spare bedroom." Jenny laughs and shuts off the water; she gets down on the floor and puts the cold washcloth on the back of Gibbs' neck.

Gibbs clutching on to the side of the toilet bowl. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Gibbs grimaces.

"Because you gave me the best form of punishment, a hangover from hell." Jenny smirks.

"It's beyond punishment its torture."

"Even better!" Jenny laughs…"Let me get you into bed so that you can sleep this off."

"Plan on joining me?"

"Hell no, my sleeping arrangements are over in the study." "I'm not crawling back into your bed." Jenny chastises him and slowly helps Gibbs up on his feet.

"So I'm still being punished."

"You should have thought of that, when you disrespected my authority back at the office."

Gibbs slumping up against his lover. "I didn't disrespect you."

"Yes you did, by going against my orders and did what you felt like doing, you disrespected me." "You never pulled that crap with Morrow and the other Directors, and I've been reading up on the past three years, you certainly would not have pulled that stunt with Vance." Jenny frowns in disappointment. "It's no fun arguing with you when you're hung over; let me put you to bed."

Five minutes later in the bedroom, Gibbs is sleeping in bed; Jenny strategically places a bucket on the floor next to the bed. "You hurt me Jethro." "Part of me wants to walk out that front door." "But I can't, what the both of us have went through the past three years is what's keeping me from leaving you." "I'm going with my heart instead of my gut this time." Jenny whispers, she walks over to the bed and kisses Gibbs on top of his forehead. "You're making the first move not me." Jenny snickers and walks out of the bedroom.

1600 Hours

After sleeping in for most of the day, Gibbs drags himself out of bed. "Maybe a shower might make me feel better." He groans and staggers off for the bedroom.

Downstairs on the couch, Jenny is watching a movie on TV, hearing the shower running upstairs. "I see the dead has arisen." She laughs and gets up from the couch and walks over to the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, Gibbs dressed in a gray long sleeved shirt and navy blue sweat pants walks into the kitchen. "Your stomach up for chicken and rice soup." Jenny softly asks him from the stove.

"I didn't have chicken and rice soup in the cabinet." Gibbs grimaces and flops down at the kitchen table.

"No, I went out to the store while you slept it off."

"Alone?"

"Yes, I do have some leeway where I can go out of the house without my Protection Detail or an agent present." "I bought several cans of chicken and rice soup and some Chamomile Tea."

"My stomach isn't up for coffee." Gibbs grimaces.

"Now there's a first." Jenny laughs, she turns off the burner and pours a small amount of soup in the bowl, suddenly the kettle begins to whistle on top of the stove.

Gibbs clutching on to his head. "Would you shut that off?" He whines.

Jenny turns off the burner. "Your eyes are still blood shot." Jenny laughs.

"It's been years since I've drank this much bourbon."

"Now you know how I felt the next morning at your father's a few weeks ago."

"I liked it because I took advantage of you in bed later on." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny walking over to the table with Gibbs bowl of soup. "Notice I didn't repay the favor this morning." She sarcastically reminds him and places the bowl in front of him.

"Like you would have seduced me after I had my head in the toilet for five minutes." Gibbs grunts.

"Who said I had to take advantage of you by kissing you on the mouth?" Jenny smirks and walks over to the stove and picks up the tea kettle, she pours the water into two cups that are on the counter.

"No fun on getting me orally when I would have been passed out."

"It wouldn't have been orally either." Jenny wickedly answers.

"Great I haven't had sexual relations with your body in well over a week, and your finding another way of punishing me." Gibbs grumbles and slowly begins to eat his soup.

Jenny with the cups in her hand walks over to the table and puts Gibbs' cup of tea in front of him. "Cold shower didn't give you any relief yesterday."

"Oh by the way thanks a lot for using up all of the hot water."

"I thought that a big strong Marine like yourself could handle a cold shower." Jenny laughs at him and walks out of kitchen.

"There's a difference between cold and frigid." Gibbs grumbles.

Gibbs Bedroom

Midnight

Gibbs is tossing and turning in bed it's been six nights since Jenny has slept in his arms. "Making matters worse, she's been sleeping down the end of the hallway the past two nights." Gibbs frowns and throws the covers back.

Down at the end of the hallway, Jenny is in bed sleeping soundly on her right side, Gibbs walks into the room. "How the hell can she sleep without me?" He inwardly asks. "The bourbon bottle is not an option tonight." Gibbs sighs and caves in; he walks over to the bed, quietly he crawls under the covers with his lover.

"I told you I wouldn't give in first." Jenny mumbles in her sleep.

Gibbs circles his arms around her waist from behind. "Bottle of bourbon was not an option to get me to fall asleep tonight." Gibbs mumbles and closes his eyes.

"If you would have woken up hung over tomorrow morning you were on your own." Jenny yawns.

"My head and stomach couldn't handle another one." Gibbs answers above a whisper. Sleep over takes the tired lovers; they drift off to sleep, with Gibbs protectively holding Jenny in his arms.

0800 Hours

The sound of a fire truck racing past the house, sends Gibbs upright in bed, noting Jenny's absence from the bed, Gibbs throws his legs over the side of the bed. "I'm still hung over and the only way I'm going to clear my head is by taking a hot shower."

Two minutes later under the shower nozzle, Gibbs lets the hot water pour over his head, feeling Jenny's hands on his lower back. "Seducing me woman?" Gibbs mischievously asks.

"What's it look like?" Jenny seductively answers.

Gibbs turns and grabs Jenny by the face; passionately he kisses her on the mouth. Jenny deepens his kiss, parting his mouth with her tongue. Gibbs caught off guard by her aggressiveness backs Jenny up against the shower curtain, taking over his kiss. Jenny breathlessly breaks away. "The hell with the shower." Gibbs growls, shutting off the water, he picks Jenny up in his arms and carries her over to his bedroom, gently putting her down on the bed, he goes on top of her. "I don't want our first time after a fight to be a quickie in the shower."

Jenny rubbing her knee up against the back of his butt. "Shut up and make love to me." Jenny purrs capturing his mouth. Throughout the day they passionately make love to one another.

1800 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are having dinner in bed. "I worked up an appetite." Gibbs says in between bites of his spaghetti.

"I made sure you stayed on top most of the time." Jenny sensuously answers.

"So what other form of punishment do you want me to do?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out at another date and time."

"Another cheap shot in the dark." Gibbs whines.

"Who says it will be in the dark?" Jenny smirks.

"It usually is." Gibbs grumbles.

"The last time on your boat wasn't a quickie in the dark."

"Forgot about that." Gibbs says in between bites of his food.

"You were begging for that one." Jenny laughs.

"Well it will never beat out what I did to you on top of your kitchen table in Paris."

"It took me twelve hours to recover from that one." Jenny sighs in exasperation.

"Every time I taste peaches I'll be reminded of you."

The next morning at headquarters, Gibbs and Jenny are up on the balcony overlooking the bullpen. "They don't seem surprised that we're not at each other's throats anymore." Jenny softly answers.

"Christmas is coming up." Gibbs smoothly answers. "Dad is coming up for the holiday and not to mention we're going away for New Year's."

"I know you keep reminding me." Jenny smiles and notes the smirk on her lovers face. "You're up to something."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gibbs innocently shrugs and walks off for the stairs.

"I know who to get it out of." Jenny mischievously answers and walks off for the elevator.

Down in the bullpen, Gibbs returns to his desk. "Since we're caught up with the Romero investigation what do we do now?" Tony curiously asks.

"Gun range, gym, or cold case files, take your pick DiNozzo." Gibbs grunts.

"Too early for the gym." Tony grumbles.

Before Gibbs can answer his desk phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

"I hope it's a case." Tony inwardly prays to himself.

"We'll be right there." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Two dead Marine's over at Self-Storage Unit on New York Ave."

"Thank you!" Tony shouts out loud and retrieves his coat from the back of his chair.

Gibbs tosses Tony the keys for truck. "Gas the truck and we'll meet you outside."

"See where whining gets you Tony." Ziva snickers.

"Boss' pet!" Tony grumbles, taking his sidearm and badge from his desk.

"David go with him." Gibbs growls at him.

Ziva icily glares over at Tony. "Thanks a lot!" She hisses at him.

"Figured you would keep me company while I was freezing my ass off outside." Tony taunts her.

Down in Abby's Lab, Jenny is trying to get Abby to slip up on Gibbs' New Year's Eve plans. "Give it up Director." Abby giggles.

"Come on!" Jenny groans in protest.

"It's a surprise and it's the only thing I'll give away." Abby sweetly says to her and walks off for the backroom with Jenny chasing after her, on Abby's computer Jenny notices Abby's new wallpaper. "Like my new wallpaper." Abby drools.

"Notice that I don't have your boyfriend shirtless up on my computer screen." Jenny chastises her.

"Grigoryi has way too many tattoos on his chest and arms and would scare you away." Abby laughs.

"It annoys me to know end that valuable NCIS funding was wasted on that op." "Jethro is lounging around poolside having a good time on the US tax payers, who are struggling to get by."

"I believe he told Ducky the other day that he's reimbursing the hotel and airplane ticket expenses." "SecNav Jarvis reamed him out Friday morning."

"I told Jarvis I would handle Gibbs in house." Jenny snaps.

"I gather you don't care for Jarvis." Abby curiously asks.

"He's a step up from Davenport, but if you would ask me, give me Gordo as SecNav any day of the week." Jenny softly answers.

U-Store Self Storage

New York Avenue

Outside unit number 309, Gibbs and his team are unpacking the truck, inside the garage, the bodies of Sergeant Major Noah Carter and Corporal Jacob Winston lie on the ground. Nolan Redman the manager of the Self-Storage facility stands nearby. "Ziva question the manager since he called it in." Gibbs orders her. Ziva rolls her eyes and walks over to Redman. Tony makes a face at her. "DiNozzo carrying our gear inside the garage." Gibbs barks at him.

McGee hands Tony a forensics' kit. "Don't trip over the bodies on your way in." McGee smirks.

"I'll remember this Probie the next time I fill in as Team Leader." Tony warns him and walks off for the unit.

Ducky and Palmer pull up next to the truck. Ducky gets out of the truck. "Jethro what do we have?"

"Two dead inside unit number 309, Sergeant Major Noah Carter and Corporal Jacob Winston." "I can tell you the cause of death."

"Either they were stabbed or shot at?" Ducky snorts.

"Shot!"

"Let me go look at the poor lads." Ducky frowns and walks off towards the direction of the unit.

Ziva walks over to Gibbs. "Apparently Redman just started his shift at 0630 hours this morning, he had just got out of his car when he heard the gunshots." "A blue Chevy Malibu with Maryland plates sped out of the parking lot." "The manager took the liberty of retrieving the video tape and has it sitting on top of his desk in his office."

"Who rented out the unit?" Gibbs sheepishly asks.

"Victor Sterling!"

Gibbs' stands with his jaw hanging in disbelief. Ducky who had left something inside of the truck walks past Gibbs and notices his facial expression. "Something wrong?"

"I don't believe in coincidences." Gibbs groans in protest.

"And what does Victor Sterling have to do with that?" Ziva curiously asks.

"He's married to my ex-wife Diane."


	68. Jethro's Three Women

*Previously on NCIS*

Gibbs and his team arrive at a Self-Storage Unit to investigate the murders of two Marines, Sergeant Major Noah Carter and Corporal Jacob Winston. While Tony and McGee are inside the unit looking for evidence, Ziva is off questioning the Self-Storage facilities manager Nolan Redman. While Ziva is questioning the manager Ducky and Palmer arrive. Ducky stepping out of the truck. "Jethro what do we have?"

"Two dead inside unit number 309, Sergeant Major Noah Carter and Corporal Jacob Winston." "I can tell you the cause of death."

"Either they were stabbed or shot at?" Ducky snorts.

"Shot!"

"Let me go look at the poor lads." Ducky frowns and walks off towards the direction of the unit.

Ziva walks over to Gibbs. "Apparently Redman just started his shift at 0630 hours this morning, he had just got out of his car when he heard the gunshots." "A blue Chevy Malibu with Maryland plates sped out of the parking lot." "The manager took the liberty of retrieving the video tape and has it sitting on top of his desk in his office."

"Who rented out the unit?" Gibbs sheepishly asks.

"Victor Sterling!"

Gibbs' stands with his jaw hanging in disbelief. Ducky who had left something inside of the truck walks past Gibbs and notices his facial expression. "Something wrong?"

"I don't believe in coincidences." Gibbs groans in protest.

"And what does Victor Sterling have to do with that?" Ziva curiously asks.

"He's married to my ex-wife Diane."

"Doesn't Victor Sterling work with Homeland Security?" Ducky asks.

"Unfortunately yes." Gibbs grumbles.

"Why is it unfortunate?" Ziva shrugs.

"Because if Sterling is involved with this, I need to bring Fornell in on this." Gibbs sighs and walks off for the garage.

"And Diane as well." Ducky laughs.

Two hours later back at headquarters, Gibbs and his team are standing next to the plasma screen near Gibbs' desk reviewing the video tape from the Self-Storage Facility. The 2011 Blue Chevy Malibu pulls up to the unit with the two Marines in the back. "McGee-"

McGee interrupting Gibbs. "Soon as we're done looking at the video I'll run a bolo on that plate." McGee finishes.

Two men in the front of the car along with the Marines get out of the car. They walk over to the unit and raise the garage door. Seconds later, Victor Sterling hauled out of the unit handcuffed and with a gag wrapped around his mouth. "So Victor isn't a suspect." Gibbs notes out loud as Victor is stuffed into the back of the trunk of the car.

Carter and Winston walk back inside the garage. The driver of the Malibu walks over to the entrance of the unit and pulls out a Smith & Wesson handgun and open fires into the garage. "They never had a chance." McGee says in disgust.

Gibbs' cellphone begins to ring for an incoming text message. "Hold that thought." Gibbs answers and walks over to his desk to retrieve his glasses.

The video continues to run up on the plasma screen, with the Malibu speeding away from the unit. "I'll get a bolo on that plate and then I will see if I can identify the gunmen shown on the video." McGee nods and walks over to his desk.

Gibbs flips his phone closed. "I'm going for coffee." He shouts over to his team.

"In the middle of one of our bullpen sessions?" Tony sheepishly asks.

Gibbs putting his glasses inside of his jacket pocket. "What's wrong with that?" Gibbs growls giving Tony a glare of warning for questioning him.

"Nothing!" Tony gulps and cowers over towards his desk. Gibbs grabs his coat from on top of the bookshelf and walks off for the elevator. Tony and Ziva wait for him to get inside. "This is going to be fun." Tony laughs.

"The question is does the Director know-"

Before McGee can answer, Jenny walks in. "Know what Special Agent McGee?" Jenny asks over hearing him mentioning her name.

"How does she do it?" McGee grimaces.

"What McNerd was about to say is?" "Do you know who owns the Self-Storage unit that the two Marines were found in this morning?"

"No Gibbs hasn't briefed me on his current case yet?" Jenny shrugs.

"Victor Sterling!" Tony smirks.

"Why the smirk?" Jenny asks with a curious look on her face.

"He works for Homeland Security and Sterling is the husband of ex-wife number two or in Fornell's case his only ex-wife." Tony laughs.

"Great!" Jenny grimaces at the process of having to deal with Diane. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Coffee run!" Tony grins.

"You just got back?" Jenny snaps.

"I asked him the same thing and I got the ole Gibbs glare of warning for questioning him for going out so soon." Tony answers.

"He did get a text message prior to that." McGee tattles.

"When he gets back tell him I want to see him in my office." Jenny instructs him and starts up for the stairs.

"Fun, fun, fun!" Tony says with a mischievous grin on his face rubbing his hands together.

Starbucks

Gibbs walks in and finds Fornell at the counter ordering a Grande House Blend. "No fancy holiday peppermint mocha blend." Gibbs shouts over to him with a smirk on his face.

Fornell roll his eyes. "Don't tell me she called you in on it also." Fornell groans.

"I am in on it; two Marines were found murdered inside of her husband's Self-Storage Unit." Gibbs answers and walks over to the counter. "Venti Sumatra blend." Gibbs nods and places a five dollar bill on top of the counter.

"Coming right up." Wendy smiles.

Diane suddenly appears behind her two ex-husbands unobserved. "Well, well, I see you still drink you coffee bland like yourself." Diane baits ex-husband number one in a snippy tone of voice.

Gibbs turns and glares over at his ex-wife. "It sure beats drinking it with soy milk, that's right your lac-"

"Here's your coffee Gibbs." Wendy smiles at him.

Gibbs takes his change and his coffee from Wendy. "Ok Diane why did you summon both of your ex-husbands?" Gibbs grunts.

"After I order my Pumpkin spice latte."

"We'll be waiting for you at the corner table." Fornell snorts and walks off for the corner table with Gibbs following him from behind. "Should I be involved with this?"

"As of now yes, Victor Sterling was kidnapped by gunpoint at his Self-Storage Unit on New York Avenue."

"Conveniently it's the same location where your two Marines were killed?" Fornell nods and takes a seat with his back facing Diane.

"Thanks a lot!" Gibbs grumbles flopping into a chair that has Diane in his plain view.

Diane joins her two exes' at the table. "I got this ransom note from my husband's kidnappers about an hour ago." Diane informs them and takes out the folded up sheet of paper and hands it over to Gibbs.

"Kidnapping is a federal crime investigated by the FBI." Gibbs snickers and hands Fornell the note.

"But Diane's husband was taken hostage at gunpoint by his kidnappers at Victor Sterling's Self-Storage Unit, the same location where the bodies of two Marines were located at?" Fornell smirks and hands Gibbs the note back.

"I called the both of you in on this, because I wanted professionals handling it." Diane hisses.

"I don't need to be called in on it, because it's part of my investigation." Gibbs barks.

"Don't speak to me in that tone of voice Leroy, we aren't married anymore." Diane angrily warns him.

"I don't need a nosy wife of my hostage telling me what to do." Gibbs snarls.

"Diane let the pro's handle this." Fornell winks.

"Mind your own business Bucky Beaver."

"Bucky Beaver!" Gibbs laughs.

"Yes my two ex-husbands Bucky Beaver and Woody the Woodchuck." "Oh speaking of which Woody, I heard that you and the slut are finally shacking up together." "Great role reversal this time around, your Probie is your boss and she's screwing you in her office."

"Leave Jen out of this." Gibbs growls and gets up from the table.

"That's what you said to me fifteen years ago when I filed for divorce, leave Jen out of this." Diane fumes.

"I wasn't sleeping with Jenny then." Gibbs snaps.

"Speaking of Jenny does she know about my husband's kidnapping?" Diane asks in a snotty tone of voice.

"No I haven't briefed her yet." Gibbs answers sucking in his teeth.

Fornell gets up from the table. "You better now since Diane involved me with this." Fornell groans.

"I was about to involve you in it without Diane summoning you." Gibbs laughs.

Ten minutes back at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs and Fornell walk out of the elevator, just as they approach Gibbs' section. "Gibbs the Director wants to see you up in her office ASAP."

"Who blabbed our current investigation to her?" Gibbs barks.

Tony and McGee point at one another. "He did!"

"Actually the Director walked in and heard McGee mentioning her name, Tony told her about our current investigation." Ziva answers and smirks over at Tony.

"But McGee ratted on you that you had went out for coffee." Tony protests.

"Ziva go down to Autopsy and see if you can find anything on our two Marines." Gibbs shouts at her.

"What about us?" Tony whines.

"Tony go over the crime scene photos, McGee I want you examining frame by frame of the video from the Self-Storage facility." Gibbs instructs them and heads for the stairs with Fornell following behind.

"Tattle tale!" Tony pouts over at Ziva.

Up in Jenny's Office, Gibbs and Fornell walk through the office door. "Can you explain the reason why you didn't tell me that it was Diane's husband who was kidnapped at the Self-Storage Unit on New York Avenue?" "I have his boss breathing down my neck, and Secretary Napolitano wants a briefing with in an hour over in MTAC on an update as well." Jenny angrily asks from behind her desk.

"Lost track of time." Gibbs innocently answers.

"Bull shit!" Jenny hisses and gets up from her chair. "Why did you suddenly go out for coffee when you were reviewing the evidence on the plasma screen near your desk?" "I was about to walk over to the bullpen to get a briefing on your current investigation when I got stopped by Agent Flynn at the bottom of the stairs." "Who texted you?"

"Diane!" Gibbs grumbles.

"I got a text from her also." "She wanted me involved, but since NCIS is investigating the case, there's no need for me to be involved." Fornell grins and is about to walk out the door.

"Hold it right there." Jenny smirks over at him. Fornell freezes in between the doorway. "NCIS' involvement with the case is with the two dead Marines." "Kidnapping on non-Naval or Marine Corps personnel or their dependents is the jurisdiction of the FBI."

"Can we flip a coin on it?" Fornell whines.

"No!" Gibbs and Jenny shout at the same time.

Down in the Squad Room, "I'll be back, Gibbs isn't the only one who needs some fuel?" Tony smirks grabbing his chair from behind his desk.

"Get me a cappuccino?" McGee asks.

"Two cappuccinos!" Tony grins and walks off for the elevator. At the elevator an attractive redhead walks out. "Hello!" Tony smiles at her.

"Beat it I'm a married woman."

"Sorry I didn't notice your wedding ring." Tony innocently answers.

"Typical Lothario with one thing on his mind." Diane snaps and brushes past him.

"Lothario?" Tony answers with a wounded look on his face. "The last time I was called that is when Amanda Picket's mother caught me in bed with her sister." Tony says to himself and steps inside the elevator.

Over at Gibbs section. "Ok Macaulay Culkin where's Leroy at?" Diane angrily requests.

"I can't divulge that ma'am." McGee stutters over his words.

"I want to know what's going on with my husband?" Diane demands.

"Your husband?" McGee asks in confusion.

"Victor Sterling!"

"Right your-"

"Leroy and Fornell's ex-wife, a brilliant deduction." Diane sighs and folds her arms. Noting the video footage of her husband's kidnapping running on the plasma screen next to McGee's desk. "Did you find out who's responsible?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss this with you?" McGee answers.

"Then find that no good bastard's ass." "I want some answers." Diane screams.

"He's at a meeting at this time."

Diane glancing up towards the direction of Jenny's Office. "Why didn't you tell me he was up in his whore's office?" Diane icily fumes and starts off for the stairs.

"Ma'am you can't go in there." McGee warns her and gets up from his desk.

"Stop me McCallister!" Diane shouts storming down the aisle way with McGee chasing after her.

Back up in Jenny's Office, Gibbs, Jenny, and Fornell are sitting around the conference room. "Soon as the bolo comes back on that plate and McGee ID's the men that kidnapped Sterling we'll know more." Gibbs answers.

Jenny's Office door flings open. "You can't go in there." Cynthia chastises her.

"Try and stop me lady in waiting." Diane mocks Cynthia as she storms into the office with McGee following her from behind. "Where did you find this moron?" Diane asks pointing to McGee with her thumb.

"Boss I tried to stop her." McGee grumbles.

"Where was DiNozzo?" Gibbs growls.

"Coffee run!"

"Oh the Lothario I bumped into when I walked out of the elevator." Diane laughs.

"If you keep throwing insults around Mrs. Sterling I will call security and I will have you removed from the building." Jenny viciously snaps at her.

"Well, well, her royal tramp." "You clean up nice in a designer suit." Diane smirks.

Jenny is about to get up from the table when Gibbs shoves her down into her chair. "What do you want Diane?" Gibbs barks.

"An update on my husband's kidnapping?"

"I can't give you an update, because I'm briefing my Director about it." "And besides you have to talk to Fornell about that end of the investigation." Gibbs chuckles.

Diane raises a curious eyebrow over at Fornell. "Well Tobias, I'm waiting."

"And you will be waiting a bit longer." Fornell snarls.

"Do I have to go over the both of your heads?"

Jenny removing her Blackberry from her waistline. "I could call SecNav Jarvis." Jenny sweetly volunteers.

"You stay out of this." "Nobody asked you."

"I'm involved with this whether you like it or not Diane; it says Director Jennifer Shepard on that door." "Now I would advise you to walk out of that door and do not come back in until you adjust your attitude, I'm no longer Gibbs' Probationary Status Agent that you insulted on a weekly basis."

"Maybe if weren't trying to steal my husband I wouldn't have insulted you." Diane hisses.

"As usual your delusional Diane, my mind set at the time was becoming an NCIS Special Agent, not on stealing your husband." Jenny mutters and gets up from the table. She walks over to her desk and grabs her glasses and portfolio. "If you will excuse me I'm heading over to MTAC." Jenny informs them; angrily she stares down at Diane as she walks past her and out the door.

"Great job Diane, you made an ass out of yourself?" Gibbs laughs.

McGee is about to laugh, when Diane gives him a glare of warning silencing him. "Where did you find Macaulay Culkin at?"

"Boss!" McGee groans.

"You're her whipping boy for the time being McGee; grow a pair of balls will ya." Gibbs barks and gets up from his chair.

"Fornell get back with me when you come up with something on Sterling's kidnapping." "In the meantime I'm heading downstairs." Gibbs nods over at them and walks out of the room with McGee following him from behind.

"I didn't know they had a basement for you to hide in here Woody the Woodchuck." Diane angrily shouts towards the direction of the office door.

"I'll get back with you." Fornell says to Diane as he gets up from his seat.

"Sure you will." "You and Leroy are sticking together in this to get even with me."

"No we're doing our jobs Diane." Fornell sighs.

In the elevator on their way down to Autopsy. "Macaulay Culkin!" McGee groans in protest.

"It's better than Lothario." Gibbs chuckles.

"Or Woody the Woodchuck." McGee snickers… Suddenly the back of Gibbs' hand smacks across the back of McGee's head. "Ow!" He grimaces.

"Don't ever call me that again." Gibbs growls…The elevator stops, the doors open and Gibbs and McGee step out and walk over to the automatic doors.

As they step inside. "Jethro you sent Ziva down here ten minutes ago and I still do not have a preliminary report for you." Ducky mumbles from the center examining table.

Gibbs picking up an evidence jar. "Forty-five caliber bullets."

"Each of our poor victims had three rounds each in them." "The damage that was done inside of their chest cavity." Ducky sighs.

"Ducky are you there?" Abby's voice calls out to him from his camera.

Ducky walks over to her. "What do you got for me?"

"Our victims are not Sergeant Major Noah Carter and Corporal Jacob Winston." Abby informs them.

"I'll be right up." Gibbs shouts over towards the direction of Ducky's web camera.

"I didn't know that Gibbs was downstairs."

Ducky waiting for Gibbs and McGee to get into the elevator. "Ten to one Diane is up in our lovely Director's office." Ducky chuckles.

"And Gibbs came downstairs to hide from her." Abby laughs.

A minute later, Gibbs and McGee are in Abby's Lab. "The real Carter and Winston are more than likely dead somewhere." "McGee find out when's the last time Carter and Winston were scene on the base."

"On it!" McGee nods and walks off for the elevator.

"Let me know the minute AFIS gets a positive match on those prints."

"I've had it running through the data bank on persons alive or dead, I've been doing that since-"

"Jenny turned up alive." Gibbs finishes.

"My gut instinct tells me is that this case is going to take a while."

"I hope not or Fornell and I are going to end up with an ulcer and Jenny is going to lose her badge by decking Diane."

Gibbs' Basement

2100 Hours

With Jenny working late at the office, Gibbs and Fornell are sitting at the worktable. "Poker will unwind us." Fornell smiles.

"Cards and chips are in a box under the stairs." Gibbs answers.

"I haven't played in a while." Fornell shrugs and gets up from his chair and walks under the stairs.

"I did Thanksgiving night with Jenny and my dad, she beat us."

"I forgot that Jenny is undefeated at poker." Fornell grumbles as he's rummaging around several boxes under the stairs.

Suddenly the sound of heels can be heard coming down the stairs. Gibbs rolls his eyes at the sight of his ex-wife walking down the stairs. "Same old dingy basement, minus your boat on top of the table." Diane smirks and walks over to the table. Noting that there's two mason jars on top of the table. "You expecting somebody." "Right, I forgot the slut is living with you."

"You keep insulting Jenny I'm going to throw you out on your ass." Gibbs snarls…."And by the way for the record, Jenny is at work." "The front door would have been locked if Jenny were home."

"So I gather you were expecting me." Diane sweetly says to him.

"I wasn't expecting anybody." Gibbs shrugs, grabbing the bottle of bourbon from on top of the table; he pours the amber liquid into the mason jars.

Diane grabs the jar from on top of the table and takes in a gulp. "How on earth do you drink this stuff?" Diane chokes.

"All Gibbs men drink bourbon."

Diane walking around the length of the table. "Your basement seems so empty without the boat in it."

"I finished her two years ago." Gibbs shrugs.

"I had three women to compete against, Shannon, your boat, and your Probie." Diane sarcastically chastises him.

"Don't start with me." Gibbs growls.

"I'm going to get this out in the open now; I've been wanting to get this off of my chest for a long time Leroy." "How dare you marry me as replacement wife for Shannon?" Diane screams at him.

"Didn't we go through this about fifteen years ago?" Gibbs laughs and takes a healthy gulp of his jar of bourbon.

"No we didn't, because you were either down in your basement working on your boat or at work training Jenny." "You seem more interested in your partner's chest then coming home to our bed at night."

"You couldn't let it go." Gibbs barks.

"Why because I found a box in the basement one day of your wife and daughter's personal effects?" "And when I questioned you about it having a wife and daughter it was like I was invading your privacy." Diane snaps back.

"You invaded my privacy; it was none of your business."

"None of my business that you had a wife and daughter and that they both were murdered by a drug dealer." "I recently found this out from Emily." Diane sadly answers. "As your wife, I had the right to know."

"You had no right, you kept going on and on about them." "And then you got bored with nit picking on Shannon that you moved on to Jenny." Gibbs snarls.

"Hum, red hair, long legs, I did mention her chest to you." Diane answers batting her eye lashes at him.

"I never cheated on you with Jenny."

"So the two of you keep telling me." Diane bitterly answers. "I had competition between your dead wife and your mouthy partner twenty-four hours a day."

"Towards the end it was like four hours." Gibbs smirks.

"You want to know why I married Tobias." Diane softly asks.

"Why?" Gibbs shrugs.

"To get even with you." "To make you jealous, but in the end all I did was hurt him." "It's a shame, Tobias did the one thing that you never did and he was there for me and treated me right as a husband."

"You went with Tobias because he treated you better than me?" Gibbs says with surprise.

"Anything is better than the treatment that I got from you." "You're a selfish bastard Leroy." "If you would have let me or god forbid one of your other wives inside of you, you would have a houseful of children by now." "I would have given anything to have a child with you." Diane answers with tears streaming down her face.

"You got Emily with Tobias?" Gibbs smiles.

"A child conceived in a loveless relationship." Diane frowns.

"You didn't love Tobias."

"No, just like you were never in love with me." Diane asks narrowing her eyes over at her ex-husband.

"No I didn't love you." Gibbs sadly answers.

"You don't know how hard it was living with you day and day out knowing that your heart was with a woman that had been dead for four years." "Then the added insult every morning when you left for work, you were falling deeper and deeper in love with another woman." Diane says to him in disgust. Gibbs is about to answer him when Diane interrupts him. "Do not insult me with another lie." "Own up to it that you were in love with your partner while you were married to me." Diane screams at him. With that Fornell steps out from under the stairs. Glaring at Gibbs for letting her go on and on about Fornell, knowing full well that he was hidden under the stairs. "Why didn't you tell me he was in the room?" Diane angrily asks.

"I had the second mason jar set up for Tobias." Gibbs shrugs… With that Diane stalks up the basement steps, and slams the front door behind her. "Sorry you had to hear that Tobias." Gibbs apologizes.

"You could have told her that I was in the room." Fornell groans and throws down the deck of cards along with the chips on top of the desk.

"You could have come out when she asked about the second glass of drink that I had set out." Gibbs growls.

"I've heard it before Jethro, so you don't need to apologize." Fornell answers and begins to shuffle the cards.

"You ever play Mexican Stud?"

"No!"

"Mike and I would play for hours when I first started out with him at Camp Pendleton." Gibbs smiles.

"What time is Jenny getting home from work?"

"Eleven!"

"Hour and a half sounds good to me." Fornell smiles and hands Gibbs the deck of cards.


	69. Rule Number 69

Rule Number 69 by Leroy Jethro Gibbs

'Never trust a woman who doesn't trust her man.'

The next day at headquarters in the Squad Room, McGee is on the phone with Metro PD. "I'll let him know." McGee answers and hangs up.

"Know what McGee." Gibbs answers returning from Abby's Lab.

"Our two Marines have been located, their over at the DC Medical Examiner's Office."

"How did they get there?"

"There was a robbery at a convenience store Sunday afternoon near 11th and L St." "Apparently they were dragged in the back and stripped of their uniforms and the robbers switched clothes with them." McGee answers.

"It was set up to look like a robbery." Gibbs barks…"Didn't Metro PD pull the video tape?"

"The tapes were removed from the machine boss."

"Looks like we're heading down to the Third District Precinct." Gibbs answers and walks over to his desk, he presses in the speakerphone button in and dials Ducky's extension number.

"Autopsy!" Ducky answers half asleep.

"Did I wake you up Doctor?" Gibbs chuckles.

"Daydreaming!" Ducky chuckles.

"My two Marines have been located over at DC Medical Examiner's Office."

"What are they doing there?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Somebody tried to switch places with them." Gibbs grunts and hangs up. "McGee you're with me."

"What about Tony and Ziva?"

"Their probably off gossiping about Diane's involvement in our current investigation." Gibbs growls taking his Sig and badge from his desk drawer.

Ten minutes later, Tony and Ziva return carrying snacks from the lounge. "Where's Gibbs and McGee?" Tony shrugs.

"Maybe McGee joined him down in Abby's Lab." Ziva answers and walks over to her desk.

"That's a negative!" Abby answers over hearing them as she approaches Gibbs' desk.

"Director's Office?" Tony grins.

Jenny walks out of her office wearing her coat. "Double negative, the Director just walked out of her office." Abby snickers at him.

Ziva noting that both Gibbs and McGee's coats are missing. "They left the building." Ziva surmises.

"We were only gone for fifteen minutes, what did we miss?" Tony ponders out loud.

Third District Headquarters

Gibbs, McGee, and Detectives Lorna Schaefer and Rodger Dunne are sitting in a conference room going over the crime scene. "At first we thought it was a robbery." Dunne answers.

"Corporal Winston was dressed in the store clerk's clothing; we haven't found his body yet." Schaefer sighs in frustration.

"McGee after we're done here, we're heading over to the convenience store." Gibbs nods over at him.

"There's no need to do that, we have everything in our reports." Schaefer smiles at him.

"Detective Schaefer, I've been screwed over way to many times to count by Metro PD." Gibbs growls at her and gets up from his chair.

Schaefer put off at Gibbs' rudeness. "Are you always this ill-mannered?" Schaefer angrily chastises him.

"Yeah, when a woman that I've only known for twenty minutes keeps hinting up on me."

"You wish!" Schaefer laughs and folds her arms at him.

"Boss we went through this yesterday with your ex-wife." McGee grumbles.

"Look on the bright side McGee, at least Schaefer hasn't called you Macaulay Culkin." Gibbs laughs and walks out of the room.

"That's not funny." McGee protests and gets up from the table.

"With an attitude like that no wonder he's divorced." Schaefer mutters.

"Three times!" McGee laughs.

Fifteen minutes later, Gibbs and McGee are inside of the taped off convenience store on 11th Street. "I use to shop in here all the time." McGee answers.

Gibbs walking back inside of the storage area with McGee following him from behind. "I want this entire area photographed." Gibbs instructs him.

Tony and Ziva walk in. "Did you have to do drive so fast?" Tony screams at her.

"And drive like you." "I got us here ten minutes faster." Ziva sighs in annoyance.

"DiNozzo, David!" Gibbs snarls from the storage room.

"Coming father!" Tony teases him.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs' voice echo's throughout the store.

"I mean we're on our way."

"And you wonder why you're his prime target for getting head slapped the most." Ziva laughs.

1100 Hours

Diane is driving on her way to FBI Headquarters to get some answers about her husband's abduction when she notices Jenny getting out of her Towne car alone. Diane pulls up alongside the curb watching. "Coffee shop, you picked up one of the bastard's bad habits." Diane sighs.

Ten minutes later, Jenny walks outside and finds Diane standing up against the wall waiting for her. "I could have you arrested." Jenny sarcastically warns her mortal enemy.

"Really Jenny, I'm standing outside minding my own business." Diane sweetly answers.

Melvin is about to get out of the car. "Melvin, I'm at no risk." Jenny says to him. "Could you give us some privacy?"

"Yes ma'am!" He nods over at her and gets back inside of the car.

"On the other hand you may be at risk." Jenny snaps.

"Are you threatening me?"

Jenny glances around on the sidewalk noting that there isn't anyone around. "And who's your witness?" Jenny laughs.

"For once I would like to hear the truth." "I certainly won't get it from Leroy."

"No matter what Jethro and I tell you Diane, you still will believe want you want to believe." Jenny sadly informs her.

"That's right I won't believe you." "You think I enjoyed having my husband coming home at three in the morning, knowing full well that you had your legs wrapped around his waist."

"We were back at headquarters working or out on a stake out."

"Yeah, he was staking out your chest." "Leroy always did have a keen eye for double D cups." Diane smirks…Jenny bored, begins to walk off for her car. "When Leroy has his mind made up on seducing a woman, he usually gets his way." Diane calls out to her stopping Jenny in her tracks. "Those piercing blue eyes and that mischievous little boy grin he makes." "It's to let his prey know that at some point he will make love to you." "I made love to Leroy on our first date, down in his basement on top of his worktable; we got drunk on a bottle of Jack Daniels." "It's the one thing I can still have a smile on my face when I think of Leroy, his abilities as a lover." "So tell me Jen, how long did it take for you to give into him?"

"Three months after your divorce." Jenny softly answers.

"I congratulate you; it took Leroy a year to weaken your defenses." Diane laughs.

Jenny turns and smirks over at Diane. "And after we became lovers, I made sure that Leroy forgot all about you Diane." "There was a boat that Gibbs was working on down in his basement when he was married to you."

"What about it?"

"He named it after you." "At the time I didn't know it." "I would screw Jethro over and over again inside the unfinished hull of that boat." "He didn't scream out, 'Oh Diane!'." "It was 'Damn it Jen, what are you trying to do kill me?'" "Jethro's had no thoughts of you or any other woman in the bedroom after me."

"You keep forgetting about somebody." Diane sweetly reminds her.

"That is the difference between you and his other ex-wives." "I can accept Shannon as being the love of his life, she will always be a part of him and to love Jethro, you have to love all of him."

"Even when his heart will be with another woman, sorry Jenny I couldn't handle that." Diane frowns.

"Then instead of being a callous manipulative bitch, you should have divorced him and not used Fornell." "If anybody that was an innocent victim in that mess after your divorce with Jethro, it was Fornell." "You took a page out of Gibbs' book." "You married the next available man that you didn't love to stick it to your ex-husband, who could care less who you were screwing with, because like I said to you once Jethro and I became lovers, he forgot all about you." Jenny sensuously says to her rival and sashay's over to her Towne Car. Diane speechless stands and watches Jenny walk over to her car. "That's a first; I got the last word in on the bitch." Jenny laughs and gets inside her car. "Back to headquarters."

"Yes ma'am!" Melvin answers.

Half an hour later outside the convenience store, Gibbs and his team are wrapping up reprocessing the crime scene. "McGee see what you can come up with on those camera's across the street." Gibbs orders him.

"How did Metro PD miss that?" McGee sighs.

"Because they weren't looking for the obvious McGee." Gibbs answers.

"Are we stopping for lunch on our way back?" Tony curiously asks.

"I'm stopping at the deli, picking up some sandwiches for me and the Director." Gibbs answers.

"I had my heart on a pepperoni and sausage pizza with extra cheese." Tony pouts.

"You got the truck stop and get one on your way back to headquarters." Gibbs grumbles and walks off for the car.

"I'll go with you Tony; I want to order a pizza steak sandwich." McGee offers.

Five minutes later, on their way to the Italian Restaurant, Tony and McGee are gossiping about Gibbs and Diane. "Think we'll find out if Jenny was the reason why they got divorced." Tony smirks.

"More than likely Diane found out about Shannon and Kelly, got into it with Gibbs about it, and Gibbs either hid down in his basement to avoid her or he spent hours on end back at the office working."

"You mean training his Probie." Tony grins.

"Beats staying home with Diane." McGee laughs.

NCIS Headquarters

Jenny's Office

1215 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are sitting on the couch together eating a corn beef, Swiss cheese, coleslaw sandwich. "Rye bread is what makes a difference in this sandwich." Gibbs says in between bites.

"I swear you keep picking fattening things for me to eat for lunch and dinner on purpose." Jenny laughs.

"Just think of the fun we'll have burning it off later on." Gibbs says with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Thank god I wore a turtleneck to the office today." Jenny sighs.

"You bit me on the neck first." Gibbs growls.

"I was stifling out an oncoming cry." Jenny hisses in protest.

"You had already fallen apart on top of me in bed, why bother." Gibbs shrugs and takes in Jenny's silence. "Other than our usual sexual banter during lunch, you seem a little off."

"I ran into the bitch outside of the coffee shop." Jenny snaps.

"What did Diane want?"

"To throw more insults towards my way." "The good news this time around, I finally got the last word in on her, the look on Diane's face was priceless." Jenny laughs.

"You know I invented a rule specifically for Diane." Gibbs chuckles.

"Keep in mind I was only on your team for three years and there wasn't one rule that had Diane in mind." Jenny giggles.

"It wasn't on my list of fifty that I had you memorize."

"A throw in rule." Jenny shrugs.

"I guess if that's what you want to call it." Gibbs grins.

"Ok, let's hear it."

"Rule Number 69: 'Never trust a woman who doesn't trust her man', the Diane rule." Gibbs smirks.

"That's a good one." Jenny laughs…"Does Diane know?"

"I threw it in her face the day she moved out of my house for good." Gibbs laughs.

"Her response?"

"None and that was a first for me as well."

"Wow the both of us have had Diane speechless."

Gibbs puts his empty wrapper inside of the bag and grabs a hold of Jenny's feet from on top of the couch. "Why you insist on wearing five inch heels to work every day?" Gibbs grumbles and starts rubbing Jenny's feet.

Jenny lost with the feel of his hands rubbing her feet. "So that you can massage my feet?" Jenny sighs in heaven.

"After we made up in the shower on Sunday morning, I really enjoyed the day we spent together in bed, we haven't made love like that since Paris." Gibbs smiles.

"The Sunday morning when we became lovers again." Jenny softly answers.

"I took you out to lunch midday and once lunch was over with, my thoughts were on one thing, getting you back up into your bedroom and having my way with you."

"Correction you had your way with me later on top of the kitchen table." Jenny sensuously reminds him.

"That moment will always replay over and over in your mind Jen." "It was to let you know that no other guy could make you scream the way I could get you to scream." "And just when you thought that you were coming down from the height of your passion, I took you on a higher plain." Gibbs smirks with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

"No it was, Jenny was about to lose consciousness because I was still in the throes of my first orgasm you son of a bitch."

"After your second orgasm, you trembled in my arms for ten minutes."

"I could barely stand up in the shower." Jenny groans.

"You slept it off until ten the next morning."

"Small wonder!" Jenny laughs.

Gibbs getting aroused, quickly changes the subject. "I might be working late tonight."

"I'll be getting out of here by seven and then work in my study back home."

"Home!" Gibbs smiles squeezing Jenny's arch. "You seem comfortable calling my place home now."

"That's because I have a place to call home to now." Jenny softly answers; she leans over and tenderly kisses Gibbs on the mouth.

After lunch, Gibbs and his team are standing in front of the plasma screen next to McGee's desk reviewing the video footage from outside of the convenience store from Sunday afternoon. Victor Sterling's white 2012 Ford Taurus pulls up in front of the store. "Boss there's Sterling." Tony says as he watches as Sterling gets out the car and walks inside the convenience store.

"Sterling's car wasn't found at the store when the bodies were found?" Gibbs says out loud.

"I'll get a bolo on that plate." McGee nods and walks over to his desk.

A minute later, the blue Chevy Malibu pulls next to Sterling's car, the two gunmen from the Self-Storage Facility along with the two men who were impersonating the two deceased Marine's Carter and Winston. They walk inside, approach the clerk behind the counter and pull a gun on him, they move in on Sterling in the back of the store. "It's amazing the zooming capabilities that some of the surveillance cameras have." Tony smiles.

Ziva with a keen eye for detail spots Carter and Winston across the street from the convenience store. "There's Carter and Winston."

"Walking into a trap." Gibbs frowns knowing what's about to happen to them.

Carter and Winston walk across the street and make their way across the parking lot and into the store, immediately the gunman points his gun at them luring them into the back of the store. A minute later the two gunmen return with the store clerk stripped down in his underwear and t-shirt, with his hands handcuffed behind his back and a gag tied around his mouth being led over to Sterling's car, one of the gunman opens up the trunk and shoves him inside. "There are cars going up and down the street and nobody is calling this into the police." Tony says in disgust.

"People today unfortunately don't want to get involved." McGee sadly answers. Ten minutes later the two other men now dressed in Carter and Winston's uniforms walk out of the store escorting Sterling by gun point over to the Chevy Malibu, shoving him inside the back of the car, the man dressed in Winston's uniform sits in the back seat with Sterling, the man dressed in Carter's uniform takes his place in the driver's seat. "It looks like Sterling is not an innocent victim-"

"He was meant to be kidnapped." Gibbs finishes.

"The question is by whom?" Tony openly asks out loud.

With that Fornell steps out of the elevator and walks over to Gibbs. "Find out anything?"

"Yeah, Sterling was taken by gunpoint at the convenience store where my two murdered Marines were found."

"Were they killed with the same murder weapon?" Fornell curiously asks.

"Abby's running a test on the bullets now." "Same .45 caliber bullets."

"More than likely the same gun was used at both crime scenes."

"We'll soon find out." Gibbs answers and walks off towards the elevator with Fornell following him from behind.

"I wonder where they ditched Sterling's car at." McGee curiously asks. Ziva never hearing the term ditch before narrows her eyes over at him.

"He means where they hid Sterling's car." Tony nods over at her.

"I've been living in America for six and a half years and every day I hear a new American idiom." Ziva laughs.

Down in Abby's Lab, Abby is showing Gibbs and Fornell the bullets that were removed from Carter and Winston and comparing it to the bullets that were removed from the two dead men that were found in Sterling's Self-Storage Unit. "Same gun that was used on both crime scenes."

"Smith & Wesson Model SW1911." Gibbs says out loud.

"I read the DC Medical Examiner's autopsy report on Carter and Winston." "Shot from behind, they never had a chance." Fornell frowns.

Gibbs cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Squad Room

"Boss, I just got a phone call from Carter's CO, apparently two men dressed up as Marine's were trying to gain access inside the White House on Sunday night." Tony informs him.

"And they didn't have the proper ID with them." Gibbs answers.

"The White House is sending over the video feed up to MTAC."

"We'll be on our way up." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "It appears that 'Dumb and Dumber' down in Autopsy tried sneaking into the White House on Sunday night."

"That's the reason why they took Carter and Winston's uniforms." Fornell answers.

"The video feed from the White House from Sunday night is getting sent over to MTAC."

"I better inform my boss on our way up." Fornell answers.

"And after we view the video, I'll send DiNozzo and Ziva to question Sterling's boss over at Homeland Security."

MTAC

Tony, Ziva, and McGee are sitting in the second row, behind Gibbs, Jenny, and Fornell. "Why didn't security hold them over for questioning?" Jenny asks out loud as they watch the video feed from their seats.

"I think their superior is asking them the same question Director." Fornell grumbles.

"What is their motivation into sneaking into the White House?" Ziva asks.

"Terrorists don't need any Agent David." Jenny answers.

"They're not Arab descent?" Tony shrugs.

"The last time I checked DiNozzo, neither was Tim McVeigh, Eric Robert Rudolph, and Ted Kaczynski." Gibbs sadly reminds him.

"American terrorists." Jenny sighs.

"We better start looking into home grown militia groups." Gibbs suggests.

"That means we're going to be here late tonight." McGee groans.

"Why missing an Elflord chat?" Tony laughs.

"You're missing a date with Debbie." Ziva winks.

"Forgot about that." Tony grimaces.

"Everyone has a change of plans for tonight, including Abby."

"And the Director." Tony smirks down at Jenny.

Jenny turns and smirks back at Tony. "I'm going home to a home cooked meal, then I'm getting out of this suit and I'll be taking a long hot bath." Jenny sweetly says to him and bats her eyelashes up at him.

"Since when do you leave the office when there's an important investigation going on?" Tony protests.

"The days of my long days at the office are over Tony." "After I get my bath I'll head into my study and monitor things from there."

"Forgot about your study." Tony pouts.

"DiNozzo, David head over to Homeland Security and question Sterling's boss."

Tony and Ziva get up from their seats. "On it!" Tony nods over to him and they start up the steps.

"McGee I want you going through every militia group and see if you can get a match on the two clowns down in Autopsy and along with Sterling's kidnappers." Gibbs instructs him.

McGee getting up from his seat. "A long, long, long night." McGee grumbles to himself and starts up the steps.

"Unfortunately tomorrow, somebody is going to have to bring Diane in." Fornell smirks.

"Not me, I'll have the Lothario and Macaulay Culkin bring her in." Gibbs laughs.

"Not funny boss." McGee shouts down to him, over hearing Gibbs.

That evening Gibbs and Fornell are eating dinner up in Jenny's Office at the conference table. "Nice and quiet up here." Fornell says between sips of his bottle of Budweiser.

"I use to eat up here all the time by myself on Saturdays and Sunday's when Jenny was Director the first time around."

"You stopped after Vance became Director." Fornell shrugs.

"Too many memories of the late night dinners that I would share with Jenny and we did a lot of those before I had my coma." "I felt the old magic returning between us." Gibbs smiles with regret.

"She was bitter when you quit."

"Retired!" Gibbs corrects him.

"Jethro you quit." Fornell bitterly corrects him again.

"Your right I quit." "And it wasn't just bitterness over stepping down." "Like you, I never told her about Shannon and Kelly." Gibbs frowns.

"Then you came back and you expected everything to be the way it was before you left."

"It wasn't with Jenny or Ducky and they let me know it." "Ducky warmed up four months later; it took Jenny over a year."

"Jenny treated you like a typical wife." Fornell laughs…When Gibbs doesn't answer him, Fornell takes in Gibbs' facial expression. "So when are you going to propose to her?"

"When the timing is right and now is not the time." Gibbs laughs.

"Diane?"

"No we had a work related falling out last week." "Soon as things smooth over between us I'll ask her."

"There's always going to be another one Jethro, better get use to it."

"We survived the last one." Gibbs chuckles and shakes his head.

"Other than the recent falling out between Madame Director and Agent Gibbs, how are things between you and Jenny?"

"I got a chill up my spine today during lunch when she said I'm going home around 1900 hours." "And it was the way she said it." Gibbs smiles.

"She has a place to come home to at night now." "You figure, between working over in Europe for eight years straight, going from country to country, than when she took the position as Director, Jenny practically lived in her office every night."

"I guess the three years living on her father's island under his strict orders you couldn't call home either." Gibbs frowns.

"Didn't Jenny have her apartment in Paris?" Fornell shrugs.

"Kosmo only gave her two weeks off in between op's." "The rest of the time, Jenny stayed under his watchful eye." Gibbs growls in disgust.

"You wanted to take him out."

"After I told off the bastard for the pain he put his daughter through."

"And you Jethro." "Remember I was at Jenny's funeral." Fornell frowns.

"I've mentally blocked that day from my memory, between the funeral and Vance breaking up my team." Gibbs barks.

"Even if it was a mole, there was no reason to break up you team."

"The mole was just an excuse; Vance wanted to silence Tony and Ziva." "The only reason why I got my team back is Vance got off on me kissing his ass."

"Face it Jethro, he neutered you." Fornell laughs and takes a sip from his bottle of beer.

"Notice I'm not neutered anymore." Gibbs smirks.

"Yeah on my first day on the job as Acting Director of NCIS." Fornell groans.

"You played me for an entire month; you knew damn well that Jenny was going to cave in." Gibbs grumbles.

"Sitting around the house with her feet up all day is not Jenny's style."

"It may not be, but I was enjoying coming home to her at night, dressed in jeans and wearing one of my old flannel shirts."

"You'll be going home to her tonight."

"Not the same as before."

"How's that?"

"Because she's now my boss again." Gibbs answers sucking in his teeth. Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers…."I'll meet you over there with Fornell." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"Meet who where?" Fornell answers.

"Sterling's car was found at Reagan International."

"Why do I have to go with you?" Fornell grumbles.

"Sterling is part of your end of the investigation." Gibbs reminds him with a smirk on his face.

"You love throwing Diane in my face."

"Every chance I can get." Gibbs laughs and gets up from his chair.

"We have to clean up?"

"Cleaning crew usually comes into the office around 2200 Hours every night, they'll clean it up."

Reagan International Airport

In the parking lot, Gibbs and his team along with Fornell approach Victor Sterling's Ford Taurus. "DiNozzo pop open the trunk."

"Why me?" Tony groans and walks over to the trunk, he pops open the trunk, lying inside is the store clerk Ben Curtis dead with several gunshots to his chest. "Boss I found the store clerk." Tony sadly informs him.

Gibbs, Ziva, McGee, and Fornell walk over to the back of the car, glancing inside the car, they find Curtis handcuffed, and with a gag tied around his mouth. "You better call your M.E. Fornell."

"It's going to be a long night." Fornell sighs, flipping open his cell phone.

"While we wait for the M.E. to arrive, process the rest of the car." Gibbs nods.

"On it!" Gibbs team answers in unison.

"I think this is more to this Jethro." Fornell groans in frustration.

"So do I."

"I still don't get it, Tony and Ziva questioned his boss over at Homeland Security." "Sterling's job is low level." "He did not deal with anything that was highly classified." Fornell asks in confusion.

"Did anything turn up on his work and home computers?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Nothing yet." Fornell shrugs.

Inside Sterling's car, Tony has found Sterling's wallet, gun, and badge under the front seat. "Boss, I found Sterling's wallet, gun, and badge under the front seat." Tony shouts over to him.

Gibbs removing a pair of latex gloves from his coat pocket, he walks over to the driver's side door with Fornell following him from behind, taking Sterling's wallet from Tony, Gibbs opens it up and notices that Sterling's credit cards and ID are still inside of the wallet. "Nothing's missing!"

"We'll double check with Diane tomorrow morning when we question her at NCIS Headquarters." Fornell nods.

"Great!" McGee grumbles out loud.

"What's so great about it?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"We have to go over to the Sterling's and bring Diane over for questioning." McGee sighs at the prospects of being insulted by Diane once again.

"Say that again." Tony grimaces.

"That's right Lothario, you and Kevin McCallister are picking up Diane tomorrow morning for questioning." Gibbs smirks.

Tony glaring over at Ziva who's trying not to laugh at her partner. "Boss, isn't this the job of the two Junior Agents on our team." Tony protests.

"You should have thought of that when you questioned me yesterday when I left the office to meet Fornell and Diane at Starbucks and McGee ratted on my where a bouts to the Director." Gibbs barks.

"Boss she sneaked up behind us unannounced." McGee whines.

"She's so good at that." Ziva laughs.

"Learned it from the master himself." Tony grins.

"Might have observed it from me, but notice she doesn't sneak up on me." Gibbs chuckles.

Around midnight Gibbs exhausted from a long day at work crawls into bed and cuddles up against his lover from behind, the smell of mandarin oranges and mango's from Jenny's bath oil over whelms his need for sleep; he begins to ravish Jenny's neck. "Jethro!' Jenny groans in her sleep.

"I was all set to go crawl into bed and go to sleep." Gibbs growls and rolls Jenny over on to her back.

Jenny feeling his harden length against her leg. "But your body had other ideas." She yawns.

"New bath oil." Gibbs asks and begins to nip along her pulse line.

"Yes, I bought in Paris last week."

"Something new to tease me with." Gibbs whispers up against her ear.

"Well it worked." Jenny purrs.

Gibbs getting his full weight on top of her. "From the time I smelled you I was fully erect within ten seconds."

"The power I have over your-" Before Jenny can finish, Gibbs captures her mouth and kisses her passionately. Jenny wraps her arms around his neck deepening his kiss, throughout the night they make love.

0300 Hours

Gibbs with his face buried in between his lover's breasts. "Diane had mentioned this was one of the reasons why you had worked long hours at the office with me." Jenny sensuously whispers against the top of his head.

"What was?" Gibbs mumbles half asleep against the top of her breasts.

"Your pillows that you are currently resting on." Jenny teases him.

"What was I suppose to look at in work when you wore those tight turtlenecks and Henley shirts to the office." Gibbs grumbles in protest.

"You were a married man." Jenny playfully chastises him.

"That didn't stop you from checking out my ass whenever I wore jeans to work or wore shorts in the gym."

"I also checked out your front." Jenny purrs.

"So I noticed." Gibbs mumbles, falling asleep in his lover's arms.

Jenny strokes the top of his now all silver cropped hair. "I made you forget all about Diane, the moment you entered my body the first time in Marseille." Jenny seductively whispers. "From that moment on when it came to the bedroom no other partner could sexually satisfy you the way I could, it was written all over your face, whenever I would see you with one of your girlfriends in the office." Jenny mischievously grins…


	70. Marking Her Territory

0500 Hours

The radio goes off on Gibbs' alarm clock; 'Stand By Your Man' by Tammy Wynette is blaring in the background. "Shut that thing off." Jenny hisses.

"Don't like the sound of country western music at the crack of dawn." Gibbs mumbles in his sleep and reaches over and slaps at the button.

"No, I don't need to hear that crap when I first wake up in the morning and it would have been an ill-advised song to listen to last week." Jenny yawns and tries to get out of bed, but is stopped by her lover's weight on top of her. "Jethro you better get off of me before my bladder explodes."

Gibbs rolls on to his side and watches as Jenny gets out of bed. "Are you going to join us in the conference room when we question Diane?"

"Hell no, I almost decked her yesterday." Jenny mutters and walks out of the room.

"Just asking!" Gibbs laughs.

Five minutes later in the shower, Jenny has her face pressed up against her lover's chest trembling from the after affects from her orgasm. "We're both going to be tired in work today." Gibbs laughs.

"I have two op's that I have to oversee in MTAC today." Jenny groans, pulling away from her lover's arms.

"I have to question Diane on two hours sleep." Gibbs growls.

"Better you than me." Jenny laughs and reaches for the bottle of shampoo. "Bend over and I'll wash your hair."

"Putting that scented crap in my hair." Gibbs barks.

"Yes, I want to mark my territory when you question Diane." Jenny smirks.

At headquarters around eight o'clock, Tony and McGee walk out of the elevator returning from Abby's Lab. "Great we have to pick up Cruella De Vil." Tony grumbles walking over to his section with McGee following behind, as he walks over to his desk, Tony notices Diane getting out of the elevator. "Thank you god." Tony shouts out loud in relief.

"What?" McGee curiously asks and then notices Diane walking past Gibbs' section.

"Gibbs is in the lounge Mrs. Sterling." Tony calls out to her.

"Not with his tramp." Diane snottily answers.

"If you are referring to our agency Director, she's not in her office." McGee answers.

Over at the hallway near the stairs Gibbs walks out with a bag of cookies in his hand, spotting Diane at the entranceway of his section. "Great, just what I need." Gibbs groans meeting Diane's glaring gaze as he slowly makes his way over to her. "Good morning Diane." Gibbs icily addresses her.

"Good morning Leroy!" Diane answers back in a condescending tone of voice.

"What do you want?"

"Answers?"

"I was about to send my agents over to pick you up for questioning." Gibbs roughly says to her.

"Don Juan and Richie Rich!" Diane sweetly answers.

"She got you with another Macaulay Culkin jab." Tony laughs.

"Don Juan, is another term for Lothario you moron." Diane sarcastically reminds him and sashay's her way over to Gibbs' desk and takes a seat behind his desk.

Tony narrows his eyes over at Gibbs. "Moron!" Tony grumbles.

"I've heard worse." Gibbs snorts and walks over to his desk.

"Bastard, son of a bitch-"

"Woody the Woodchuck!" McGee snickers, interrupting Diane.

"Nobody asked you for your opinion nerd boy." Diane hisses, grabbing Gibbs' cup of coffee from on top of his desk and is about to take a sip, when Gibbs grabs his cup from her.

"You don't drink Sumatra Blend." Gibbs barks.

"You're right, Sumatra is more your type of drink, dark and bitter." Diane sweetly answers and bats her eyelashes at him.

Gibbs wanting to strangle Diane walks over to the desk next to McGee and flips open his cell phone. "Fornell you better be on your way over." Gibbs grumbles, pushing in the speed dial button for Fornell's cell phone number. "Where the hell are you?" Gibbs snarls.

Out by the main gate, Fornell is about to pull through. "I'm at the main gate why?" Fornell shrugs and drives on through.

"Because I'm stuck up here with our ex." Gibbs snaps.

"Tony and McGee bring her in early?" Fornell answers with surprise.

"No, she came in on her own demanding answers."

"Look on the bright side it saved Tony and McGee a trip over to her house." Fornell laughs.

"Fornell I don't know how much more I can take of this."

"Got any Pepto available?" Fornell smirks.

"Very funny Tobias, I'll see you in a few minutes." Gibbs groans and hangs up.

Upstairs, Jenny steps out of MTAC and makes eye contact with Diane down in the bullpen. "She's early!" Jenny says out loud, glaring down at her enemy. "I put enough mandarin orange-mango shampoo, conditioner and body wash on Jethro this morning in the shower." Jenny mischievously says to herself.

Cynthia approaches her. "Should I lock the door to the outer office?" Cynthia cringes.

"No, I do not have any business meetings with Mrs. Sterling today and if she shows up unannounced again and throws insults towards my way in my office, I will have security throw the bitch out of the building." Jenny laughs.

"How long was Gibbs married to her?" Cynthia curiously asks.

"In the married sense two years, the final six months Jethro slept down in his basement the last three months and when Diane moved out, it took another three months for his divorce to go through."

"The ex-wife from hell." Diane snickers.

"Trust me he forgot all about her once Jethro and I became lovers." Jenny answers smirking down at Diane one final time before walking off for her office.

Down below, "I'm going to wipe that smirk off of your face one of these days tramp." Diane viciously hisses towards the direction of the balcony.

"I would advise against that Mrs. Sterling." Ziva giggles over hearing her.

"Why's that?" Diane asks with a smirk on her face.

"Because I trained Director Shepard in martial arts and assassin training ten years ago." Ziva informs her with a smile on her face.

"You mean the teacher didn't teach his whore everything during Jenny's Probationary Status Training." Diane asks baiting her ex-husband.

"I don't teach my agents Diane, they observe." Gibbs barks at her, with that Fornell walks out of the elevator and approaches Gibbs. "Bout time!"

"What's the matter Leroy you can't stand the fact that I'm making a fool out of you in front of your agents." Diane laughs at him.

"You're making more of ass out of yourself than I am." Gibbs smirks.

"And since when is this new Jethro." Fornell chuckles.

"Ok, I want some answers." Diane screams at them.

"We'll give them to you while we're questioning you." Gibbs answers, walking over to his desk. "This way Mrs. Sterling."

"Is the whore going to be sitting in on this?"

"No, the Director has more important things to do up in her office." Gibbs answers roughly grabbing the case file from on top of his desk and a brown paper bag containing Victor Sterling's wallet, badge, and gun.

"You mean she's chickening out." Diane laughs.

"Diane quit stalling." Fornell warns her.

"I don't understand why we're doing this at NCIS Headquarters; doesn't the FBI have the lead on this case?" Diane sarcastically asks as she gets up from the desk.

"Only on your husband's kidnapping, the two dead Marine's and the two deceased gunman who were impersonating the two dead Marines are NCIS' jurisdiction."

"And conveniently they were found dead in your husband's Self-Storage Unit." Gibbs answers.

"Let's get this over with; I have an eleven o'clock manicure that I don't want to miss." Diane scoffs.

"Conference room next to the elevator." Gibbs growls gesturing towards the aisle with his right hand.

"Remember I'll be watching the clock." Diane hisses and brushes past her ex-husband.

"I'll be biting my tongue." Gibbs answers under his breath, following Diane from behind.

"Good luck!" Tony smirks.

"Thanks a lot DiNozzo." Fornell mumbles.

"Not a problem Toby." Tony laughs and watches a dejected Fornell walk off towards the conference room. "In two minutes we head on over to the door and see if we can hear what's going on in there." Tony grins.

"I should have put a bug in there." McGee laughs.

Inside the conference room, Fornell is seated at the head of the table; Gibbs and Diane are sitting across from one another. "We found your husband's car abandoned at Reagan International Airport last night." Gibbs informs her.

Diane swallows hard. "Was-"

"Victor wasn't inside the car." "But we did find the body of the store clerk inside of the trunk." Fornell answers.

Gibbs removing a pair of latex gloves from his jacket pocket. "We did find under the driver's seat, Victor's gun, wallet, and badge." Gibbs answers and hands Diane a pair of gloves. "Put these on."

"What for?" Diane sighs, putting the gloves on.

"Because I don't want you putting your finger prints or DNA on anything." Gibbs grumbles, taking out a second pair of latex gloves from his jacket pocket and puts them on. "I want you to look through your husband's wallet and verify that everything is in there." Gibbs instructs her, he removes Victor's wallet, gun, and badge from the brown paper bag. Opening up the zip lock evidence bag that Victor's wallet is in, Gibbs takes out the wallet and hands it over to Diane.

Diane opens up the wallet, three condoms fall on top of the table. "Good to know that you're still practicing safe sex Diane." Fornell laughs.

"Shut up Tobias." Diane snaps at him.

"I made damn sure I kept it covered." Gibbs chuckles.

"Well the one and only time Fornell didn't have it covered over a bottle of Chardonnay it produced Emily." Diane softly answers and smiles over at Fornell. "That is the only thing about our marriage that I did not regret."

"Thanks Diane!" Fornell smiles.

Diane removing her husband's credit cards, ATM card, social security card, driver's license, photos of their wedding day, and one from their honeymoon." "Everything is-" Diane stops when suddenly she notices that Victor's card for Digital Tech Off-Site Data Protection Center is missing.

"Except what?" Fornell asks.

"Victor had a card for Digital Tech Off-Site Data Protection Center."

"What did Victor have stored at this site?" Gibbs asks.

"Our wedding photos, I also have Emily's photos stored over there." "Everything important, Victor lived in New Orleans when Katrina hit and lost everything." Diane frowns.

"I wonder if Sterling was working on something on the side that Homeland Security wasn't aware of." Gibbs asks out loud.

"Victor would never do that." Diane chastises him. "He's a good man."

"You thought the same thing when you married me Diane." Gibbs smirks.

"I better call over to the cyber division and have them look into Victor's computers and get a search warrant for Digital Tech Off-Site Data Protection Center while I'm thinking about it." Fornell nods and gets up from the chair; he walks over to the door and opens it up, Tony, Ziva, and McGee fall inside of the room. "At least my agents are not as obvious when they eavesdrop on me Jethro." Fornell laughs and steps over Tony on his way out of the door.

"Don Juan escort Mrs. Sterling over to the elevator." Gibbs growls.

"Don't bother, I know my way out." Diane snottily answers and gets up from her seat, as she walks past Tony she steps on his thumb with her heel.

"Ow!" Tony cries out in pain.

"That's what you get for checking out my legs when I stepped out of the elevator the other day." Diane reminds him and walks out of the room.

"I guess you deserved that one DiNozzo." Gibbs laughs and gets up from his chair.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee get up from the floor. "So what do you want us to do now?" Tony grimaces, flexing his thumb.

"Wait until Fornell gets the search warrant for Digital Tech Off-Site Data Protection Center." "Then we'll go from there." Gibbs shrugs and tosses his empty cup of coffee into the trash can. "In the mean time I need more coffee." Gibbs nods and walks out of the room.

"She could have stepped on something else Don Juan." Ziva snickers.

"I'll keep that in mind." Tony flinches.

Out in the Squad Room, Gibbs walks over to his desk and finds Diane waiting over at his desk. "I thought you knew your way out." Gibbs snaps and walks over to the bookshelf behind his desk, retrieving his coat.

"I forgot something." Diane innocently answers.

Gibbs opening up the bottom desk drawer retrieving his badge and sig. "I bet you did." Gibbs grumbles sucking in his teeth.

Diane taking in the scent of his shampoo and body wash. "You smell like oranges and mangos."

"Mandarin oranges and mangos." Gibbs smirks and walks off for the elevator.

Diane chases after her ex-husband. "Ha, the slut bringing out your feminine side Leroy." Diane laughs, embarrassing Gibbs in front of the other teams that are working next to the elevator. Gibbs maintaining his cool walks inside the elevator with Diane smirking at him as she follows him into the elevator. "When we were married your grooming habits were so predictable, I had them memorized within a month after we got married." "Gillette razors, Old Spice deodorant and soap."

The elevator doors close, Gibbs waits for the elevator to go down before flipping the switch over. "Hook line and sinker." Gibbs laughs at her. "Jen knew how to get a reaction out of you."

"So you used the shampoo and soap on purpose in the shower this morning?" Diane shrugs.

"Not my idea Diane, it was Jenny's choice in the shower this morning." Gibbs mischievously grins at her.

"Right your little seduction ploy in the shower before you go to work." "I remember those with you on your weekends off." Diane purrs.

"Difference between you and Jenny, is it would take me ten minutes to get a hard on with you and the water would turn cold." Gibbs laughs.

Diane noting the love bites on the side of Gibbs' neck. "I see the bitch marked her territory on you."

Gibbs flipping the switch over. "She also has one on her neck." Gibbs chuckles.

"And how old are the two of you?" Diane sighs in disgust.

"Never to old Diane." Gibbs smiles…."If anything it makes an old man like me feel twenty years younger."

"If anything it makes you look pathetic."

"You're the pathetic one." "Quit wasting your energy on bitterness on a marriage that should never have happened."

"You're saying that you're regretting our marriage?" Diane sadly asks.

"All of my marriages, I used you and my first wife to make me forget about Shannon, and I married Stephanie to forget about Jenny." "At least out of my three ex-wives Stephanie deserved better." Gibbs frowns…With that the elevator stops. Diane stunned at her ex-husband's admission that he should never have married her quietly stands in the back of the elevator. The door open, Gibbs steps out and turns and looks over at Diane. "I would keep your cell phone turned on; we might call you back in for questioning." Gibbs advises her.

"Send another agent besides you or that womanizer to pick me up." Diane icily snaps at Gibbs and walks out of the elevator storming away from him.

"For once you deserved the truth Diane." Gibbs sighs….


	71. Job Well Done

Digital Tech Off-Site Data Protection Center

1300 Hours

After getting a search warrant, Gibbs, Tony, McGee, and Fornell walk into the manager's office. "We have a search warrant to search Victor Sterling's vault?" Fornell informs him.

The manager gets up from his desk and walks over to Fornell taking the warrant from him. "I'm afraid you are a little late, Mr. Sterling emptied out his vault this morning."

"We'll need to review the security tapes from this morning." Gibbs instructs him.

"I'll get on that right now." The manager nods and walks out of his office.

"Was there anything found on Sterling's office and home computers yet?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Not yet?" Fornell shrugs.

"He had to be working on something." Gibbs groans in frustration.

"Impossible, he was the lowest of the pecking order at Homeland Security." Tony answers.

"Boss do you want us to search his Self-Storage Unit again; maybe we might have missed something." McGee suggests.

"Evidence Tech's emptied it out yesterday." Gibbs answers and flips open his cell phone.

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

With the guys out on the field, Ziva and Abby are sitting around Abby's workstation making fun of Tony and McGee on the names the Diane gave them. "Don Juan!" Abby giggles.

"Luckily for me, she has not labeled a character name on me yet." Ziva laughs.

"I think the one's she gave McGee are adorable." Abby snickers….Suddenly Abby's phone begins to ring, she picks up her cordless phone. "Hello!"

"Abby I need you to go down into the Evidence Room and go over the boxes from Sterling's unit." Gibbs orders her.

"What am I looking for?" Abby curiously asks.

"Laptop, flash drive, CD anything that Sterling could have use for storing stuff."

"I'll get on it right now."

"We'll be back at headquarters in about fifteen minutes."

"Could you send McGee down to help me out?"

"I'll do that and no screwing around." Gibbs growls and hangs up.

"Like we wouldn't do that." Abby laughs and hangs up. "I have to go down into the Evidence Room to look through Sterling's personal effects from his Self-Storage Unit."

"Want me to help?" Ziva volunteers.

"Gibbs is on his way back to headquarters so you better head back up to the Squad Room."

"Right since he's not aware that I'm down here gossiping with you." Ziva laughs.

An hour later down in the Evidence Room, Abby and McGee are going through box after box. "This is like looking through a needle in a haystack." McGee groans.

Abby opening up a box, comes across a laptop. "I just found our needle." Abby smiles and removes the laptop from the box.

"There better be something on there."

"While I keep rummaging around the boxes, you look over Sterling's laptop, I have a feeling that the key to Sterling's kidnapping is inside of there."

Squad Room

Gibbs, Tony, Fornell, and Ziva are standing in front of the plasma screen next to McGee's desk watching over the video feed from the Off-Site Data Protection Center during the time frame that Sterling had emptied out his vault. "There's the driver from the Self-Storage Unit." Tony says out loud.

"Sterling isn't around." Fornell notes.

"That's because the driver is impersonating Sterling." Gibbs answers.

"I have a sneaky suspicion that Sterling is dead." Ziva frowns.

"What did Diane's ransom note say?" Tony curiously asks.

"Million dollars for Sterling's safe return." Fornell nods.

"Diane doesn't have a million dollars." Tony laughs.

"They know that, they just want us to run around in circles on a kidnapping attempt." Gibbs barks.

"We'll what they don't know that NCIS and the FBI's finest are working on Sterling's abduction." Tony smirks.

"I'm going to head down to the Evidence Room and see if McGee and Abby have found something." Gibbs smoothly says and walks off for the elevator with Fornell following him from behind.

Back down in the Evidence Room, McGee is sitting at a portable worktable going over Sterling's incoming and outgoing e-mails. "Sterling has a faux e-mail account."

Abby with her head inside of a box. "Sounds suspicious!" Abby shrugs.

"It is, since he has several bank accounts in the Cayman Islands."

Abby walks over to McGee and glances over his shoulder. "Francis Flemming!"

"On December 10th, under his alias Francis Flemming, Sterling deposited fifty-thousand dollars into one of his accounts."

Gibbs and Fornell walk out of the elevator. "Got anything" Gibbs shouts out.

"Boss, Abby found a laptop in one of the boxes." McGee informs him.

"Find anything on it?"

"Yes, he has an alias, Francis Flemming."

"An alias for what?" Gibbs shrugs.

"Two bank accounts in the Cayman Islands."

Gibbs looking over McGee's shoulder. "Fifty-thousand dollars!"

"What's he into?" Fornell snaps.

"I need to get this laptop up into Abby's Lab to find out." McGee answers.

"Do it!" Gibbs orders him.

"I guess we bring Diane back in for questioning?" Fornell grumbles.

"Who says we're going to do it, that's where my trusty Senior Field Agent and his partner come in." Gibbs laughs flipping open his cell phone.

Five minutes later on their way over to Diane. "Why me?" Tony whines behind the wheel.

"McGee is needed down in Abby's Lab." Ziva answers, trying to keep a straight face.

"This is a job for Mrs. Sterling's two ex-husbands." Tony groans.

"No it's the job of Gibbs' Senior Field Agent." Ziva winks, baiting her partner.

"Figures you would throw that in my face." Tony grumbles.

Arlington, Virginia

Sterling Residence

Diane hearing her doorbell ringing, walks down the stairs, as she approaches the front door. "Who is it?"

"Special Agents DiNozzo and David!" Tony calls out.

Diane opens up the front door and smirks over at Tony. "The Lothario and the Barbie Doll wanna be." "Sweetheart, you need to apply more make up than that." Diane baits her.

Ziva is about to pounce on Diane, when Tony grabs a hold of her. "Welcome to the insult party Agent David." Tony laughs at her. Ziva steps on Tony's ankle. "Ow!" He grimaces.

"I assume that Leroy and Tobias have summoned me back to headquarters." Diane icily asks.

"Yes ma'am!" Tony winces.

Diane walks over to the closet and retrieves her coat and pocketbook. "I need to get home by four o'clock, that's when Emily comes home from school."

"Can't make any promises ma'am." Tony nods.

"I'm sure Emily's father can come up with another arrangement." Ziva answers.

"Fine!" Diane snaps and walks through the front door, she locks the door and then closes the door behind her.

"Come on Barbie!" Tony snickers.

"I am not a Barbie doll." Ziva protests.

"Have so since you've come back from Tel Aviv after Vance reinstated you to Gibbs' team."

"Which time?"

"When Michelle was the NCIS mole."

"I wore more make-up and dressed up more to piss off my father." Ziva smirks and walks over to the driver's side door.

Tony opening the rear passenger door for Diane. "Mrs. Sterling you're in for a real treat." Tony grins at her.

"Shut up and get this over with." Diane hisses and gets inside of the car.

Tony closes the door. "Buckle up!" Tony smirks.

On their way to NCIS Headquarters, Ziva is weaving in and out of traffic. "Slow down!" Diane screams digging into the seat with her finger nails.

"Did you hear anything Tony?" Ziva laughs.

"Nah, drive faster." Tony laughs.

Ziva presses her foot on the gas pedal. "If we get into an accident I'm suing." Diane screams.

Back at headquarters, the CO of Sergeant Major Noah Carter and Corporal Jacob Winston, Colonel Warren Knox is down in Autopsy viewing the bodies of his fallen Marines. "They were suppose to go on duty at the posts on the front lawn of the White House at 0600 Hours Monday morning."

"When were you notified that they went UA?" Gibbs asks.

"Sunday night!" Knox frowns.

"Poor lads were at the wrong place at the wrong time." Ducky sadly answers.

"Right time Duck, remember Frick and Frack had tried to gain access into the White House unsuccessfully on Sunday Night."

"Have you found out what this is about yet?" Knox asks.

"No!" Gibbs sighs in frustration.

"Carter and Winston's families are anxious to bury their son's, when will you be releasing their bodies." Knox nods.

"This afternoon, we're finished what we need to do with them." Gibbs frowns.

"I'll send members from their unit to escort their bodies out."

Ten minutes later, Gibbs and Ducky sitting around Ducky's desk. "Winston and Carter had one of the highest honors of the Marine Corps." Ducky fondly muses.

"Honor Detail at the White House." Gibbs smiles and shakes his head. "I wouldn't like that duty." Gibbs laughs.

"Why?"

"I would have to be dressed in my dress uniform every day." Gibbs grumbles.

"Jethro!" Ducky laughs.

Fornell walks through the doors. "McGee come with anything yet on Sterling's laptop?"

"Not yet, Sterling used a sophisticated password for a hidden folder that McGee found."

"I bet I know what the password is, I married a psychotic bitch." Fornell snickers.

"Now, now Fornell, keep in mind you and Jethro did not think of Diane that way during the first six months that you were married to her." Ducky reminds them with a laugh.

"Sterling will find out after their first anniversary." Gibbs smirks.

"And maybe he won't." Ducky sighs.

"You sticking up for our ex from hell." Gibbs grunts.

"In some ways yes." "Keep in mind you were part of the problem Jethro."

Before Gibbs can answer Ducky, Tony walks into the room. "Boss, Mrs. Sterling is waiting in Interrogation Room number three."

"See what you can get out of her."

"Come again!" Tony groans in protest.

"I want you to interrogate Diane and see what you can find out on Sterling's bank accounts in the Cayman Islands."

"Why me?" Tony pouts.

"Because I'm the boss and you will not question me when I order you to do something, now get upstairs and interrogate Diane." Gibbs barks.

Tony stalking off towards the door. "Great more insults to be thrown in my face." Tony snaps.

"Are we going to watch from observation?" Fornell curiously asks.

"After we pay Abby and McGee a visit, see if they've come up with anything on Sterling's laptop."

Interrogation Room Number Three

Diane, sitting with her leg crossed over. "Alright Leroy don't keep me waiting." Diane sarcastically shouts towards the direction of the mirrored window. Tony walks in through the door carrying a folder. "Ha, Leroy sending in one of his flunkies to question me." Diane laughs.

Tony cocking his head towards Diane as he approaches the table. "Leroy?" He shrugs with surprise at hearing Diane calling Gibbs by his first name.

"Yes that's my ex-husband's first name." "What do you call him?" Diane smirks up at Tony.

"Gibbs!" Tony grins and pulls out a chair and sits across from Diane.

Diane reading Tony's thoughts. "You want to know why Leroy and I broke up didn't you." Diane sensuously asks.

"Oh no ma'am!" Tony lies.

"Liar!" Diane laughs…."You're not good at lying."

"No ma'am I'm not." Tony frowns.

"Leroy was good at it the first year we were married." "But when I caught on to his lies suddenly he as easy to read as you are Junior." Diane sweetly answers batting her eyelashes.

"Ma'am I'm not in here to review what went wrong with your marriage to my boss."

"Lies, lies, and more lies, and to top it off, he was screwing his big chested slutty partner back at the office." Diane snaps.

Inside the Observation Room. "If I come across that bitch out of the office I am going to beat the shit out of her." Jenny angrily says to Ziva who's standing beside her.

"If I don't beat you to it." Ziva winks.

"Ah ha, she finally got you with an insult." Jenny laughs.

"She referred to me as a Barbie Doll wanna be and suggested I needed more make up." Ziva sighs.

"You are fine the way you are, don't listen to that bitch."

Behind the glass Diane goes on and on about Gibbs and Jenny, when Tony flips open the folder in front of him. "Are you aware of your husband's offshore bank accounts in the Cayman Islands, under an alias, Francis Flemming?" Tony interrupts her.

"That's Victor's grandfather's name." Diane answers with surprise. "Victor would spend summers at his maternal grandparent's house down in Cape May every summer."

"So whatever your husband was into, he used his grandfather's name." Tony openly says out loud.

Down in Abby's Lab, McGee finally has cracked the password on the hidden file on Sterling's laptop. "Got it!" McGee shouts out with excitement. Gibbs, Fornell, and Abby approach McGee from behind. "It appears that Sterling was working on a project for the CIA." McGee answers as he reads the file.

Gibbs leaning over McGee's shoulder from behind. "Sterling worked liaison from time to time with the CIA." Gibbs says as he squints at the file on the monitor in front of him. "CIA had uncovered a deadly virus from a terrorist cell over in Pakistan."

"If it gets airborne it could kill thousands of people." Gibbs says in horror.

"So this was the reason why Sterling was kidnapped." "His kidnappers wanted the virus to use it somewhere." Fornell ponders.

"The two gunmen down in Autopsy tried sneaking into the White House unsuccessfully by posing as Carter and Winston." McGee notes.

"The White House has Christmas parties a few times a week." "Maybe they planned on releasing the virus at the White House during one of the President's parties." Fornell suggests.

"Find out if there are any Christmas parties scheduled for this week." Gibbs asks.

"I'll get right on that." Fornell nods and walks off for the backroom.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Gibbs yeah!" He answers.

Observation Room Number Three

"Gibbs, the alias that Sterling was using for his Cayman Island bank accounts was his grandfather's." Ziva informs him.

"We just found out that Sterling worked liaison with the CIA." Gibbs smoothly says to her.

"For what?" Ziva shrugs.

"CIA uncovered a deadly virus from a terrorist cell in Pakistan."

"And Sterling's kidnappers had planned on releasing the virus." Ziva answers.

"We think it maybe the White House."

"Right the two gunmen down in Autopsy tried sneaking into the White House on Sunday night posing as Carter and Winston."

"Fornell is getting a schedule for the upcoming events, usually the White House throws at least two Christmas parties a week."

"President was the target." Ziva asks in horror.

"President and thousands of people in a square block radius if this virus was released."

Ziva glancing through window at Tony and Diane. "It looks like Tony is wrapping up his interrogation of Diane."

"When he's done, tell DiNozzo that I want a team meeting up in the bullpen in a half an hour." "I need to brief the Director up in her office."

"I'll let her know that you're on your way up to her office since she's standing right next to me."

"Anymore zingers out of Diane?" Gibbs smirks.

"Oh yeah!" Ziva laughs.

Gibbs glancing down at his watch. "I'm on my way up now, tell the Director I'll meet her in the elevator and I'll brief her on our way over to her office."

"I will!" Ziva answers and hangs up. "McGee cracked Sterling's password and came up with something." "Gibbs will meet you in the elevator on his way up to your office."

"From what I could make out from your phone conversation with Gibbs, virus and the White House were mentioned." Jenny sighs with worry and walks off for the door.

Jenny's Office

Five Minutes Later

Gibbs, Jenny, and Fornell are sitting at the conference table. "President has a party scheduled for tomorrow night, Vice President Biden, and Secretary Clinton will be attending." Fornell informs them.

"Did Diane's kidnappers say when they were going to call her back?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Five o'clock tonight." Fornell answers.

"I'll send Tony and Ziva out, the minute the kidnappers get in touch with Diane, I'll have McGee trace the phone call and get a location." Gibbs nods.

"I'll send some FBI Agents out in the field as well."

"I want this to end by tonight." Gibbs snaps.

"I wonder which militia group is responsible for this." Jenny asks.

"There was a small faction that was arrested six weeks ago, when the ATF raided their compound up in Berks County, Pennsylvania." "The head of Freedom Frontier Movement was killed during a shoot-out." Fornell says.

"I'll have McGee and Abby compare the photos of the gunmen and run it through and see if we can get a match, apparently some of their members got away before the ATF raided their leaders compound." Gibbs suggests.

"I better call the SecNav and inform him on what's going on?" Jenny frowns and gets up from her chair.

Squad Room

Twenty-Five Minutes Later

Gibbs, standing in the middle of the bullpen is briefing his team. "McGee I want you to rerun the photos of the four gunmen through known militia groups." "Six weeks ago the ATF raided a compound of Freedom Frontier militia group up in Berks County, Pennsylvania." "The head of their group, Quinton Zuckerman was killed during a shoot-out."

"And some of the surviving members want to seek revenge for the death of their leader." McGee nods.

"At 1700 hours, Diane is expecting the kidnappers to call her on her landline, Fornell and I will be over at her house when the phone call comes in." "I want you to trace the kidnapper's location." Gibbs instructs him and then glances over at Tony and Ziva. "I want you two out on the field."

"So that when McGee does a GPS trace on the kidnapper's location we can drive over there." Tony finishes.

"I have a feeling that their near the Self-Storage Unit." Ziva winks.

Howard Johnson Express Inn

New York Ave

Room 24

1700 Hours

Freddy Watkin's the new head of the Freedom Frontier Militia group walks out of the bathroom of his motel room, smirking over at Sterling who's lying on top of the bed with his handcuffed to the bedframe. "Time to distract the feds." Watkin's laughs and picks up his burn phone dialing Sterling's home phone number.

Arlington, Virginia

Sterling Residence

Gibbs, Fornell, and Diane are sitting out in the living room. "Come on!" Fornell impatiently grumbles.

"You never had patients Tobias." Diane laughs.

"Like you!" Gibbs snorts.

"You should know." "How many stitches did you receive on the back of your head when I hit with your golf club." Diane smirks.

"At least you were never violent with me." Fornell chuckles.

"That's because you never lied to me." Diane sighs and angrily glares over at the direction of her first husband. "You didn't have a wife and daughter that you never told me about and you didn't screw you're leggy big boobed partner behind my back."

"You got one out of two correct, I never told you about Shannon and Kelly." "Jenny and I did not become lovers until three months after our divorce became final." Gibbs bitterly corrects her.

"So it took you three months to weaken the whore's defenses." Diane sarcastically laughs. "Face it Leroy when you have your mind set on screwing a woman, you always get your way."

"Yeah I had your legs wrapped around my waist on the first night." Gibbs laughs.

"Me too!" Fornell grins.

"And for some reason Jenny keeps getting referred to as a whore, that's the cat calling the kettle black." Gibbs baits his ex-wife. Before Diane can answer them, the phone begins to ring. "We pick up it up on the third ring." Gibbs instructs her.

After the third ring, Gibbs gestures Diane to answer her phone, at the same time the three of them pick up the phone receiver. "Hello!" Diane hesitantly answers.

"Mrs. Sterling!" Watkin's addresses her.

"Yes!"

"You got the ten million."

"Working on it."

"You need to do better than that." Watkin's advises her.

"I should come up with the money by tomorrow."

"Tomorrow noon time, I'll call you back tomorrow morning for a meeting place." "Remember keep the feds out of this or your husband will be found floating in the Potomac River." Watkin's warns her and hangs up.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Got a location McGee?" Gibbs answers.

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

"Howard Johnson Express Inn on New York Avenue." McGee informs him.

"Ziva was right, Sterling was being held at a place near his Self-Storage Unit."

McGee glancing over at Jenny who's on the phone with Ziva. "Director Shepard is notifying Tony and Ziva on Sterling's location."

"We're on our way." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "McGee traced the phone at the Howard Johnson Express Inn on New York Avenue." "Tony and Ziva are on their way over now."

"I'm coming with you." Diane frantically shouts.

"There's a team of agents outside that will watch over you." Fornell orders her.

"That is my husband, try and stop me." Diane hisses.

Howard Johnson Express Inn

Half an hour later, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, Fornell, and Metro PD are out in the parking lot. "I showed the hotel manager photos of our gunmen, he picked out the two shooters from the Self-Storage Unit, they're in Room 24." Tony says to Gibbs and Fornell.

"Second level, we don't have to worry about them escaping through a window." Gibbs answers.

"What if they have the virus inside of the room?" Tony curiously asks.

"It's a chance that we'll have to take." Gibbs answers with a hint of regret in his voice. "Tony and Ziva stay down here with Diane." "Metro PD I want you to cover the back of the building."

"Great more insults from your ex." Tony grumbles.

"Serves you right for checking out my legs when I stepped out of the elevator." Diane snippily retorts to Tony.

"Better you than us DiNozzo." Fornell chuckles.

Two minutes later, Gibbs and Fornell approach the door for Room Number 24. Gibbs knocks on the door. "Is this the pizza delivery guy?" A voice shouts from inside of the room.

"Yes!" Gibbs shouts back. With that the door opens and a stunned Brett Hilliard finds Gibbs' Sig pointing in his face. "Hands in the air." Gibbs snarls at him. Hilliard quickly puts his hands up behind the back of his head. Gibbs grabbing Hilliard by the scruff of his shirt pushes him inside and begins to frisk him for weapons. "He's clean!"

Fornell walks into the room and finds Sterling handcuffed on the bed. "Agent Sterling are you injured?" Fornell asks and walks over to the bed.

"No, I have some bruises here and there."

Fornell removes the handcuff from Sterling's wrist. "Anybody else in the room?" Fornell asks.

"Watkin's left after the phone call." Sterling answers.

"Watkin's?" Gibbs shrugs.

"An associate of mine at Homeland Security, Freddy Watkin's."

"How did he find out about your working liaison with the CIA?" Fornell asks.

"Freddy had a habit of lingering around my cubicle at work; I guess he overheard one of my phone conversations." Sterling shrugs and gets out of bed, stretching his arms and legs.

"Diane is waiting outside."

"She shouldn't have come here." Sterling snaps and quickly rushes out of the room.

Gibbs shoves Hilliard down in a chair. "You are under arrest for the murder of-"

Outside in the parking lot, Sterling runs over to Gibbs' car, Diane gets out and throws her arms around her husband. "I'm ok!" Sterling reassures his crying wife and passionately kisses her on the mouth.

"Nothing like kissing a Black Widow Spider." Tony grimaces.

"You already have." Ziva snickers in reference to EJ Barrett.

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

2000 Hours

After eating a late dinner, Team Gibbs along with Jenny begins to search for Freddy Watkin's. "So how was he suppose to get inside of the White House?" Tony questions out loud.

"Forged invite." McGee shrugs.

"Wouldn't work!" Jenny answers, knowing how tight security is at the White House.

Fornell walks in. "Team of agents just searched Watkin's apartment."

"What did they come up with?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Watkin's had planned on posing as a waiter for the catering company that is helping out with the White House kitchen tomorrow night."

McGee monitoring Watkin's cell phone, suddenly notes an outgoing phone call from Watkin's. "Boss, Watkin's is calling the burn phone that was used to call Diane."

"Don't worry Hilliard will pick it up back at FBI Headquarters." Fornell laughs.

"Got a location on Watkin's where a bouts." Gibbs asks.

"Shops at National Place!"

Gibbs grabbing his gun and badge from inside of his desk drawer. "I hope he doesn't plan on using the virus in the mall." Jenny reminds Gibbs of the possibility of Watkin's carrying the virus on him.

"It's a chance that we'll have to take." Gibbs hesitantly answers. Touching Jenny's face. "I want you to stay here."

"Jetho-"

Gibbs silences her by putting his finger up against her lips. "I'm sworn to protect the head of my agency and I can't do that when you're putting yourself at risk."

"And Gibbs wouldn't be able to concentrate on the job at hand if he's worrying about you." Ziva softly reassures Jenny.

"I'll have MTAC get a direct video feed from the mall." Jenny nods and gets up from her chair.

"You'll be monitoring the backdoor like always." Gibbs smiles.

"Reluctantly monitoring the back door." Jenny frowns and starts off for the stairs.

Gibbs grabs his coat from the bookshelf from behind his desk. "Let's roll!" Gibbs barks at his team.

Shops at National Place

"This reminds me of Sharif." Ziva sighs.

"Sharif and Watkin's in a public place carrying a deadly virus." Tony frowns.

"The difference between Watkin's and Sharif is that Watkin's is a home grown terrorist." Jenny bitterly announces through their earwigs.

"Director has Watkin's showed up on any of the video feeds yet?" Tony curiously asks.

MTAC

"No, but he's still inside of the mall, Watkin's cell phone is on."

Over at the food court, Gibbs, McGee and Fornell are sitting at a table closest to the center of the mall. Suddenly Watkin's steps out of the hallway for the restrooms. "Boss I have a visual on him." McGee says to him.

"Danielle, could you put the food court video feed up on the center plasma screen." Jenny instructs her.

"Yes ma'am!" Danielle nods.

"I have a visual on him now." Jenny sharply says to them.

Gibbs, McGee, and Fornell get up from their tables and maintain a safe distance from Watkin's. "We'll put a move on him once he steps outside." Gibbs instructs his team.

"What direction are you headed in boss?" Tony asks.

"North!"

At the north entrance of the mall, Tony and Ziva stand at a nearby store pretending to look in the store window. "Watkin's should be right on top of you any minute." Jenny warns them through their earwigs.

"Walk out the door with him." Gibbs orders them.

Ziva from the corner of her eye spots Watkin's. "Darling we're going to miss your favorite TV show."

"Right and you know how cranky I get when I miss out on my show." Tony nods and grabs Ziva by the elbow just as Watkin's passes them.

"I don't know what the big deal is, it's a repeat." Ziva sighs.

"I don't care; when it comes to my favorite TV show I can watch the same episodes over and over again." Tony answers and walks off with Ziva, Watkin's continues to make his way over for the exit.

"Soon as he nears the curb, is when we'll make our move on him." Gibbs' voice is heard through Tony and Ziva's earwigs.

Watkin's steps outside, several plain clothed Metro PD and FBI Agents are out on the street. Just as Watkin's nears the curb Tony, Ziva, along with the FBI and Metro PD draw their weapons on him. "Freddy Watkin's, you are under arrest for the murders of Marine Sergeant Major Noah Carter and Corporal Jacob Winston, the murders of Jared Lesinger and Matt Rothrock." "And for the kidnapping of Victor Sterling." Tony shouts over at him.

Watkin's stops at the curb and turns and faces Tony. "I would drop you're weapon's." Watkin's smirks and takes out a vile from his jacket pocket.

"Don't do it." Tony calmly advises him.

"I drop this on the ground and thousands of people will be dead."

"Is it worth you killing thousands of innocent people?" Tony asks.

"DiNozzo keep distracting him." Gibbs' voice comes through Tony's earwig.

"Innocent people that follow your government's every word." Watkin's snaps in disgust and then glares over towards the direction of Ziva. "In my future government, your partner would be at home cooking dinner and looking after the children." "Minorities would have the lowest paying jobs; just like the way it was fifty years ago."

"Your founder's ideas were stuck in era that no longer exists." Tony sarcastically answers.

While Tony continues to distract Watkin's, Gibbs walks out of the mall, he walks over to the curb and on to the street. "I'm going to walk behind Watkin's, so make sure that you keep his eyes focused on you at all times." Gibbs instructs him. With Watkin's full attention on Tony, Ziva, and the other officers, Gibbs walks up to Watkin's from behind and pulls his right wrist back grabbing the vile. "I guess they never taught you to watch your back at all times, when you went through training at FLETC." Gibbs snarls.

"Yes they do Agent Gibbs." Jenny sweetly answers her lover through his earwig.

"Director our suspect is apprehended and I've retrieved the vile that the virus is contained in." Gibbs informs her through his COM.

Jenny takes in a deep breath of relief. "Soon as the FBI takes their suspect into custody, I want to see you and your team up in my office." "Tango One out." Jenny answers and cuts off her MTAC feed.

Fornell and several FBI agents approach Watkins from behind. "Special Agent Gibbs we'll take over from here." Fornell nods over at him.

"Keep in mind Special Agent Fornell, that your suspect has charges facing him with NCIS for the murders of Sergeant Major Noah Carter and Corporal Jacob Winston." Gibbs growls.

"You want out two Director's getting into a pissing war again." Fornell smirks.

"No!" Gibbs swallowing hard and knowing full well that he'll be sleeping alone tonight if Jenny gets into a jurisdictional turf war over an investigation that belongs to the FBI.

Watkin's is handcuffed and led away by two FBI agents. "You don't want to sleep alone." Fornell chuckles.

"And you used that information against me." Gibbs barks.

"Face it Jethro, when it comes to your boss your whipped." Fornell laughs and walks away.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee double over and laughter at their boss's facial expression. "You find that funny." Gibbs shouts over at his team.

"Ah yeah!" Tony smirks.

"It's not like you haven't heard it before." Ziva smiles at him.

"I know I heard it five times a day when I was down in Mexico with Mike." Gibbs grumbles.

NCIS Headquarters

Jenny's Office

An Hour Later

Jenny, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Abby sit around the conference table drinking bottles of beer in celebration on a job well done. "You got your way boss, it ended today." Tony smiles.

"Thanks to everyone on my team including Jenny and Abby on a job well done." Gibbs smiles with pride.

"It's a good thing that the virus was not in the vile." Jenny sighs with relief.

"Watkin's had it stored in his refrigerator back home." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"You took a chance boss." Tony nods.

"In order to get the job done, you have to take some risk DiNozzo."

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow on who manufactured the virus for Watkin's." McGee shrugs.

"Dozens of pharmaceutical companies." Ziva frowns.

"And why is this legal?" Abby curiously asks.

"I've been asking the same question for the past twenty years Abs." Gibbs bitterly answers and gets up from the table. "its 2300 hours, go home and get some sleep." Gibbs orders them.

"I have such an adrenaline rush I might hit the bar." Tony grins.

"Not me, I'm heading for bed." Ziva yawns.

"Me to!" Abby grimaces.

"I might work on my book for a few hours before I head for bed." McGee answers.

Tony glancing over at Gibbs and Jenny. "What about the two of you?"

Gibbs' Bedroom

Forty minutes later, Gibbs and Jenny are in bed passionately making love to one another. Gibbs wanting, Jenny on top of him when he has his release rolls on to his back, pulling Jenny on top of him. "I'm almost there." He moans out.

"I was there two minutes ago." Jenny screams out as he changes the angle of his hips.

With a final thrust, Gibbs climaxes inside of his lover, Jenny exhausted falls down on to her side of the bed, burying her face into her pillow. Gibbs cuddles up against Jenny from behind. "It's a major turn on with your long hair sprayed out against the top of my chest like that when you're on top." Gibbs says between breaths.

"For that I'll cut my hair again." Jenny pants.

"Like hell you will." Gibbs growls.

"I'm only teasing Jethro, it took me four years to grow my hair back to the length I had it during our Paris Op." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs reaching for Jenny's hand on the side of the bed. "Jen even if you weren't the Director of NCIS, I would not have let you come with me at the mall tonight." Gibbs frowns.

"Put yourself at risk and have me live out my life alone." Jenny swallows.

"So you're saying that you would have wanted to die beside me."

"Most partners' do." Jenny whispers and closes her eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you Jethro." Jenny mumbles against her pillow.

Gibbs watches over Jenny as she falls asleep. "If I had to do it all again, I would not have changed a thing Jen." "My first instinct as your partner is to protect you."

Next morning at headquarters, Gibbs and his team are finishing up their final reports. "To think that the two agencies that hired Watkin's didn't do a thorough background check on him." Tony openly says out loud.

"When you have a have a hidden life that you want to hide from your employer, it's easy to do it DiNozzo." Gibbs answers from his desk.

"Boss how could the ATF and Homeland Security both miss that, come on." Tony snaps.

"I don't know wasn't there a mole in NCIS for months." Ziva reminds Tony.

"Michelle's daughter was kidnapped." Tony answers defending Lee's actions.

"Either way she should have come to me and I would have got her daughter back." Gibbs sadly answers thinking back on the lives that were lost and the fact that Lee's daughter will have to be raised without her mother.

Autopsy

1400 Hours

Ducky caught up for a change, is sitting at his desk writing out Christmas cards. Gibbs walks in coffee in hand. "Duck do you have a minute?" Gibbs calls out to him as he approaches Ducky's desk.

"Several, I'm caught up for a change with no autopsies."

"What did you mean by what you said about me being partly responsible for the breakup of my marriage to Diane?"

"Did you or did you not tell Diane about your first wife and daughter before you married her?" Ducky chastises his loyal friend. Gibbs rolls his eyes and looks the other way. "That's what I thought."

"So it's my fault that we split up." Gibbs grumbles.

"Partly yes!" Ducky mutters…"Like your first marriage after Shannon, apparently your first ex-wife found out about Shannon and Kelly and when the going got tough, you buried yourself into work at the office in the Boone serial killer investigation." "Your first ex-wife only had to deal with being second to Shannon."

"They could never let it go when they found out Duck." "Why couldn't they have acted the way that Jenny did when she finally confronted me on not telling her about them." Gibbs barks.

"Because Jenny was your boss at the time and not your lover or wife, a big difference Jethro."

"Jenny was on the rag as Madame Director at the time working on the Frog." Gibbs snarls.

"But she was still in a way bitter about you not telling her about Shannon and Kelly." Ducky gently says to him. "Jethro that hurt, you had to have known that when you came back from Mexico."

"I have regrets about not telling you, Jenny, Tobias, and members of my team over the years about my wife and daughter." "I have none about not telling my wives, specially Diane."

"Jethro, Diane at first had to compete with the love of your life." "You chose to shut yourself off from her and hide down in your basement or-"

"Work long hours at the office." Gibbs answers.

"Where Diane had to now compete with her husband's equal." "You don't know how hard it was on Diane to watch the man that she loved come home late from work every night, only to spend the night down in the basement passed out drunk in the hull of his unfinished boat."

"It got me away from her."

"It kept you out of your bed, because your thoughts were on another woman and it wasn't Shannon."

"Duck I would smell Jenny's perfume in work all day long." "Half the time I wasn't working late hours at the office, I was parked outside of Jenny's house, looking up at her bedroom window." "It took all of my will power not to go inside of her house."

"Because you were her married partner."

"Her unhappily married partner." Gibbs growls in frustration.

"Be honest with me, how long did you think it would take you to get into Jenny's bed after your divorce came through with Diane."

"A month!" Gibbs laughs and shakes his head. "I was so cocky about it."

"You usually are." Ducky laughs.

"Took me three months to get her to submit." "Diane was right, when I have my mind set on seducing a woman in the end I always get what I want." Gibbs smirks.

"First time wasn't what you expected?"

"No we got into an argument." "She was hot, I was horny and sexually frustrated and with areas of Jenny's body being exposed in a 110 degree attic in Marseille wasn't making things easier on me." Gibbs groans.

"Not surprised with your tempers that it went from an argument to sex."

"No Duck, it went from an argument to making love." "The last time I felt like that, is when I made love to Shannon for the last time before I got sent over to Kuwait." Gibbs smiles.

Gibbs' House

1930 Hours

Gibbs dressed in a long sleeved shirt with a gray t-shirt and stone wash jeans, sits at his worktable painting the wings on the model airplanes that he's making for the children at the Children's Hospital, Jenny sitting at the workbench absorbed in one of her books, wearing one of Gibbs blue flannel shirts, a white Capri top underneath, with a pair of navy blue Victoria Secret leggings. Diane begins to descend the length of the stairs and meets Jenny's death glare through the rim of her glasses. "I need to speak with Leroy alone." Diane icily requests her rival.

"Jen, give us a few minutes." Gibbs nods over at his lover.

Jenny slamming her book closed. "And when you are through talking with Leroy I want to speak with you also." Jenny angrily snaps at Diane, before getting up from the stool and making her way up the stairs.

"Your basement looks so empty without your boat on top of the table." Diane frowns and walks over to her ex-husband.

"I'm finished working on her." Gibbs shrugs and grabs a rag from on top of the worktable. "What do you want; your husband is home safely."

"I came down here to get something off of my chest." Diane swallows and looks into the depths of Gibbs' piercing cobalt blue eyes. "Why did you ask me to marry you?"

"I guess at the time I was caught up in the sex." Gibbs laughs.

"But you didn't love me." Diane frowns.

"I didn't want to come home to an empty house Diane." "Our marriage wasn't too bad the first year."

"Then I decided to nose around in your basement when you went away for a few weeks with your team to investigate a case down in Haiti." "You don't know how humiliated I felt when I found the photos of Shannon and Kelly in a box under the stairs and the love letters that Shannon wrote you over the years." Diane says through tears streaming down her face.

"You had no business going through my personal belongings."

"I only went through your things, because I was looking for items to donate to the Salvation Army." Diane snaps…"You tuned me out after that." "It was like I didn't exist in your mind."

"That's because you wouldn't let it go." "You kept going on and on about them and wouldn't stop." Gibbs barks.

"That's because I had the right to know about them." Diane screams…

"Your right you did have the right to know and what if I had told you about them?" Gibbs asks raising an eyebrow over at Diane who averts her gaze away from him. "You wouldn't have married me."

"That's right I wouldn't have." Diane snippily answers. "I do not like a man sharing his heart with another woman."

"You never had my heart."

"That's right I never did." Diane sadly answers. "But you had mine." Diane smiles taking a hold of Gibbs hand. Gibbs feeling something in the palm of his hand pulls his hand back and finds his grandfather's watch. "I decided to bury the hatchet."

"You don't know what this means to me having my grandfather's watch back." Gibbs says in awe.

Diane grabbing a hold of Gibbs' cheek with her left hand. "You're my Shannon." Diane tenderly says to Gibbs and starts off for the stairs, before walking up she turns and looks over at her ex. "By the way Victor and I appreciate the waffle iron." Diane smiles.

"I couldn't think of anything else you could use." Gibbs shrugs and begins to laugh.

"We use it trust me." Diane laughs and starts up for the stairs. She enters the living room and finds Jenny waiting for her on the chair in front of the window. "Leroy and I just had a meeting of the minds Jenny can we call a truce."

"Absolutely not!" Jenny snaps and gets up from the chair. "For the past two days you've insulted me in front of my agents inside of my building."

"Truth hurt!" Diane laughs.

With nobody to hold her back, Jenny walks over to Diane and punches her in the jaw sending Diane on to the floor. "Inside the Navy Yard I am Director Jenny Shepard, the name isn't whore, tramp, or slut." "If I ever hear you refer to me inside of my building by anything other than Director Shepard you will have more than I bruised jaw Diane." Jenny angrily warns her.

Gibbs standing in the basement doorway observing everything. "Damn I forgot about your right hook." Gibbs grimaces and steps over Diane and heads into the kitchen.

Diane slowly gets up from the floor. "I guess I deserved that one Jen." Diane answers and holds her right hand up to her jaw. "There won't be a next time."

"Please!" Jenny sighs and rolls her eyes.

"There won't be a next time." Diane reassures her. "If anything I envy you."

"Envy me?" Jenny asks with surprise.

Diane looks off towards the kitchen as her ex-husband as he washes his hands at the kitchen sink. "You took Leroy's heart to a place that no other woman has since Shannon has." "You got your second chance with him, don't blow it." Diane smiles at her and walks out of the house.

Jenny stands in stunned silence staring at the direction that Diane has walked off. "Don't ask, I've haven't seen Diane this cheerful since our wedding day." Gibbs chuckles from the kitchen sink.

"We're going to have a blizzard." Jenny announces and walks into the kitchen.

Gibbs takes out his grandfather's watch and shows to Jenny. "It will beat the snowfall amount from 1996." Gibbs laughs.

"Is that your grandfathers' watch." Jenny asks, taking the watch from him.

"Yeah, I've gotten my dog tags back from Stephanie and now my grandfather's watch from Diane."

"What did ex-wife number one take from you?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Nothing, she was in a hurry leaving me to take anything important." Gibbs smirks.

"I guess somewhere down the road she'll pop in like the other two and return whatever she took from you." Jenny snickers.

"But the three of them will never have what you took from me." Gibbs smiles.

"What's that?"

"My heart!"

Jenny leans up and passionately kisses Gibbs on the mouth; Gibbs deepens her kiss and backs Jenny up against the new kitchen table. Breathlessly she breaks away from her kiss. "Not on top of the new kitchen table." Jenny protests.

"It will hold up." Gibbs grins.

"I'm not worried about that, it's the show your neighbors will be getting." Jenny chastises him and pushes him away from her.

"I'll go lock the door." Gibbs laughs, shoving Jenny out of the kitchen.

Around midnight, Jenny has her face buried up against her lover's chest, the beat of his heart lulls Jenny to sleep. Gibbs stroking Jenny's waist length hair, smiles down at the peaceful expression on her face. "You took me to a place I never thought was possible after Shannon died and sexually to a place where she couldn't take me." Gibbs whispers into the darkness. With the Sterling case resolved, Gibbs' thoughts turn to the upcoming Christmas and New Year's Holiday. "2011 was a helluva good year for me." Gibbs yawns and closes his eyes.


	72. To Do List

December 21st 2011

Dulles International Airport

1530 Hours

Gibbs and his father walk out of the airport, Jack noting that Gibbs' blue Dodge Charger with federal plates is parked near the curb. "That's cheating son." Jack chuckles.

"Beats walking to the parking lot." Gibbs grunts.

"My future daughter in law at work."

"Dad!" Gibbs groans, carrying his father's luggage over to the back of the trunk.

"I don't know why you're protesting son; you're going to pop the question to her."

"At the right time I will pop the question to her." "We finally smoothed things over from a work related argument."

"Didn't play nice with your boss." Jack smirks at him and walks over to the front passenger side door getting into the car.

"Very funny!" Gibbs grumbles opening the trunk.

"What did you do?"

Gibbs putting his father's luggage in the trunk and then closes the trunk, making sure that it's safe to walk over to the driver's side door, Gibbs walks over and gets inside of the car. "Disobeyed a direct order while she was in Madrid a few weeks ago."

"Why did you do that?"

Gibbs starting up the engine. "I didn't want to be sitting behind her desk doing paperwork." Gibbs growls and pulls away from the curb. "There was a weapon's dealer out in San Diego that Jen was about to have the Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles investigate."

"So instead you went out with your team."

"And the OSP Team, we worked it together, the job got done fast, and I was able to cross the border and spend the night in the house on that property Mike had left me." Gibbs smiles…"Dad it's perfect, I can't wait to get Jenny down there in another week."

"Your retirement place." Jack shrugs.

"For the most part, the summer time we'll stay at Jenny's apartment in Paris, as much as I hate listening to the French language, I love the atmosphere of Paris, food, outdoor marketplaces." "I could spend my days wandering the streets with Jenny."

"City of love." Jack smiles.

"Three months into our Paris Op, I was sure that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Jenny." "We would make love all night long and report to work the next work on a few hours' sleep." "Other than the fifteen years I was with Shannon that was the happiest time of my life."

"I've been to Paris a few times; the one regret is I wanted to take your mother there." Jack frowns.

"I didn't know that." Gibbs says with surprise.

"It was on our to do list that we never got around to." Jack sadly answers. The light changes red and Gibbs stops at the light. "Son whatever you have on your to do list do it, don't have any regrets like I do."

"The only two things on my to do list with Jenny at the moment is, heading down to Baja with her in another week, and proposing to her." "From there there's nothing else for me to do with her, because we've done it all together."

"Other than having grandchildren." Jack frowns.

"At Jenny's age it would be too much of a risk dad and I won't have Jenny risking her life to have my child."

At headquarters, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are finishing up their reports. "That was an easy case to solve." Tony grins.

"Stolen computers from motor pool at Quantico." "Camera's did them in." McGee answers.

"What were they thinking?" Ziva sighs at their stupidity.

"The money they were going to make." "What did you expect from lowly privates?" Tony laughs.

"You're saying the enlisted personnel in the military aren't very bright." McGee asks, baiting to make Tony a fool out of himself.

"Yeah, if they had any brains they would become officers." Tony shrugs.

"Um what was Gibbs' rank in the Marine Corps?" Ziva smirks.

"Gunnery Master Sargent!" Tony answers.

"Isn't a Sargent considered enlisted personnel?" McGee snickers.

"Ok you made me walk into that one Probie, thankfully Gibbs wasn't around to overhear it." Tony chastises McGee.

"Face it Tony even the higher ups are not the brightest light bulbs." McGee grins…Ziva narrows her eyes over at McGee in confusion.

"What he's saying Ziva, is even higher authority figures are not very intelligent." Tony clarifies for her.

"You mean like our visitor up in the Director's Office." Ziva giggles.

Jenny's Office

Jenny and SecNav Jarvis are sitting around the conference table reviewing Jenny's performance from the past few months as Director. "Can't get over arrests you've made in the short two months that you've been Director." Jarvis smiles at her.

"It was easy; my predecessor was interested in making money off of drug and weapon's dealers instead of putting them behind bars where they belong." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"And you stopped a home grown terrorist threat with cooperation with the FBI." Jarvis nods.

"If it wasn't for the two dead Marines that would have been the FBI's Op."

"Homeland Security was appreciative on how quickly Sterling's kidnapping was resolved and that the threat on the President's life was ended."

"I don't think Watkin's would have made it past security, I've been to a number of functions at the White House and security is tight." Jenny answers and gets up from the table.

"Going to Mexico next week?"

"Yes, Jethro wants to spend New Year's weekend in Baja, we're going camping on the beach on Mike Frank's property that he left to Jethro in his will."

"Beats the cold in Washington." Jarvis smiles.

"Hasn't been to cold yet." Jenny answers and walks over to her desk, with Jarvis' back facing her, Jenny text's Cynthia. 'Buzz my intercom and make up an excuse for me to get away from this clown, he's boring me to death.'

"I'm heading to the Bahamas' for the weekend."

"I went there several times with my college sorority sisters, during spring break." Jenny softly answers. Suddenly her intercom buzzes. Jenny leans over her desk and pushes in the button. "Yes Cynthia!"

"You're needed down in the Evidence Room." Cynthia answers.

"I'm in the middle of something with the SecNav." Jenny playfully scolds her assistant.

"Agent Suez, said it was important."

"It's always important when it comes to him." Jenny sighs…"I'll be right down." Jenny answers.

"I have to head back to my office anyway." Jarvis nods over at Jenny and gets up from the table.

"I'll walk you over to the stairs." Jenny smiles at him, grabbing her glasses and portfolio from her desk.

"If I don't speak to you between now and Friday, Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas sir." Jenny cheerfully says to Jarvis, walking him out of her office. "I shouldn't be more than a half hour or so." Jenny nods over at Cynthia on her way out of the office.

Down in the bullpen, Tony finishing up with his reports, pumps his fist up into the air. "I finished before McLoser." Tony grins.

"I got side tracked by Abby." McGee protests.

"Now I can head over to the cyber division and flirt with the new Probie Agent, Lucy Boldin."

Unknown to Tony, his father is leaning on top of the partition behind Tony's desk. "Blonde or brunette?" DiNozzo asks.

"Blonde, with a big set of-" Tony quickly stops as he realizes his father is standing behind him. "Dad!" Tony grimaces and turns and faces his father.

"I haven't seen you in over a year and this is the reaction I get from you." DiNozzo asks his son.

"That's because you didn't tell me you were coming to Washington." Tony says with surprise and gets up from his chair and approaches his father.

"McGee, Ziva!" DiNozzo winks over at Ziva.

"Hi Mr. DiNozzo." McGee smiles at him.

"You can call me Tony SR. if you would like."

"To confusing!" McGee laughs; I'll stick with DiNozzo SR. for the time being and call Tony, Tony."

"I'll call you Senior to keep me from getting confused." Ziva giggles.

DiNozzo SR.'s attention is quickly focused on Jenny's chest up on the balcony as she walks over to the elevator. "Speaking of big bazooka's son." DiNozzo drools.

"Dad I wouldn't do that if I were you." Tony groans.

"Why not?" "I don't see a wedding ring on her finger."

"Because she's the Agency Director and off the job she's living with my boss and Gibbs is the over protective jealous type." Tony warns him.

"I still can look." DiNozzo drools.

"Your death wish dad." Tony laughs…"I'm heading for the men's room." Tony nods over at him and walks away.

"Gibbs wouldn't do anything violent towards me?" DiNozzo curiously asks.

"I would be more worried about our Director castrating you for looking at her inappropriately." Ziva snickers.

"I left a folder down at Abby's." McGee grumbles and gets up from his desk.

SecNav Jarvis walks past Gibbs' section. "Agent David!"

"SecNav Jarvis!" Ziva smiles at him as he walks off for the elevator.

Over at the elevator, the doors open and Jenny steps out. "Director Shepard!" McGee smiles at her.

"Tim!"

"Why didn't you walk down the stairs with the SecNav?" McGee curiously asks.

"I wasn't in the mood." Jenny shrugs and walks off down the hallway.

Over at the bullpen, DiNozzo SR.'s full attention is on Jenny as she walks down the hallway heading for the lounge. "You want a soda?" DiNozzo offers.

"No, I still have my bottle of water from lunch time." Ziva softly answers.

"I'm heading for the lounge." DiNozzo nods and walks away.

In the lounge, Jenny is buying a bag of pretzels; she has her Blackberry attached to her ear. "I owe you."

DiNozzo SR. walks in, slowly he makes his way over to Jenny; his eyes are focused on how Jenny's argyle sweater carves around her waist. "Where were you a year ago when I worked that op with NCIS?" DiNozzo inwardly pants.

Out in the bullpen, Tony returns from the men's room. "Where's dad?"

"Lounge!"

Gibbs walks in with Jack. "We're heading up to Jenny's Office?"

"The Director went downstairs, where I do not know?" Ziva answers.

"More than likely she went down to Abby's." "Come on!" Gibbs nods over at his father.

"Tony, Ziva!" Jack smiles at them.

"Jack!" They smile back at him.

Back in the lounge, Jenny continues her phone call with Cynthia. "I'll be back up in my office in a minute or so, make sure there's a fresh pot of coffee on for Gibbs and Jack." Jenny softly says to her and hangs up.

"To bad I was about to buy you a cup of coffee from the machine, my Scarlett beauty." DiNozzo grins.

Jenny turns and glares over at Tony's father. "Excuse me!" She hisses at him.

"Scarlett hair and emerald eyes." "And you're prettier when you're angry." DiNozzo smirks.

"Do you know who I am?" Jenny angrily asks him.

"Agency Director!"

"I could have security throw you out for harassing me."

"I'm not harassing you, I'm just telling you how beautiful you are and I would like to get to know you a little better is all." DiNozzo innocently shrugs.

"First of all I'm seeing someone; second of all, I wouldn't go out with you on a date." Jenny says to him in disgust.

"Why not?"

"Because they entire time you've been talking to me your eyes have been focused on my chest and not on my face."

"What's a guy to do?" DiNozzo grins.

Down in Abby's Lab, Gibbs and Jack walk in. "Jack!" Abby squeals and runs over to him, hugging her dysfunctional grandfather.

"Jenny isn't with you." Gibbs asks.

"She got out of the elevator, when I was heading downstairs; it seemed to me she was trying to avoid SecNav Jarvis." McGee laughs.

"The guy is a moron." Gibbs growls and then glances over at Abby. "Ten minutes send dad up to Jenny's Office."

"Boss, she may not be in her office." McGee calls out to him as Gibbs walks off for the elevator.

Back in the lounge, Jenny has enough of DiNozzo SR's. flirting. "Try my face."

"I only have one set of eyes."

"And luckily for me, I have two knees." Jenny smirks, raising her knee into DiNozzo SR.'s balls, sending him to the floor gasping for air. "First and only warning sir, I also carrying a knife with me at all times and I'm a firm believer in castration." Jenny wickedly answers and walks out of the room.

Two minutes later, Gibbs walks into his section looking for Jenny. "Where's your father?"

"Abby's catching up." "Did Jenny go through here by any chance; McGee said she stepped out of the elevator, before he went downstairs."

Ziva suddenly remembering that Tony's father had mysteriously offered to buy her a soda down in the lounge. "Tony you better head over to the lounge and make sure that your father's lower anatomy is intact." "I have a sneaky suspicion that was the reason why he wanted to go over to the lounge."

Tony buries his face into his desk. "I thought he was warned that the Director believes in castration?"

"Yes he was!" Ziva snickers.

"Damn it!" Gibbs snarls and rushes off for the lounge.

"This I got to see." Ziva giggles and gets up from her desk.

Tony slowly gets up from his desk. "I wonder if Ducky has an icepack on standby." Tony groans.

Inside the lounge, DiNozzo SR. is lying on the floor in a fetal position. Gibbs walks in and smirks down at him. "She did that to me in London once." Gibbs laughs.

"I can't get up." DiNozzo whines.

Tony and Ziva run into the room. "Right or left knee." Ziva laughs.

"Right!" DiNozzo chokes.

"She got me with the right one." Gibbs chuckles….Security rushes into the room. "I'll handle this." Gibbs instructs them.

"The Director ordered that we have him removed from the building." The guard says to Gibbs.

"The Director doesn't know that this is Agent DiNozzo's father." Gibbs answers and pulls Tony's dad up on to his feet. "Ziva get an icepack from Ducky."

"On it!" Ziva laughs and walks out of the room.

Gibbs helps DiNozzo SR. over to a chair. "I'll say this to you one time; keep your eyes off of my woman." Gibbs barks at him.

"I think you won't have that problem again boss." Tony laughs.

Five minutes later up in Jenny's Office. "Tony's father!" Jenny says with surprise.

"Tony and Ziva warned him." Gibbs laughs.

"At least he knows to quit while he's ahead." Jenny sighs and gets up from her desk.

"That's because Tony is still young enough to get women, eventually when Tony gets to be his father's age the one liner's won't work." Gibbs chuckles.

Abby walks in with Jack. "We heard what you did to Tony's father." Abby giggles.

"I didn't know it was Tony's father when I made him a soprano." Jenny smirks and then glances over at her lover. "Did you get a flashback from London?" Jenny sensuously asks.

"Yeah!" Gibbs grumbles.

"What did you do to her?" Abby mischievously asks.

"He was being his usual chauvinist self and my knee put him in his place." Jenny snickers; she walks over to Jack and affectionately hugs him. "How was the flight over?"

"Fine, but I don't understand why I had to fly over, I could have driven." Jack grunts.

"A whole days driving when it takes an hour to fly out from Harrisburg." "It saved time dad." "Traffic is horrible going through Bloomsburg anyway." Gibbs smoothly answers. "I couldn't get over how everything has been built up in that area over the past thirty-five years."

"City folks that want to get their families out of the city." Jack shrugs.

"School districts are better." Jenny answers and walks Jack over to the couch. "I'm afraid I won't be able to join you for dinner tonight, I have a late op to run in MTAC tonight."

"Leroy tells me he hired your house keeper and that's she's an excellent cook." Jack smiles.

"Beats Jenny burning down my kitchen." Gibbs smirks.

"Really Jethro!" Jenny sighs and sits down on the couch with Jack.

"How can anybody no be able to cook?" Abby openly mocks her dysfunctional work mom.

"Easy, mommy had nannies and house keepers and didn't learn." Gibbs growls.

"Why should I when I had somebody to do it for me." Jenny sighs in annoyance and then glances over at Abby. "Shouldn't you be prepping for court tomorrow?"

"Rats!" Abby protests and slowly drags her feet off towards the door. "I hate court."

"Your protest was noted, now get downstairs, before I tell your father not to buy you any Caff-Pow's for an entire month."

"Ok, ok!" Abby answers walking out of the office.

Jenny pouring Jack a cup of coffee. "Works every time." Jenny laughs.

"So you are working on a secret mission." Jack curiously asks.

"Classified!" Jenny winks at him.

"Dad a lot of what Jenny and I do is need to know."

"I keep forgetting that besides crime scene investigation, you're in the spy racket as well."

"Most of the classified missions are overseas." "Unless it's a terrorist threat with in the United States, is when I'll send my agents undercover." Jenny answers.

Downstairs in the bullpen, Tony and Ziva have managed to walk DiNozzo SR. over to Tony's desk. "Never mess with a redhead with a temper." Tony laughs.

"I'll keep that in mind." DiNozzo winces.

Half an hour later, Jenny is walking Gibbs and Jack over to the elevator. "I'll should be home by midnight." Jenny softly says to Gibbs and leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth.

"I may be in bed by then."

"I'll be up." Jack chuckles and steps into the elevator with Gibbs following him from behind. "No stamina son."

"I didn't get in until after midnight last night." Gibbs protests.

"And you woke me up for-" Jenny stops herself remembering that Tony is standing near his desk and maybe eavesdropping on their conversation. "I'll see you when I get home."

The door closes. "At least you had stamina for late night sex." Jack laughs.

"Not tonight!"

Over at the bullpen, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are talking with DiNozzo SR. about his unexpected visit to NCIS Headquarters. "So how long are you staying in DC?" Tony curiously asks.

"Until New Years, I wanted to spend the holidays with my son." DiNozzo smiles.

Jenny approaches the partition and playfully glares down at Tony's father. "Were you able to walk it off?" Jenny sweetly asks him.

"No we had to help him." Tony laughs.

"It served you right, you knew damn well who I was and I believe Tony must have told you I was seeing Gibbs out of work." "You're lucky that you were able to get off the floor I've done much worse."

"Worse!" DiNozzo gulps.

"I've seen her in action." Ziva winks over at Jenny.

"Warsaw, 2002!" Jenny laughs and walks off for the stairs.

"Worse than my father." Tony grimaces.

"Her victim got kicked with medal spiked tipped stiletto heel." Ziva smirks.

Up on the catwalk. "Tony make sure your father applies more ice on his sensitive area when you take him home tonight." Jenny snickers as she makes her way over to the stairs.

"I forgot to mention Junior; I have to crash at your place during the holidays, if you don't mind."

Tony remembering that he has a hot date with Daphne tonight. "Of course I don't mind." Tony lies…"I'll be back I need to get some staples from the supply room." Tony mumbles walking away. Ziva knowing that her partner has a date, discretely walks off for the supply room, she walks in unobserved and listens in on Tony's phone conversation. "What am I suppose to do, he showed up unannounced." Tony protests…."Fine be that way, I'll have another babe lined up to take your place by tomorrow." Tony smirks at her and hangs up.

"You got dumped by Daphne." Ziva laughs teasing her partner.

Tony turns and glares over at Ziva. "I don't listen into your private phone calls." Tony snaps.

"Yes you do, you eavesdropped on my phone conversation with Derek last week."

"You were breaking up." Tony shrugs.

"So it wasn't your business." "It seems to me that you can dish out but can't take the heat when somebody does the same thing to you." Ziva hisses and storms out of the room.

"Mental note, get even with Barbie when I'm team leader next week." Tony mischievously grins.

Around eleven-thirty, Jenny walks through the front door of Gibbs' house locking the door behind her, finding Jack on the chair reading the paper. "You're still up?" Jenny says with surprise, dropping her pocketbook and briefcase on the living room couch.

"Unlike my son, I have stamina." Jack smirks.

"Don't worry I'll have him up shortly, I have to pay back the favor for waking me up last night." Jenny wickedly answers and walks off for the kitchen. A minute later she returns with a bowl of ice cubes.

"What's the ice cubes for?" Jack sheepishly asks.

"Giving your son a flashback from the past." Jenny snickers and walks up the stairs.

In the bedroom five minutes later, Gibbs awakens at the feel of an ice cube running under the sack of his balls. "Damn it that's cold." He growls

Jenny running the ice cube up the length of his swollen shaft. "It helped you recover in London thirteen years ago." Jenny purrs.

"That's because I didn't have any feeling down there after you kneed me in the balls." Gibbs snarls.

Jenny running the ice cube up the tip of his length. "Quit whining in another minute I'll be warming it up."

Downstairs, Jack is raiding the refrigerator when he hears his son's howls of pleasure. "She got him up alright." Jack laughs, taking some cheese and salami from inside of the refrigerator.


	73. Living For The Moment

December 23rd 2011

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

1900 Hours

Tony turns off his computer. "Three day weekend here I come." Tony shouts out.

"With your father." Ziva giggles.

Tony makes a face over at Ziva. "You had to remind me." Tony grumbles.

"Sarah and I are having dinner at my grandmothers." McGee smiles.

"Abby and I are heading to Ducky's on Christmas Day." Ziva softly answers.

"Gibbs and Jenny?"

"Leyla's for Christmas Dinner and Jack is joining them." Ziva smiles.

"Gibbs and Jenny got an unexpected Christmas gift this year." Tony smiles.

"The best is yet to come in 2012." Ziva winks.

"Think the boss man is going to propose to her in Baja." Tony grins.

"We shall see." Ziva answers with a hopeful smile on her face.

Up on the balcony, Gibbs and Jenny step out of Jenny's Office with their coats on. "Another week and we'll be on the beach in Baja." Gibbs smiles.

"I'm going to work on my tan while I'm down there."

"We're going to work on being alone with no interruptions; I want you all to myself." Gibbs smirks.

"Should be interesting since the only modern piece of equipment that we'll both be carrying with us is our cell phones."

"If it were up to me I would leave them at home." Gibbs growls as he walks Jenny over to the top of the stairs.

"SecNav wouldn't appreciate it."

"Like I really care." Gibbs snorts.

Jenny noting that Gibbs' team is getting ready to head out for a long three day weekend. "Tony looks thrilled." Jenny laughs.

"Wasn't expecting his father for the holidays."

"His father is the only blood family that he has left; Tony should be more receptive towards him and let bygones be bygones." Jenny softly answers and starts her way down the stairs with Gibbs following her from behind.

Back over at Gibbs' section, Tony, Ziva, and McGee notice Gibbs and Jenny on the catwalk. "Heading out for dinner?" Tony calls out to them.

"No picking up Chinese take-out, need to finish a few touches on the toy airplanes that we're building for the Children's Hospital Christmas party."

"You and your dad have been doing that for the past two years." McGee smiles.

"I went with them last year; the children enjoy the toys that Gibbs makes for them." Ziva softly answers.

Gibbs and Jenny walk down the stairs and approach the entranceway of his section. "If I don't see or hear from you until Tuesday morning, Merry Christmas." Gibbs smiles at his team.

"Merry Christmas!" His team cheerfully address' him back. "Merry Christmas Director."

"Merry Christmas!" Jenny smiles at them.

"I order just about everything on the menu." Gibbs laughs.

"Just want I need more calories." Jenny groans.

Gibbs with his hand on the small of Jenny's back escorts his lover over to the elevator. "I'll just work it off on you later on." He whispers against her ear.

"With me on top as usual." Jenny mutters.

Tony standing at the entranceway notes Jenny's facial expression. "He said something to get her flushed on the way into the elevator." Tony laughs.

"And I'm sure it wasn't meant for our ears." Ziva snickers.

"It usually isn't." Tony grins.

Abby approaches and over hears Tony. "What isn't?"

"Gibbs whispered something kinky in Jenny's ear and had her flushed."

"Well I guess if Gibbs comes to work on Tuesday morning with a hickey on his neck, we'll know that mommy had gotten even with him." Abby giggles.

"I better get home and see where dad wants to go for dinner." Tony grumbles.

"Most likely a five star restaurant." McGee laughs.

"I can never go cheap with my dad that's for sure." Tony answers.

Giovanni's Trattu

2030 Hours

Tony and his father are having dinner at a four star Italian Restaurant. "Best I can do on short notice." Tony answers between bites of his filet mignon.

"Either way I'm treating." DiNozzo smiles at his son.

Tony noting that his father is eating Shrimp Parmesan. "You're eating mom's favorite." Tony fondly says to his father.

"Every time we went to an Italian Restaurant, you mother would order her usual Shrimp Parmigiana." DiNozzo laughs.

"You would constantly tease her, can't you order anything else." Tony laughs.

"And now whenever I order out at a four or five star Italian Restaurant, I always order Shrimp Parmigiana." DiNozzo says in awe.

Tony taken back that his father would do something in his mother's memory. "I never knew you did something in mom's memory."

"Son I might have become a womanizer after your mother's death, but there was a time that I did care about somebody other than myself." DiNozzo sadly says to his son.

"I never said you did." Tony frowns.

"I guess I became a womanizer after your mother's death so I wouldn't have a broken heart again." "I lived my life by the moment."

"Which I took up once I lost my virginity when I was fifteen." Tony interrupts.

"That is my one regret." DiNozzo sighs… "If I could have been a better father and raised you right, you would not have turned into a younger version of me."

"Dad how I turned out isn't your entire fault." "I had my chance at love a few years ago."

"What happened?"

"I worked an undercover op for Director Shepard; I was suppose to get close to the daughter of an arms dealer that we were investigating."

"You got more than close." DiNozzo nods.

"I fell in love with her." Tony swallows hard. "By day I was Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, by night I was Professor Anthony DiNardo swooping Doctor Jeanne Benoit off of her feet." "Along the way I got swept away." Tony smiles and flashes back to the night he made love to Jeanne for the first time.

"I gather she found out about your true identity?" DiNozzo sheepishly asks.

"Yes and it did not go over very well." "Jeanne left town without saying goodbye to me, I found a note in her apartment." "Few months later Jeanne was called into questioning at NCIS Headquarters into the death of her father, she tried to pin her father's murder on me, I took offense by it." "Afterwards I walked Jeanne over to the elevator and she had asked me if anything that happened between us was real."

DiNozzo noting his son's facial expression. "And you lied to her."

"She deserved better than me dad." Tony frowns… "After what I put her through."

"Son you don't get a second chance at love." "I should know."

"Yes you do dad, Gibbs found love a second time around after the death of his first wife." Tony answers with a smile on his face.

Gibbs' Basement

Gibbs and Jack are finishing up with the toy airplanes. "Monday night Jenny and I are going to have a poker game rematch."

"Jack you'll never beat her so quit while you're ahead." Gibbs laughs.

"Never!" Jack answers and takes a swig from his mason jar, then refills it with bourbon.

"Easy that's your third glass." Gibbs grunts.

"Surprised you haven't started on your second yet." Jack snorts.

"I have plans with my other half once I finish with this."

"So I noticed by your body language during dinner."

"We're that obvious." Gibbs chuckles.

"Yes, you couldn't take your eyes off of that little lady while she was putting the left overs away in the refrigerator."

"It's been four months and I can't believe that I have Jenny back in my life again." "I wake up some mornings before the alarm goes off and I have to pinch myself to make sure that I'm not dreaming."

"You got your second chance take what comes of it."

"Every day since I found out that Jenny was alive I live by the moment, and since we've become lovers again, I cherish every second I'm with her."

"Then why are you down here in this cold damp basement with me when you could be up in bed with her." Jack playfully chastises him.

"She's up in the tub."

"So?"

"You got a point." Gibbs smiles and shakes his head. Getting up from the table…"We'll be heading out around ten tomorrow morning to pick out the Christmas tree."

"All of your mom's bubble lights are working, I checked this morning."

"I can't wait to show Jenny tomorrow afternoon." Gibbs answers and starts off for the stairs. "Good night dad."

"Night Leroy!" Jack calls out to him.

Up in the bathroom, candles burn everywhere, Jenny with her eyes closed has her head reclined back against the tub, Gibbs enters the tub, startling her. "Jethro!" She hisses and splashes the water against him.

Gibbs grabbing the sponge from bathtub caddy begins to lather Jenny's chest up. "Need any help?" Gibbs grins.

Jenny aroused at the feel of the sponge lathering up her chest. "I already cleaned up my chest." Jenny quivers.

Gibbs moving his hands in between his lover's legs. "How about down there?" Gibbs mischievously asks.

Jenny moaning out with pleasure as his fingers stroke on her centre. "Quit teasing me."

"Took me less than a minute to have you come undone." Gibbs laughs.

"Shut up and make love to me." Jenny purrs to him and captures his mouth.

Downstairs, Jack is heating up some left over Chinese take-out, the sound and fury of Gibbs and Jenny can be heard. "Chip off the old block." Jack chuckles with pride.

Back up in the bathroom, Jenny lost in her orgasm has her feet pressed up against the top of the bathtub. "Don't stop!" She screams out, digging her nails into the back of his shoulder. Gibbs, reaches for the switch for the drain, with the water draining out of the bathtub, he goes down on to his back thrusting his hips up harder and faster against her. "Yes!" She screams out in ecstasy over and over again.

"You just burned off about a hundred calories here." Gibbs smirks up at her as Jenny loses herself in his body.

"Come on you son of a bitch." She moans out as her body muscles convulse around his shaft.

With a final thrust, Gibbs thrusts up against her, Jenny falls down on top of his chest panting. "We seem to always have our best sex in cramped areas." Gibbs says between breaths.

"Your boat was our hottest encounter so far."

"Our first mile high club encounter was pretty hot." Gibbs grins.

Jenny shivering in Gibbs' arms. "Can we move this cuddling session over to the bedroom?"

"It should take you about a half an hour to recover from this anyway." Gibbs laughs.

"I'm going to bed once my head hits the pillow; you wore me the hell out." Jenny mutters and gets up from the bathtub, grabbing a towel.

"Old lady!" Gibbs teases her.

"Who passed out after I gave you-"

"I was tired from work." Gibbs growls and gets up from the bathtub.

"So I'm not allowed to be tired." Jenny sighs as she dries herself off.

"No because your twelve years younger than me."

Jenny tossing Gibbs her towel. "Keep in mind, you didn't have much stamina when you were in your mid-forties Leroy." Jenny baits him.

"The only time I didn't have much stamina was Positano and I was recovering from a bullet, need I remind you."

"So you say." Jenny sweetly answers; she puts on her robe and walks off for the bedroom.

Gibbs wrapping his towel around his waist. "But when I recovered my stamina; you keep forgetting I had you howling your brains out." Gibbs laughs.

Around midnight, Jack opens the door to Gibbs' bedroom and peeks inside, he finds his son with his face pressed up against the back of Jenny's right shoulder, noting the peaceful expression on his son's face. "I'm glad Leroy got a second chance to find happiness." "Jenny you are a unique woman, unknown to Leroy I sat with Mike Franks down in Leroy's basement and we had a conversation about you, he told me about your spunk and how you swept Leroy off of his feet while he was training you as a Probationary Status Agent." "Mike had said that guys like him and Probie aren't suppose to fall in love with a woman like Jenny Shepard." "I think Mike would be tickled that the two of you got back together and hopefully when Leroy gets the nerve, he'll propose to you." "I will be proud and honored to call you Mrs. Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Jack whispers…Quietly he backs out of the doorway and closes the door behind him. "Just don't take too long to answer him when he proposes." Jack winks.


	74. Gift Of Love

December 24th 2011

1200 Hours

Gibbs and Jack are struggling to bring in the large Douglas Fir tree through the front door. "Why did you have to pick out such a big tree?" Gibbs grunts.

Jenny hearing the commotion from upstairs walks down the stairs. "Need any help?" She snickers.

"Yeah, you could push the couch out of the way." Gibbs growls.

"And break a nail; I just had my nails manicured." Jenny sweetly answers.

"Jen!" Gibbs snarls.

"Alright, you don't have to be such a grouch about it." Jenny sighs and walks over to the living room; she pushes the couch over towards the fireplace.

Gibbs and his father drag the tree over towards the tree stand that Gibbs had positioned on the floor before they had left the house. "For being a smart ass, you can get down on your hands and knees and tighten the screws around the bottom of the tree."

"You just want to see me on my hands and knees." Jenny hisses and gets down on the floor.

Gibbs smirking down at Jenny's butt. "You're wearing tight jeans Jen, what else am I suppose to look at?"

"Leroy!" Jack laughs.

Jenny tightening the screws to the tree trunk. "You can fill it up with water; I'm not getting back down here." Jenny angrily protests.

"We'll do that after we position the tree against the wall near the fireplace." Gibbs smoothly answers and helps Jenny up on to her feet. "Can you pour us some coffee?"

"You're pushing it."

"I'll make it up to you later on."

"Yeah right!" Jenny laughs and walks off towards the kitchen.

"You got your hands full with that one." Jack snorts.

"I know and I wouldn't have it any other way." Gibbs laughs.

An hour later, after returning from the deli, Jenny walks through the front door and finds the Christmas tree completely decorated. "Oh my god I haven't seen bubble lights like that since I was a kid." Jenny says with childlike wonder.

"They were my mom's bubble lights." "Dad brought them up two years ago along with her Christmas tree decorations, some I made as a kid." Gibbs smiles.

"After lunch I'll start putting the presents under the tree." Jenny softly answers and walks into the kitchen.

Gibbs and Jack follow her from behind. "Did you get dad his pastrami and corn beef sandwich?" Gibbs asks as he approaches the table.

"Yes Leroy and a container of cole slaw as you requested." Jenny mutters.

"You don't have to get sarcastic with me." Gibbs snaps and retrieves his meatloaf sandwich from the bag.

Jenny taking the bag from the table. "If you will excuse me, I'll will eat my lunch up in my study."

Jack watches as Jenny walks out of the room, making sure that he hears her footsteps going up the stairs. "You two fighting?"

"Our communication was off last night, I thought that we were going to be intimate for most of the night." "She opted to go to sleep after we made love in the bathtub."

"Leroy, part of a good relationship is give and take." "How many nights did you want to go to sleep after you were intimate with Jenny?"

"That's different-"

Jack quickly interrupts his son. "It's not different."

"Maybe because I want to make up for the lost time over the years." Gibbs sighs and walks over to the refrigerator and grabs two bottles of beer.

"You can never make them up."

"I'll make them up over the course of the next few months, first in Mexico, then in Paris in February, we're spending Valentines week at Jenny's apartment."

"I want a post card from Paris."

"You'll get one." Gibbs smiles and approaches the table and sits down.

"So what did you order?"

Gibbs handing his father his bottle of beer. "I love Kim's meatloaf sandwiches; I haven't had one in a while."

"Are they as good as your mom's?"

"Nobody's meatloaf sandwiches compares to moms."

Up in the study, Jenny is removing from a lingerie box the red satin green laced chemise that she bought at a lingerie store a few weeks back. "It won't be on my body for very long tomorrow night." Jenny mischievously answers. Her cell phone begins to ring. "Shepard!" She answers.

Ziva's Apartment

"There's a surprise you answered it on the first ring." Ziva says with surprise.

"That's because I'm up in my study eating lunch."

"Alone?"

"Gibbs keeps showing me up in front of his father and it's pissing me off."

"Ah so that's where Tony learned it from?"

"I believe it's the other way around, Gibbs learned it from Tony."

"What time are you headed for the Children's Hospital?"

"Around five-thirty, Jack has been looking forward to this for days."

"I went last year and Jack had a good time with the children."

"Jethro never gave him anymore grandkids after Kelly died, so I guess the kids at the Children's Hospital make up for it."

"Jenny since you and Gibbs are back together, are you thinking about having children with him?" Ziva curiously asks her.

"If I were five years younger I might have jumped at the chance of having a child with Jethro." "Besides having children is out of the question I had my tubes tied a few years ago."

"So kids are out?"

"Unfortunately yes, it's one of the things that I will always kick myself for." Jenny frowns.

"You could adopt?"

"With our jobs, we're never home." Jenny sighs in exasperation.

"Right, I forgot about that."

Ziva glancing down at her watch. "I promised Tony and his father that I would go Christmas shopping with them in another hour."

"Have fun!" Jenny laughs.

"Some fun, I'll have Tony Senior's eyes on my ass." Ziva groans sucking in her teeth.

"Better you than me."

"I'm surprised that Senior was able to get up from the floor after you kneed him in a sensitive area." Ziva giggles.

"If I would have kicked him there, Tony and McGee would have had to carry him out of the room."

"I take it that Gibbs had a flashback from the past, judging by his body language in the Squad Room."

"Don't worry, I made his boo boo feel much better later on in the bedroom." Jenny sensuously answers.

"Jenny you're horrible." Ziva snickers…Suddenly her cell phone beeps for another phone call. "I have another call coming in."

"Since its probably Tony I'll let you go." "Happy Hanukkah!"

"Merry Christmas Jenny." Ziva softly answers and hangs up.

Jenny hanging her phone up. "It's more me kicking myself for choosing to go after La Grenouille over having a life with Jethro and having his children." "It will be my biggest regret of my life that I can never take back." Jenny frowns.

Children's Hospital

1800 Hours

Jack and Gibbs are handing out the model airplanes to the children. "We have to do something different next year." Jack muses.

"Like what?" Gibbs shrugs handing out an airplane.

"Trains?"

"That's a good idea." Gibbs smiles…"We'll build the trains and the tracks to go with them."

"I'll see if I can get an old 'Bloomsburg & Sullivan Railroad' logo from the internet and paint them on the sides of the trains, since that was the official railroad that went through Stillwater."

"I know somebody is living at the old train station, but I need a photo of it prior to the World War II." Gibbs asks.

"I have some old photos around the store that I can make copies of." Jack smoothly answers.

"Good, now that I have a project to look forward to now since I'm done building Jenny's new kitchen table."

"I could not get over the work that you put into that son."

"Jenny was right; I needed to modernize my kitchen." Gibbs laughs.

After handing out the airplanes, Gibbs and Jack are raiding the cookie tray; Jack glances over at Jenny, who's sitting at the table playing Candy Land with several of the children. "Did Kelly every play Candy Land?"

"Boy did she ever, drove Shannon nuts with it." Gibbs laughs.

"Didn't get you with it?"

"No, I was more of a Chutes N Ladders, Monopoly, The Game of Life, and Parcheesi kind of guy." Gibbs chuckles…"And I made sure that Kelly won all the time."

"Your mom use to do the same thing with you also."

"You didn't?" Gibbs answers and narrows his eyes at his dad.

"I didn't want you to go through life thinking that you would win all the time."

"Dad, trust me, Kelly would look at you with those blue eyes of hers and trust me you would let her win."

"Probably right!"

Over at the table the game is finishing up. "Another game!" Melody squeals at Jenny.

"I'm afraid not, Santa Claus is about to come into the room soon." Jenny answers in a pouty voice.

"Maybe afterwards!"

"We'll see, can't make any promises." Jenny smiles and puts the little girl on her lap.

Gibbs and Jack continue to watch her. "Leroy she's a natural."

"Dad, quit beating a dead horse, we can't have any kids and that's final, end of discussion."

"Son, I can comment on the truth can't I." Jack frowns.

"Yes you can, but dad every time you bring up children between Jenny and I, it's an open wound that will never heel on me."

"Sorry I won't bring it up again." Jack apologizes.

"You can bring it up when the timings right and around the holidays is not a good time with me." Gibbs sadly answers.

Santa Claus walks into the room carrying a bag full of toys, Jenny holding Melody on her lap. "You better head on up and get in line." Jenny whispers in her ear.

"I better get that Barbie doll that I wrote to him." Melody says with determination in her voice and gets up from Jenny's lap.

Gibbs and Jack sit down beside her. "You going to sit on Santa's lap." Jack smirks at her.

Jenny leans up and tenderly kisses Jack on the cheek. "I already got what I wanted for Christmas." Jenny smiles.

"What's that?"

"Your son." Jenny softly answers and leans up and affectionately kisses her lover on the mouth.

Christmas Morning

Gibbs, Jenny, and Jack are exchanging gifts out in the living room. "I bought this one for you two months ago." Jack smiles handing Leroy his Christmas present.

Gibbs taking in the long narrow shaped box. "I bet it's a fishing rod." Gibbs smiles and unwraps his gift. "Penn 320GT2/Ugly Stik Bigwater Combo rod and reel." Gibbs says in awe.

"I bought that at Cabela's." "I have to take you there the next time you visit Stillwater." "You should see the large aquariums with hundreds of trout, catfish, Northern Pike's, Striped Bass, White Perch; I could go on with the fish that's inside of those aquariums."

"Put that on our to do list the next time I head up north." Gibbs answers and hands his father his present.

Jack opens up his gift and is floored to find a handcrafted wooden Bourbon Decanter, inside is a bottle of Jack Daniels with two crystal mason jars. "Son I'm speechless."

"I built that after Mike died, it kept my mind busy."

"I bought this for you, on a layover in London, when I flew out to Greece a few months ago." Jenny smiles and hands Jack his gift.

"Jenny you shouldn't have." Jack scolds her.

"It's something you need so open your gift and quit arguing with me." Jenny sighs.

Jack opens up his gift and finds a gray wool cardigan sweater. "The English make the best sweaters." Jack smiles.

"My dad use to wear one while he would work in his study." Jenny softly answers.

"It's going to come in handy that's for sure, the store gets chilly at times." Jack smoothly answers and hands Jenny her present.

"Jack you shouldn't have." Jenny playfully chastises him and opens up her present. Inside the box Jenny finds an antique jewelry box. "Jack!" Jenny says above a whisper, over whelmed with his gift.

"That was my mother's; I found it up in the attic a few months ago." "I cleaned it up and made it look brand new."

"I lost my jewelry box when your son burned down my house; it was an antique from my grandmother." Jenny says through tears streaming down her cheeks, she leans over and tenderly kisses Jack on the cheek. "Thank you!"

"Here's my present." Gibbs smiles and hands Jenny a small box.

"Jewelry!" Jenny smiles and opens up her gift, inside the black velvet box is a heart shaped, turquoise blue opal pendant, the trim of the heart is set in 18 carat yellow gold, with a matching 18 carat gold chain to compliment the pendant.

"Opal is your birthstone." Gibbs smiles and takes the pendant from the box and puts it around Jenny's neck.

"Jethro I don't know what to say." Jenny says with her voice trembling.

"Your facial expression says it all."

Jenny leans up and passionately kisses him on the mouth. "You got a better kiss than me." Jack teases.

Jenny breathlessly pulls away. "You would need O2 old man." Jenny teases him back. Looking up into the depths of her lovers blue eyes. "I love you."

"Now that says it all for me." Gibbs smiles and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Jenny hands Gibbs his gift. "Your turn!"

"I'll get mine later on tonight." Gibbs smirks.

"You mean we'll both be getting ours later on tonight." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs opens up his present and is thunderstruck at the gift in front of him. "Where did you find this?" Gibbs says in awe and pulls out a leather varsity letter man's jacket with Gibbs' alma mater, 'Stillwater' on the back of the jacket.

"Went on line and ordered it." Jenny smiles, squeezing his hand as he looks over the jacket. "You have enough toys downstairs, so I decided to get you something different."

"This is different." Gibbs smiles and leans over and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Jack deciding to give the two love birds some privacy. "I'm making breakfast." Jack announces and gets up from the couch.

Gibbs breaks away from his kiss and pulls Jenny up against his chest. "The best gift we both received so far this Christmas is the two of us finding our way back together." Gibbs chokes up.

"And whatever gifts we exchange to one another today, nothing will top that out." Jenny says above a whisper.

1800 Hours

Tony and his dad have stopped by so that Tony can drop off his Christmas gifts to Gibbs and Jenny. "Fifty dollar Starbucks gift card." Tony smiles and hands Gibbs his gift card.

"It will be spent a week after I get back from Mexico." Gibbs laughs and hands Tony his present.

Tony unwraps it and finds a martini glass. "A martini glass." Tony asks and narrows his eyes over at Gibbs.

"Not just any martini glass." "Sean Connery had drank out of it in 'Thunderball'; Jenny had pointed it out to me when she was on eBay a month ago."

"I'm not drinking out of this; I'm going to put it with my movie collectibles at home." Tony beams and affectionately hugs his dysfunctional work father.

"Wouldn't expect you to." Gibbs smiles.

Tony pulling away from Gibbs hands Jenny her Christmas present. "I bought you a fifty dollar gift card for Victoria Secrets, Ziva told me you shop in there all the time."

"Yes I do." Jenny smiles.

"Going to purchase anything to tease Gibbs." DiNozzo smirks over at her.

"It would be a waste of money Senior." Gibbs smirks.

"Why's that?" DiNozzo answers.

"Because it would be a waste of money, I would have it off of her in two minutes." Gibbs grins.

"Really Jethro!" Jenny chastises him and hands Tony his gift.

Tony unwraps it and smiles at the Jerry Lewis movie DVD collection. "You once said in the Squad Room, you are Jerry Lewis and Sean Connery rolled into one." Jenny affectionately teases him.

"Why?" DiNozzo curiously asks.

"Because your son is part clown and is part Lothario." Gibbs snickers.

"Boss quit stealing one of Diane's pet names for me." Tony protests.

"Well its true son, you have an eye for the ladies don't be a shame of it." DiNozzo smiles at him.

"If you excuse me I have something to finish up down in the basement." Gibbs nods and walks off for the basement.

Jack walks downstairs. "I over slept." Jack yawns and walks over to the couch.

"I haven't called Ducky yet." Jenny says to her guests and walks off for the kitchen.

Jack takes a seat next to Senior. "We didn't get the chance to talk the other day."

"That's because my dad was recovering from-"

"Junior!" DiNozzo interrupts him.

"I heard what Jenny did to you." Jack laughs.

"It's not like he wasn't warned before he came on to her." Tony laughs.

Ten minutes later, Tony walks down the basement steps and finds Gibbs with a ratchet wrench in his hand putting together a pink bicycle for Amira. "Forgot a gift to give one of the kids at the Children's Hospital." Tony curiously asks.

"No, we're heading to Leyla's for dinner in half an hour, this is Mike's Christmas present for Amira, Leyla had told me that Mike had planned on buying Amira a pink bicycle for Christmas this year, I'm giving the gift that Mike had attended to give his granddaughter."

"Seems that you and I have a similar relationship." Tony smiles.

"I wouldn't have disobeyed Mike." Gibbs growls and glares over at Tony.

Tony walks over to the workbench and sits down. "The talk we've never had yet." Tony frowns.

"You went against the rules I set."

"Rules, I thought I broke number twelve?" Tony shrugs.

"You broke number one, four, and twelve."

"Didn't you break twelve once before?"

"I put twelve in place because what had happened to me." "Jenny and I were to close towards the end of our Paris Op." "I was distracted by my feelings for her, get the op done so we can go home to Washington and start our new life together." "Jenny wasn't ready for the hit on Slvetlana; she had her first kill a month before." "Decker warned me before I sent Jenny out to kill Slvetlana that she wasn't ready, I wouldn't listen to him." "I wanted Jenny to get her first kill out of her system and move on with it so we could finish up the mission."

"So you partly blame yourself for the failure in Paris."

"Damn straight I do." Gibbs frowns and tosses the wrench on top of the table.

"What if I could have handled my relationship with Barrett?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"You couldn't!" Gibbs barks…"You had your eyes focused on her whenever we were working a case in the bullpen." "You let it distract you and you also made a complete fool out of yourself with your team mates."

"Was I that obvious." Tony laughs….Gibbs rolls his eyes in exasperation. "Boss I said I was sorry-"

"Don't ever apologize; it's a sign of weakness." Gibbs snaps.

"Right!" Tony answers and grabs Gibbs' coffee cup from on top of the workbench, inside the cup is a mason jar. Tony separates the jar from inside of the cup. "Work!" Tony softly says and holds up the coffee cup up in his right hand. "Family!" Tony softly says and holds the mason jar up in his left hand. "How do we move on from here?"

"Quit trying to be me and be yourself." "When you act yourself Tony you can be a one hell of an agent and I'm proud to call you the son I never had." Gibbs chokes up with emotion.

"Boss, it's hard at times, I see the things you've accomplished as an agent." Tony says with envy.

"You'll have your turn someday Tony, and when you do, be yourself." Gibbs smiles and picks up the bicycle from on top of the table and puts it on his right shoulder. "And another thing when you do take over for me the next time, ditch the tape recorder." Gibbs laughs and starts up for the stairs.

Up in the living room, Jack and Senior are exchanging stories about their son's. "Leroy would pull something like that."

Gibbs overhearing his father. "Is that so?" Gibbs grunts.

"Don't worry I told you dad some stories about Junior." DiNozzo laughs.

"Where are you headed for Christmas dinner?" Jack asks.

"Ducky's, Junior got an invite and we're heading over after we leave here."

"I'm going to put Amira's bike out in the trunk." Gibbs nods and walks off for the front door. Tony returns from the basement and grabs his coat from the back of the couch.

Jenny walks in from the direction of the stairs in a change of outfit. Senior noting the white cowl neck sweater dress, with a red belt, and knee high black boots. "Eyes off of the chest Junior and Senior." Jenny advises them.

Senior bursts out laughing. "She caught you also son."

"Believe me it's not the first time." Jenny mutters and walks over to the closet to retrieve her coat.

Leyla's Apartment

Amira is over joyed at receiving her final Christmas present from her beloved grandfather. "Can I ride it mama." Amira squeals.

"Tomorrow!" Leyla softly says to her over anxious daughter. "It's dark outside."

"Make sure you wear your helmet that Aunt Jenny bought you." Gibbs reminds her.

"I will make sure she wears it." Leyla reassures Gibbs. "I better see how Christmas dinner is coming along." Leyla nods and walks out into the kitchen.

"How did grandpa know I wanted a pink bicycle?" Amira curiously asks.

"He overheard you talking to one of Camilla's nieces." Gibbs smiles and pulls Amira on his lap.

"I miss Mexico." Amira frowns.

"Your grandfather left me his land in his will; I'll take you and your mother back some day, maybe in the summer when school lets out."

"I miss swimming in the ocean and playing with my friends." Amira pouts.

"I missed the beach the most when I left Mexico six years ago."

"Why did you leave?" Amira shrugs at him.

Gibbs touching Jenny's face. "I left Mexico, because I had some unfinished business up north."

"Oh I get it, Aunt Jenny." Amira giggles.

"Took me two years later to hear about it from your grandfather." Jenny smirks.

"Why?"

"Grown up stuff that you are way too young to hear." Gibbs grumbles and gives his lover a mock glare of warning.

"The lamb smells delicious." Jack drools with anticipation.

"Leyla's cooking is out of this world." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"I better go see if she needs help setting up the table." Jenny nods; she gets up from the couch and walks into the kitchen. "Need any help setting up the table?"

"I have it set already." Leyla smiles…."What a difference a few months makes?"

"Not much difference between Jethro and I." Jenny answers.

"Yes there is, I think Jethro is going to propose to you."

"I don't think so." Jenny laughs.

Leyla pulls the oven door back; she puts on her oven mitts and removes the roasting pan from the oven. "I see commitment in his eyes." Leyla smiles and puts the roasting pan on top of the counter.

"We just got back together a few months ago; it's a bit soon for the two of us talking about getting married and I'm not the marrying type."

"You'll never know until you're asked." Leyla winks.

Gibbs' House

After midnight, Gibbs steps out of the basement. "Don't stay up to late dad." Gibbs shouts down the stairs.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Jack's voice is heard from the basement.

Gibbs turns off all but the light near the front window. "Wonder what fragrance the tease used in her bath water tonight." Gibbs smirks and walks off for the stairs.

Five minutes later, Gibbs shirtless and stripped down in his usual powder blue boxers, lies impatiently on top of the bed. "Another minute and I'm going in after you." Gibbs growls. Jenny walks in wearing a red satin green laced chemise. With half of her chest exposed for his viewing pleasure, Gibbs' eyes pop out of his head. "Damn!" He drools.

"Down boy!" Jenny seductively purrs.

Gibbs glancing down towards his throbbing shaft. "I don't think so; get your ass over here now." Gibbs commands his lover.

Jenny slowly walks over to the bed. "I see you approve." She wickedly grins down at her aroused lover.

"Hell yeah!" Gibbs smirks and is about to pull Jenny down on the bed.

Jenny swats at him, slowly she climbs into bed and slithers her way on top of his body, with her chest at his eye length. "I'm impressed; my new nighty has stayed on for over a minute." Jenny sensuously says to him.

Gibbs flips Jenny on to her back. "There's a price at teasing a horny Marine and you know it." Gibbs grins and pulls Jenny's chemise over her head.

Jenny with her hands going throw the fly of his boxers, she touches his erection. "Under five minutes because you want it bad." Jenny snickers.

Gibbs smelling the jasmine flavored bath oil on Jenny. "New bath oil." Gibbs smiles with approval.

"Yes, it's called 'Naughty N Nice'." Jenny seductively says and continues stroking on his harden length.

"You're definitely naughty and I'm going to have to punish you for being such a tease." Gibbs smirks and leans over and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Jenny pulls his boxes off as she deepens his kiss, her hips arch up against him. "Punish me!" She says between kisses. Gibbs enters her with a deep thrust. "Yes!" She moans out, digging into his back as he slips deeper inside of him.

Gibbs aggressively begins to make love to her. "And you better not fall asleep on me after this." Gibbs groans out with pleasure as he thrusts harder and faster against her.

Jenny moves her hips against him matching his fluid movements. "Harder you bastard!" She screams out in ecstasy.

Gibbs delves deeper into her with each rhythmic push. Their bodies buck and collide against one another fast and frantic. "Damn it, slow down." Gibbs moans out as Jenny quickens the pace of their love making.

"Can't keep up with me old man." Jenny purrs and playfully nips along his Adam's apple.

Gibbs feeling her muscles convulsing around his length. "Why you want to kill me on Christmas night." Gibbs moans out.

"Not a bad way to go out."

"Good way to go out is with you on top."

Before Jenny can answer him, the peak of her orgasm hits her. "Don't stop!" She screams out.

"You got way to cocky." Gibbs laughs, slows down the pace of their love making, just as he's about to have his release, Gibbs rolls on to his back and pulls Jenny on top of him, demanding eye contact with him the moment he climaxes. Thrusting his hips up against her, his intense blue eyes seeking hers, Gibbs climaxes in a fiery release. "I love you Jenny." He moans out at the height of his passion. Jenny trembling for the effects from her orgasm slumps down on top of his chest, trying to catch her breath. Gibbs strokes her hair to bring Jenny down from her release. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas Jethro." Jenny mumbles against his chest. Throughout the night the lovers make love, the best gift that they have received this Christmas was the gift of their love for one another.


	75. Well Worth It

Late the next morning Gibbs and his dad are down in the basement working on next year's Christmas project for the sick children at the Children's Hospital. "You know instead of hand painting the Bloomsburg & Sullivan Railroad logo on the side of the train, it may be easier using decals." Gibbs suggests to his father.

"Your right and it will save time." Jack smoothly answers.

Gibbs looking over the drawings. "At least the trains aren't as delicate as the airplanes." Gibbs shrugs.

Jack noting the love bite on Gibbs' neck. "You two went at it until the crack of dawn." Jack chuckles.

"She better get used to it once we get down to Baja, between swimming in the ocean and hanging out down at the cantina, that's all we're going to be doing, making up for lost time." Gibbs smirks.

"She still doesn't know about the house yet?"

"No, and I'm surprised that Abby hasn't blabbed it to her yet." Gibbs grumbles.

"I'll keep that in mind not to tell her a secret." Jack laughs.

"I want Mexico to be perfect."

"It will be." Jack reassures him.

"What will be?" Jenny curiously asks at the top of the steps.

"Leroy wants the model trains that we're building for the children to be exact replicas of the old Bloomsburg & Sullivan Railroad trains." Jack lies.

Jenny noting by her lover's facial expression that he's hiding something from her. "Another secret!" She chastises him and starts down the stairs.

"I don't know what you're talking about Jen." Gibbs innocently answers.

Jenny walks over to Gibbs at the work table and grabs the scruff of his brown long sleeved Henley shirt. "Out with it?"

"Out with what?" Gibbs shrugs.

"You're plotting something and it involves Mexico?" Jenny hisses in exasperation.

"I guess you'll have to wait until we get down there." Gibbs grins.

"Give it up Jenny and let my son spoil you."

"He's spoiled me enough since we got back together." Jenny answers and givers Gibbs a pouty facial expression so that he will give into her.

Gibbs pulls Jenny's face up and tenderly kisses her on the mouth. "No!"

"You two are incurable." Jack laughs.

"Ziva and I are going out after Christmas sales."

"Didn't you get enough stuff for Christmas?" Gibbs grunts.

"I can never have enough stuff." Jenny smirks at him and leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. "Behave!" She sensuously purrs to him and walks off for the stairs.

Gibbs smirking over at her butt as Jenny walks up the stairs. "Mexico can't get here soon enough." Gibbs says to himself with a Cheshire grin on his face.

Georgetown Park

Victoria Secret's

An hour later, Jenny and Ziva are browsing through the bathing suits. "What are you looking for?" Ziva curiously asks.

Jenny coming across a leopard pattern Sara halter top with a double string bottom bikini. "Perfect!" Jenny smirks.

Ziva's jaw drops. "Jenny what are the odds of your bathing suit being on for very long?" Ziva mischievously asks.

"With Jethro, under a minute." Jenny laughs and puts the bikini in her cart.

"Need any lingerie?"

"No, I have plenty of stuff at home to tease him."

"I mean for Mexico."

"Ziva we'll be camping out on the beach, I don't see the need in bringing lingerie on our trip."

"Forgot about that."

Jenny noting that Ziva is hiding something from her. "Gibbs told you about my surprise didn't he?" Jenny asks and grabs Ziva by the elbow.

"Yes he has and I'm under strict orders Jenny, remember I cannot be broken under my Mossad training." Ziva smirks up at her.

"Damn it!" Jenny mutters in annoyance and walks over to the check-out counter.

"Three more days!" Ziva snickers.

Abby's Apartment

1700 Hours

"She's suspicious that Gibbs is up to something in Mexico." Ziva warns Abby as she walks out the kitchen.

"I took a blood oath with Gibbs." "But just encase mommy decides to take a trip downstairs could you please give me a heads up so I can make a quick get away from my lab."

"That's if I'm in the Squad Room, can't make any promises."

"At least they will be working a half a day at the office on Thursday." Abby smiles with relief.

"Gibbs and Jenny leave Thursday afternoon they should arrive in Baja by early evening." Ziva answers.

"Jenny is going to flip when she sees the house." "Wish I could see the expression on her face." Abby pouts.

"She won't be expecting it that's for sure." Ziva laughs.

Gibbs' House

1800 Hours

Gibbs, Jenny, and Jack are sitting around the kitchen table eating steak that Gibbs had cooked in the living room fireplace and a baked potato prepared in the microwave. "Only thing that's missing is corn on the cob." Jack chuckles.

"Next summer!" Gibbs answers between bites of his steak.

"Remember after dinner I want a poker game rematch with you." Jack grumbles at Jenny.

"You'll only lose." Jenny laughs.

"You have everything packed dad."

"Yes Leroy, I'm all set for my flight back to Harrisburg tomorrow morning."

"Soon as I get the decals printed out I'll mail them up to you." Gibbs smoothly says to his father.

"I'll mail out the photos of the Stillwater train station from back in the day."

Gibbs glancing over at his quiet lover. "What did you buy today?"

"You'll see in Mexico." Jenny wickedly answers.

"It won't be on for very long." Gibbs laughs.

"What if there are people around?"

"There won't be, Mike has a private beach on his property." Gibbs smirks.

"So I'm going to be naked for five days?"

"That's the plan."

"You two remind of Leroy's mom and I just before we had Leroy." "We would close up the store for the night and upstairs we would go."

"And the next door neighbors heard everything through the thin walls." Gibbs grumbles.

"Not like we didn't hear them either." Jack snorts.

"Really are the two of you getting down to Tony's level." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"Speaking of Tony, how long is his father going to stay?" Jack curiously asks.

"Until January 2nd, he has a flight out to Nassau." Gibbs answers sharply.

"That should cramp Tony's dating schedule." Jenny snickers.

"Why don't they double date?" Jack asks out loud.

"Problem with that is Senior would be picking up DiNozzo's women." Gibbs laughs.

2330 Hours

Tony is sitting at the end of the bar watching his father flirting with a woman in her mid-thirties. "I hope that isn't me when I get to be his age." Tony frowns to himself.

Suddenly CGIS Special Agent Abby Borin walks over to Tony. "Agent DiNozzo." Borin nods over at him.

"Borin, I'm off the job now you can call me Tony." Tony smiles at her.

Borin takes a seat on a stool next to Tony, the bartender approaches her. "I'll have a White Peach Sangria." Borin nods over at the bartender. "So Tony what are you doing at a bar alone on the day after Christmas?"

"I'm not here alone, I'm with my dad." Tony answers and gestures towards his father at the end of the bar.

Borin narrows her eyes over at Senior as he flirts with a woman in her mid-thirties. "Doesn't your father realize she's old enough to be his granddaughter?" Borin says in disgust.

"Yes, but he likes the ladies young."

"He's making a fool out of himself."

"I know I've been sitting here saying the same thing." Tony grumbles and notes that Borin is alone also. "You're alone also?"

"Nope I'm here on a date." Borin smiles and watches as her boyfriend Fred Caine approaches the bar. "Fred I would like you to meet, NCIS Special Agent Tony DiNozzo." "Tony this is my boyfriend Fred Caine?"

"Tony!" Fred nods over at him and reaches for Tony's hand.

Tony shakes Fred's hand. "Fred!" Tony addresses him back.

Borin takes her drink from the bar. "I'll have a Rusty Nail." Fred calls over to the bartender.

"So are you an agent?" Tony curiously asks.

"No, I'm a lawyer."

"Lawyer?" Tony says with surprise.

"Just because I may mimic some of your boss' behavior traits doesn't mean I'm like him off the job." "Tony's boss, Special Agent Gibbs despises lawyers." Borin sweetly announces to her boyfriend.

"He has a reason." Tony laughs.

"Why is that?" Fred asks and takes his drink from the bartender.

"He's been divorced three times." Borin snickers and gets down from her stole. "I believe our table is ready." "Tony!" Borin nods over at him.

Fred reaches for Tony's hand. "Tony!"

Tony shakes it back. "Fred, Borin!" Tony nods at them and watches them walk over to their table. "What you don't know Fred is your girlfriend has the hots for my boss." Tony grins.

Senior having been shot down by the young woman at the other end of the bar approaches his son. "What is it with the women in this city?" DiNozzo grumbles in protest.

"Find one that's about fifteen years younger than you dad and you might have a chance."

"What's the fun in that?" DiNozzo groans and takes a seat at the bar. "Martini dry!" He calls out to the bartender.

"Because you're making a fool out of yourself."

"Like you don't." "Face it the only women who are interested in you are airheads and the one's with a brain aren't interested because they know that it will only be a one night stand with you and you will move on from there."

"So I'm another version of you." "I'm just hoping when I get to be your age, that I'm not in a bar picking up women that are old enough to be my granddaughter." Tony snaps.

"When you're desperate you'll do just about anything." "I guess I'll have to bide my time until I get to Nassau." DiNozzo grins in anticipation.

Gibbs' House

2315 Hours

Jenny has once again wins another hand of poker. "Full house read it and weep." She smirks over at Jack.

Jack glares down at Jenny's cards that she has positioned on top of the table. "Unbelievable!" Jack grumbles.

"I keep telling you dad." Gibbs laughs.

Jenny gets up from the table and grabs her glass of water from on top of the table and puts it in the sink. "I have to be in at 0600 hours tomorrow morning, so I won't be able to say goodbye to you." Jenny sadly says to Jack and walks over to him. She kisses him on the cheek and affectionately hugs him. "Have a safe flight in and call Jethro when your plane lands."

Jack returning the hug. "I will!" Jack smiles.

Jenny pulls away. "Night!" She smiles at him and walks off for the doorway.

"Night Jenny!" Jack calls out to her.

Gibbs begins to pack up the poker chips on top of the table. "We should be heading to bed also."

"I had fun this Christmas."

"More than usual?" Gibbs shrugs and gets up from the table.

"Yes, we did our usual father and son get together at the Children's Hospital and keep in mind the past two Christmas' you didn't have Jenny, Leyla, and Amira." Jack says with a smile on his face.

"As much as I enjoyed Leyla and Amira being around for the holidays, it reminds me that Mike is no longer with us." Gibbs frowns.

"You miss him?" Jack asks narrowing his eyes over at his son.

"Yes!" Gibbs chokes up. "He got me through Shannon and Kelly's deaths after Desert Storm, took me under his wing." "I will always be in debt to him for that." "And then he quit NCIS in '95', I hadn't heard from him in over eleven years and when I woke up from my coma I was suffering from memory loss, Jenny got in touch with Mike down in Mexico and he came up to visit me in the hospital." "Mike traveled three thousand miles to see me dad."

"And your bond was reestablished." Jack nods.

"For three months we got drunk, fished, and lounged around the beach all day at Mike's place down in Mexico." "After the third month I got restless and starting doing home repairs on Mike's house to keep me busy."

"You take after me." Jack snorts.

"I didn't realize why I was so restless at the time." "Ziva called and needed my help up north, so I came back to Washington for a few days." "Seeing Jenny in her office made me realize why I was so restless."

"You realized you missed her." Jack shrugs.

"Yes after she brought up a memory from an op that we did in Serbia." "Soon as I was done helping Ziva out." "I hopped on a flight back to Mexico." "My mind and heart was still in 1991."

"You felt that you were betraying Shannon for what you were feeling for Jenny?"

"Yes!" Gibbs swallows and leans back against the counter top. "When I returned to Mike's I had brought several pictures of Jenny with me, I guess Mike got tired of hauling my drunk ass to bed every night and found one of the pictures in my hand." "He told me it was either her or Mexico." "He ordered me to fly up north and get my head together."

"So you left Mexico for Jenny?"

"Left it and got kicked in the gut when I returned and I already told you about the frog op that she was working on."

"Well what difference does it make; the two of you are back together now." "What's done is done."

"I know it's just wasted years is all." Gibbs groans in disappointment.

"The main thing is that Mike is smiling at the two you where ever he's at?"

"Yeah, cigarette hanging from his mouth and a Corona in his hand." Gibbs laughs.

NCIS Headquarters

0800 Hours

"So how was Christmas with your sister Sarah?" Tony curiously asks.

"Fine, we had a good time." McGee smiles.

"So what did you do on your day off yesterday?" Tony smirks over at Ziva.

"After Christmas shopping sales with Jenny, she needed to pick up a few items for Mexico." Ziva winks.

"Did she buy a bikini?" Tony drools.

"Yes!" Ziva snickers.

"Thong?"

Before Ziva can answer him, Jenny steps out of her office and walks over to the elevator. "Hold that thought." Ziva answers and quickly IM's Abby. 'Red Haired Fox heading downstairs'

Abby's Lab

'Thank you!' Abby types back, before running out of the lab, she closes out her IM window.

Two minutes later, Jenny walks in. "Abby!" She calls out to her.

Up in the Squad Room, Tony, Ziva, Abby, and McGee watch Jenny on the plasma screen next to McGee's desk. Gibbs walks in carrying a Venti sized stainless steel Starbucks tumbler in his right hand. "Why are the four of you spying on the Director?" Gibbs asks out loud startling his entire team.

"Because she interrogated me about your surprise in Mexico, unlike me, Abby will be broken by the Director's interrogation skills." Ziva smirks.

"Your training came in handy boss." Tony laughs.

"She didn't learn everything from me." Gibbs laughs and walks over to his desk.

Up on the plasma screen Jenny walks out of the lab. "I'll hide in the conference room until she comes upstairs." Abby announces and rushes off.

McGee shuts off the video feed from the lab. "She might be heading down to Ducky's next."

"Boss we can't keep this up all week." Tony groans.

"You don't have any choice in the matter." Gibbs barks, he takes off his coat and throws it on the shelf behind his desk.

Tony notices Gibbs coffee travel mug. "Buy that?"

"No, it's a Christmas gift from Jenny; she figured it would keep my coffee hotter." Gibbs shrugs and sits down at his desk.

"So did you have a good holiday with your father?" McGee curiously asks.

"We had a great time." "Between breaking our backs carrying in the Christmas tree, the party at the Children's hospital, and dinner at Leyla's on Christmas day." "Best Christmas that we had in years."

"Did Amira like her bicycle?" Tony asks.

"She wanted to take it outside, but it was too dark out." Gibbs laughs.

"Jenny told me about the pink bicycle helmet she bought her to go with the bike." Ziva softly answers.

"She bought a lot of stuff for Amira this Christmas, spoiled her rotten." Gibbs smiles.

"Jenny has a way with children; I saw it when we worked together over in Europe." Ziva smiles.

"I never knew it until that investigation with Carson." Tony says with surprise.

"I noticed that Carson humanized the Director after that investigation." McGee smoothly says.

"No McGee you just saw another side of her." "Madame Director was still around trust me." Gibbs grumbles.

With that, Jenny walks over to Gibbs' desk. "I've been looking for Abby all over the building." "She's not in her lab, Ducky's, or the Evidence Room." Jenny sighs in exasperation.

"It's a big building Director, who knows where she went to." Gibbs answers and puts his glasses on to read his e-mails.

Jenny's Blackberry begins to ring; noting Cynthia on the display window, Jenny quickly answers it. "Yes Cynthia?" Jenny answers…."I'll be on my way up." Jenny answers and hangs up.

"If we see Abby do you want us to tell her that you're looking for her?" Ziva innocently asks.

"No it's not important." Jenny mutters and walks off for the stairs.

Tony waits for Jenny to ascend the length of the stairs, catwalk and second flight of stairs. "Not important!" Tony laughs as he watches as Jenny steps inside of MTAC.

Ziva dials the extension number for the conference room. "She's in MTAC." Ziva giggles.

Conference Room

"I can't keep this up all week long." Abby whines.

"You have too; the Silver Haired Fox is counting on you." Ziva sweetly answers.

"Tell him he owes me big time and I mean unlimited Caff-Pow refills for about a month."

"I will relay the message." Ziva snickers and hangs up. "Abby says playing hide and seek with mommy will cost you unlimited Caff-Pow refills for about a month."

"The expression on Jenny's face when she sees the house that I had put on Mike's land will be well worth it." Gibbs smiles, he clicks open the photo folder icon on his computer screen and scrolls through his personal photos in his album. Locating the picture he took at sunset from the back deck; Gibbs puts it on the plasma screen next to his desk. He glances up towards the plasma screen with a big smile on his face. "Two more days and we'll be standing on that deck together looking out into the Pacific Ocean." Gibbs anxiously says.

A/N *I'm having a bit of writers block at this time and updates may be once or twice a week at this time, sorry.*


	76. Pacing Herself

December 29th 2011

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

1630 Hours

After a tireless week of hiding out from Jenny, Abby sits in her back room with her feet up on her desk. "Thank god the few times I did bump into her, Gibbs or one of the gang were with me down in my lab." Abby sighs with relief. Suddenly her phone begins to ring. "Hello!" She answers.

On the plane to Tijuana, Mexico, Gibbs is sitting in his first glass window seat, drinking a glass of champagne. "Abby I owe you big time."

"You better, I'm wore out from constantly running out of my lab, every time the Director went downstairs, thank god you had Timmy assigned to work with me down in my lab and he helped me dodge her questions." Abby grumbles.

"You will be well rewarded when I get back from Mexico." Gibbs smiles.

"Four hour flight to Tijuana, so you will arrive in Mexico by 1730 hours early this evening." Abby smiles.

"We'll stop at the cantina first before heading over to the house." Gibbs smoothly says.

"Have a Margarita on me." Abby giggles.

"I will!" Gibbs answers and notices Jenny talking to one of the flight attendants. "I have to go."

"I take it mommy is returning from the head." Abby snickers.

"Yes, I'll talk to you next week, good bye." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

Jenny returns to her seat. "After I'm done my glass of champagne I'm going to take a nap on the plane."

"You'll need to make up for the lack of sleep for later on." Gibbs chuckles.

"Who says I'll be worn out?" Jenny purrs and takes a sip from her glass of champagne.

"Trust me; you will have your cheek pressed up against my right triceps fighting to keep your eyes open tomorrow morning." Gibbs smirks.

"You wish!" Jenny laughs and reclines her seat back.

"I've had it in my head the past six years what I've wanted to do to you in Mexico." "I'll be damned if I fall asleep first." Gibbs playfully growls.

"Alright, since I've already had my fantasy fulfilled in Paris, I should let you have your fantasy come true." Jenny yawns and closes her eyes.

"It may top off what I did to you on top of the kitchen table." Gibbs whispers against her ear.

"The only way you can top that is if I lose consciousness." Jenny mumbles.

Tijuana, Mexico

Tijuana International Airport

General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport

1800 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny pull out of the airport parking lot in their rented Jeep. "We'll stop off at the cantina first."

"I was there once." "I met Mike there." Jenny smiles.

"Keep forgetting that you were in Baja watching after Leyla and Amira." Gibbs shrugs.

"Best time I ever had while I was posing as CIA Operative Harriett Jones, I finally could be me." Jenny softly answers.

"Now you can be you." Gibbs smiles.

Cantina

Fifteen Minutes Later

Gibbs and Jenny walk through the door. Camilla rushes over and hugs Gibbs. "Senor Gibbs!" She cheerfully calls out to him, spotting Jenny with him. "It's about time this gringo finally brought you in here." Camilla chastises Gibbs.

"Hey I couldn't help it that the CIA had her playing dead for three years." Gibbs barks.

"Ladies room?" Jenny asks.

"In the back." Camilla points and takes Gibbs by the elbow and walks him over to the bar. "The house is completely stocked with food." Camilla whispers in his ear.

"She won't be expecting the house at all; Jenny thinks we're camping out on the beach." Gibbs smiles.

The bartender approaches the bar. "What will it be Senor?"

"Two Corona's and two shots of tequila." Gibbs nods and puts some pesos on top of the bar.

"Jenny's hair is longer now." Camilla smiles.

"Her hair was waist length when we first became partners." "Six months into the Paris Op, Jenny cut it to shoulder length." "I was so mad at her." Gibbs grumbles and sucks in his teeth.

"Why did she cut it?" Camilla curiously asks.

"She had to wear a black wig for the op we were working and it was easier for Jenny to pull her hair up, so she said."

Jenny returns from the bathroom, noting the shot of tequila on the bar. "Trying to get me drunk before we head to Mike's place." Jenny smirks.

Gibbs handing Jenny her shot of tequila. "I want you sober tonight." Gibbs smiles and picks up his shot of tequila. "To haciendo el amor durante toda la noche." Gibbs smirks and taps his glass up to Jenny's.

"Si usted sobrevive!" Jenny wickedly answers and gulps her shot of tequila.

"I'm sure Senor Gibbs will have the stamina to survive the night Senora." Camilla winks and walks off to a table. "Rico!" She smiles down at her customer.

Half an hour later, Gibbs is driving on the road a few feet in front Mike's property. "How much longer do we get to Mike's property?" Jenny curiously asks and notes the darken house in the distance in front of the beach.

Gibbs stops the Jeep in front of the driveway. "We're here now?"

Jenny narrowing her eyes over at the house and then looks over at her lover. "I thought Mike didn't get the chance to rebuild his house before he died?"

"He didn't have a chance." "I bought a modular." Gibbs smirks and pulls into the driveway.

"When?" Jenny chastises him.

"A few months ago, I ordered it on line, paid $85,000 for it."

"You don't have that kind of money."

"I have my Marine pension that I've been saving up." Gibbs shrugs…"Haven't had a mortgage since '98', I don't go anywhere or do anything."

"Does it have any furniture?"

Gibbs stopping the Jeep in front of the house. "Completely furnished, I spent the night in here after we wrapped up the op with the OSP team a few months ago."

Jenny slapping her lover across his triceps. "So this is the reason why you disobeyed my direct order."

"Got the job done faster and it gave me an excuse to cross the border." Gibbs innocently answers and gets out of the Jeep.

Jenny grabbing her pocketbook climbs out of the Jeep. "So you risked pissing me off, so that you could sneak across the border to check up on the house."

"What difference does it make now; you had your legs wrapped around my waist by Sunday morning." Gibbs smirks.

"You keep forgetting about the hang over from hell that you had pal, which was punishment enough." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs pulls back the cargo cover in the back and hands Jenny a suit case. "We'll unpack tomorrow morning, I want us to walk along the beach." Gibbs smiles and retrieves a suitcase from the back.

"You want to make love on the beach." Jenny seductively says to him.

"That to." Gibbs laughs and puts his hand on the small on of Jenny's back and escorts her over to the house, he pushes in the code to the alarm and unlocks the door.

"Shocking you have an alarm." Jenny says with surprise.

"Yes, I'm not taking any chances so that the bastards can't rob the house, the shower fixtures in the back of the house I'll uninstall them when we leave." "Plus it's for your safety as well." Gibbs reminds her and opens up the front door. He flips on the light in the hallway that leads into a living room.

Jenny's mouth drops at the fully furnished living room set, a plush chocolate colored sectional backs up against the wall in front of the window, in front of the sectional is walnut finished solid wood coffee table with carved rope accents with a hand cut stone top. On the ends of the sectional are matching end tables. To complement the sectional, Gibbs has purchased a plush chocolate colored chair, with an ottoman in front of the chair. "All of this has you smacked all over it." Jenny smiles and notes that there isn't a TV, DVD player or a CD player or IPod Stereo system installed in the house. "Now this speaks of Mike." Jenny snickers remembering the house that she stayed in when she watched over Leyla and Amira and noted that Mike didn't have a TV or radio anywhere in the house.

"Mike had zero modern technology inside of his house other than an eight track player." Gibbs laughs.

"God I haven't seen one of those in thirty years." Jenny laughs.

"Come on; let's put our suitcases inside of the bedroom." Gibbs smiles and escorts Jenny over to the master bedroom. "Our bedroom is in the back of the house with a sliding glass door to the back deck." Gibbs smoothly says to her, as he walks through the doorway he flips on the light switch. Jenny stands in stunned silence in the doorway. "All the furniture in the house has a Mexican theme."

Jenny noting the workmanship in their queen sized bed. "Is that oak?"

"Pine and I chose mahogany for the stain." "The layout and design is called a Sunburst bed." "I ordered matching nightstands, dresser, and a chest at the end of the bed."

"I may never wake up in that bed tomorrow morning." Jenny smiles and walks into the bedroom. She puts her suitcase on top of the chest at the foot of the bed.

"Trust me you'll be awake." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny hearing the waves crashing along the shore line. "Want to take a walk out on the beach?"

"After I show you the rest of the house."

"What other surprises do you have installed for me?"

"You'll see." Gibbs mischievously answers.

"Another surprise?" Jenny sighs in annoyance.

Gibbs tossing the suitcase on top of the bed. "This one you'll like." Gibbs smiles and takes Jenny by the hand and leads her over to the master bathroom. He turns on the light. "Does the bathtub look familiar?"

Jenny noting that it's a similar bathtub that they made love in, in their hotel suite in Nice. "Yes, you used the air jets to your advantage in Nice." Jenny hisses.

"You enjoyed every moment of it so shut up." Gibbs snorts.

"Double sinks, shower." "You had this planned out."

"The bathtub is what I had planned out."

Jenny walks over to the shower; she pulls back the glass shower door and notes the shower spa nozzles against the wall, one positioned in the right place. "The shower also." Jenny sighs.

"Play nice and I won't use it against you."

"I'll play nice and you'll still use it against me." Jenny laughs and turns and faces her lover. "I guess you'll show me the kitchen now."

"Afterwards!" Gibbs smiles and reaches for Jenny's hand. "Let's go take a walk on the beach."

"Walking, no swimming, the water temperature it too cold for us to go swimming in."

"Maybe tomorrow!" Gibbs shrugs and walks Jenny out of the bathroom.

"Swimming in fifty-five degree water, I don't think so Leroy." Jenny chastises him.

"Maybe in the spring." Gibbs shrugs and walks Jenny over to the sliding glass door. He flips on the outside light.

"From the pictures you took of Mike's old house, wasn't his house smaller." Jenny curiously asks.

"Yes, the modular is bigger, with the larger master bedroom and separate master bathroom." "The back deck is also bigger to go with the length of the house." Gibbs smoothly answers and opens the sliding glass door and walks Jenny out on to the deck.

"Can't wait to see the view tomorrow." Jenny softly answers.

"It's paradise!" Gibbs smiles.

"And you gave this up for me." Jenny smirks.

"You were worth it." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny is about to lean up and kiss him when she notices the hot tub at the other end of the deck. "A hot tub!" Jenny says with surprise and starts to walk over to it.

"Camilla had it filled a few days ago, it's heated up and ready to go for us."

"Tomorrow, I have other plans with you." Jenny purrs and takes off her flip flops. She tosses the flip flops over her shoulder and steps down on to the beach.

"Don't go too far off." Gibbs shouts down to her.

"I won't!" Jenny calls back.

Gibbs takes off his sandals and goes inside the house. "Since we're not going to make love in the water I better get a blanket."

Outside Jenny makes her way down to the water's edge, the water comes up to her ankles. "I retract my previous statement; it's more like forty-degree water." Jenny shivers and steps back on to the sand. Gibbs approaches Jenny from behind with a blanket. "There's no way in hell that you're getting me in that water."

"Mike only swam in the water during the summer months, and I fished most of the time when I was down here."

"Remember when we retire down here, I don't fish."

"The only thing I want you doing once we retire is to be lounging on the beach wearing a thong bikini for my amusement purposes only." Gibbs smirks.

"And Mike's, he'll be smiling somewhere on the beach."

"I never knew that Mike had glanced at you that way." Gibbs says with surprise.

"His eyes were constantly focused on my ass in LA and, with the outfit I wore when I came up to watch Amira and Leyla for him, it moved up to my chest."

"Mike wouldn't know what to do with you." Gibbs grins and throws the blanket down on the ground.

Jenny folds her arms. "And you do?"

"I need a tetanus shot for your nails." Gibbs growls.

"I did do a number on your back this morning." Jenny giggles.

Gibbs gets down on the ground and stretches out the blanket. "I know, when you washed my back this morning, the soap stung the crap out of my back."

Jenny goes down on the blanket. "Ok it's your fantasy, do as you please with me." Jenny smiles up at him.

Gibbs pushes Jenny on to her back. "You will pace yourself."

"You're stretching it."

Gibbs pulls his shirt over his head. "Are you going to get undressed?"

"I thought you were going to do it."

"I'm too much in a hurry."

Jenny pulls her peach push up halter top over her head. "No you're too impatient to undress me."

Gibbs getting out of his khaki cargo shorts and white and black checkered boxers. "I'm about to hoist your skirt over in about a minute if you don't finish getting undressed."

"How romantic on our first time on the beach." Jenny laughs and finishes getting undressed.

Gibbs leans over her, getting his full weight on top of her. "Like our first time in the attic wasn't romantic." Gibbs smirks.

"Yeah, we most likely beat the world's record on how fast we could get undressed in between kisses."

"Face it our brains were below the waist at that time."

"Usually is!" Jenny sensuously answers and leans up and kisses him on the mouth. Gibbs deepens her kiss, his hands travel down the length of Jenny's body as their kisses become more demanding. Making love on the beach in Mexico with Jenny, Jethro's ultimate fantasy. "I guess I better let him take the lead." Jenny says to herself accepting his tongue inside of her mouth.

Gibbs wanting to savor Jenny before entering her with his body, leaves his lovers mouth and slowly descends down her neck and shoulders, he nibbles down her collar bone and works his way down to her right breast. Jenny moans out with pleasure as his tongue circles around her harden peak, her fingers clutch on to the blanket. "There's going to be more than moans of pleasuring coming out of you in about a minute." Gibbs inwardly grins to himself and works his way over to Jenny's left breast.

Jenny stares up into the clear night sky, her hands move over to the back of Gibbs head. She gently strokes his hair as his mouth descends lower down to her belly. "You better not be getting me orally." Jenny cringes at the prospects of having to come down from multiple orgasms, just in time for Jethro to enter her body with his body.

Just as Gibbs mouth gets to Jenny's right hip; his hands go in between her legs, feeling her wetness with his fingers. "If it wasn't for my lower anatomy, I would be sending you over the edge with my mouth and tongue right about now." Gibbs inwardly smirks and slowly works his way back up her body with his mouth and tongue.

Jenny wraps her legs around his waist, her wet core touching his straining shaft. "Take me now!" She begs him.

Gibbs slowly enters her. Jenny digs her nails into his back as he slips deeper inside of her. "This is going to be slow."

Jenny cries out with pleasure as he slowly rocks inside of her over and over. "Jethro!" She breathlessly calls out.

On the beach Jethro, slowly makes love to Jenny, their bodies, slowly move against one another in hot, wet, abandonment. Gibbs moans out with pleasure as he feels his lover's muscles convulsing around him. "Jenny pace yourself." He cries out, slowing the pace of their love making.

"I can't your making me crazy." Jenny cries out, her hips arching up to match his fluid movements.

"That's the point of it." He smiles at her.

Under the moonlit sky, the lovers lose themselves in one another. "Yes!" Jenny screams out, pressing her heels up against his lower back to urge on his release.

Gibbs riding the wild and wonderful waves of sheer ecstasy pours himself into her, his body shudders in the longest hottest release of his life. "Jenny!" He screams out with pleasure.

Jenny feeling him convulsing against her as he comes down from his orgasm. She gently pulls his face down in between her breasts, stroking his sweat soaked hair. "I love you Jethro." She tenderly says to him.

"I love you Jenny!" Gibbs breathes out; he closes his eyes and listens to the beat of Jenny's heart taking in the moment.

Jenny lovingly holds her man in her arms. "It was well worth the wait." She whispers against his ear.


	77. Wishes And Dreams Come True

December 30th 2011

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

0900 Hours EST

Tony, Ziva, and McGee are returning from questioning a witness. "That was a waste of our time and energy." Tony grumbles and takes off his coat.

"Particularly for you since our witness rebuffed your flirtiousness advances." Ziva snickers and walks over to her desk and takes off her coat.

"Ha ha Probalicious." Tony scoffs.

"And I got her phone number instead." McGee smirks.

"That's right rub it in McGeek."

"Face it Tony you haven't scored since your father came to town." Ziva laughs.

"What is this pick on Tony day?" Tony groans and flops in his chair behind his desk. Deciding to get the subject matter off of him. "I wonder how Gibbs and Jenny are making out down in Mexico?" Tony grins.

"Most likely they are focused on themselves and not what we're doing back in Washington?" Ziva smiles.

Baja, Mexico

Gibbs' Beach House

0600 Hours PST

Sunlight begins to filter into the bedroom; Jenny is flickering her eyes open trying to stay awake, she has her face pressed up against Gibbs' right triceps. "Quit fighting it." Gibbs whispers against the back of her ear. Exhausted from making love all night long and from the flight from Washington, Jenny closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep. As Gibbs watches over his lover, the events from the past ten hours replay over and over. After coming down from their respective releases, Gibbs and Jenny made love on the beach for hours on end. Hungry, they return to the house, Camilla had cooked gorditas, with Frijoles churros as a side dish. Enjoying a home cooked Mexican meal for the first time in their new kitchen, Gibbs and Jenny playfully tease one another. "Glad Camilla remembered I don't like that green crap." Gibbs barks.

"It's called guacamole." Jenny corrects him.

"Whatever?" Gibbs snorts and takes a sip from his bottle of Corona.

"I noticed you didn't have a Mexican theme in the kitchen." Jenny says in between bites of her churros.

"It's called a rustic kitchen; I thought that I would have a Stillwater theme going into the kitchen."

"With minimal modern appliances." Jenny answers.

"Just got a basic refrigerator, stove and a small microwave." "We don't need anything fancy since you don't know how to cook." Gibbs chuckles.

"Why cook when there's take-out in town." Jenny snickers.

"True!" Gibbs snorts.

"Jethro I love the house, but it didn't excuse you breaking my direct order." Jenny frowns over at him.

"I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect." Gibbs answers defending his actions.

"And it would have been perfect."

"We are going to be spending the majority of our time living here once we retire." "We'll spend late spring and summer in Paris, but for the most part we'll be living out the rest of our lives here." "If I had to do it all over again Jen, I would have broken your direct order and I'm not apologizing for it."

"You wouldn't have apologized because it would have went against one of your rules." Jenny playfully baits her lover.

"So we're at a pax on it."

"Until the next time you break one of my orders."

After eating dinner, Gibbs and Jenny take a hot bath, Jenny with her back against Gibbs, relaxes in his strong protective arms. "What did you put in the bath oil?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Peaches N Cream." Jenny sensuously purrs.

"Sounds like you chose to use that bath oil on purpose." Gibbs smirks.

"Keep in mind you'll be getting something out of it as well this time around?" Jenny seductively warns him.

"69?" Gibbs mischievously grins.

"Good we'll both lose consciousness at the same time." Jenny laughs.

Half an hour later in the bedroom, Gibbs has his head back against the pillow, heaving with exertion. "Did you have to drag it out?" Gibbs pants.

Jenny with her face pressed up against her lover's inner thigh. "Excuse me; it's going to take me at least fifteen minutes to come down from my orgasm, so I don't know what the hell you're whining about." Jenny says in between breaths.

"We haven't done this since Paris."

"There are a lot of things we haven't done since Paris." "Keep in mind we're both working now."

Gibbs sits up in bed, from the light in the bedroom; he notices the scar on the back of Jenny's right thigh. "I still have your screams in my head, when you got shot in the Czech Republic." Gibbs frowns.

"Probie's first time at getting shot, the next time I got shot at I didn't make a sound." Jenny mumbles against his thigh.

"Want to try out the shower next?"

"We just got a bath."

"I know, but I want to hear your screams of pleasure."

"Didn't I scream loud enough for you just now?" Jenny whines in protest and rolls on to her back.

"No because I was too busy howling from your tongue circling the length of my-"

"Alright!" Jenny interrupts him and gets out of bed.

"I've been looking forward to this for months." Gibbs smirks and climbs out of bed.

Inside the shower five minutes later, Gibbs has Jenny pressed up against the shower spa nozzles, wanting his lover to completely fall apart, Gibbs enters Jenny from behind. "You bastard!" She screams out.

"Problem is you want to arch up towards the spa nozzle and let me have my way with you at the same time." Gibbs grins.

Jenny digs her nails into the tile as he thrusts harder and faster against her from behind. "Harder you son of a bitch."

"That's what I thought." Gibbs laughs and continues to possess her body.

For five minutes, Gibbs sexually has his way with her, completely yet another one of his fantasies that he had of the two of them in Mexico. "Jethro I'm begging you." Jenny screams out as he hits her g-spot sending her over the edge.

Gibbs feeling Jenny's body trembling against him. "I have you at that place where I've possessed you body and soul and you damn well know it." Gibbs inwardly laughs with a cocky grin on his face, with a sudden thrust, he climaxes inside of her, his body shudders against her from behind in a fiery release, just as Jenny's knees are about to buckle, Gibbs grabs a hold of her, pulling Jenny against his body. "Keep in mind only Leroy Jethro Gibbs is the only man to make you come undone like this and you damn well know it." Gibbs gloats.

"You had a little help with the spa shower nozzle Leroy." Jenny hisses.

Gibbs turns on the rain shower head above and grabs the shampoo bottle from the caddy. "Other than the bath, no fancy shampoos or soaps are allowed." "We well use Suave Natural Ocean Breeze shampoo and for you conditioner and for soap I'll compromise and will use Oil of Olay Luscious Embrace Massaging Bar Soap."

"Pax, since Mexico is your place."

"Our place!" Gibbs smiles, popping back the cap of the shampoo bottle.

Twenty minutes later they returned to the bedroom, once again, Gibbs as the dominant lover is on top of Jenny in bed making love to her, just as he's at the peak of his passion Gibbs, rolls on to his back and brings Jenny on top of him to finish off their love making, with the light on in the bedroom, Gibbs makes eye contact with Jenny. "I want to peek into your soul the moment I climax inside of you." Gibbs smiles up at her.

"Jethro!" Jenny cries out with pleasure.

With his hands on the back of Jenny's waist, he thrusts up against her, lifting Jenny up from the mattress, her green eyes locked into Jethro's cobalt blue eyes. Satisfied that he's seen a part of himself inside of his lover's soul, Gibbs climaxes with a soul-shattering intensity. Jenny exhausted between their recent activities between the bath tub, bed, shower, and the bed again collapses on top of Gibbs' chest heaving. Gibbs fighting for breath. "Damn!" He pants.

"Foreplay after this and I mean it." Jenny mumbles against his chest.

"Ok, afterwards you can take over the lead."

"And I won't be pacing myself." Jenny warns him.

Throughout the rest of the night, Gibbs and Jenny make love, taking turns at being the dominant lover, often sharing, just before first light, they frequently change position in bed like they did as partners over in Europe. Gibbs lies on his back, with Jenny leaning over him on top; he leans up and ravishes Jenny's breasts as she aggressively moves against him on top. "You're making me crazy." Jenny moans out.

Gibbs with his tongue flickering around Jenny's left nipple. "That's the idea." He inwardly smirks. Feeling Jenny's muscles in full orgasm on top, Gibbs decides, to finish out their love making on top, he flips Jenny on to her back, capturing her mouth in a fiery kiss.

Jenny with her orgasm pulsating through her, presses her feet up against his lower back, her nails grab on to the back of his shoulders as he thrusts harder and faster against her. With her release exploding inside of her, Jenny breaks away from his kiss. "Jethro!" She screams out.

Gibbs with a final thrust, climaxes inside of her, he rolls on top of his back and pulls Jenny up against his chest, stroking her sweat soaked hair. "We haven't done this in about twelve years." Gibbs says between breaths.

"I'm getting too old for this shit." Jenny grimaces and rolls on to her right side, pressing her face up into Gibbs' right triceps.

"I've been with younger lovers before we got back together and they could never go the night." Gibbs laughs. When Jenny doesn't answer him, he glances over and notices that she's half asleep flickering her eyes opening trying to stay awake. "Quit fighting it."

Present Time

Gibbs gently disengages himself from Jenny and climbs out of bed. "I'm going fishing." Gibbs smiles; he grabs his suitcase and quietly walks out of the bedroom.

Around noon, Jenny walks out on to the back deck wearing her black framed gray tinted Prada PR 29NS

sunglasses, dressed in her leopard halter string bikini that she recently bought at Victoria Secrets, she finds Gibbs near the shore line sitting in small beach chair fishing. "Don't worry with this little get up I'll distract ya Jethro." Jenny smirks and jumps off the deck, slowly she makes her way down to her shirtless lover. "Catch anything?"

Gibbs with his attention focused on his fishing pole. "Yeah and I threw them back because they were too little." Gibbs shrugs.

"Bet you can't catch me." Jenny sensuously purrs to him. Gibbs glancing back over at her and catches an eyeful of cleavage. Jenny noting his approval runs off down the beach.

"Under a minute I'll have that thing off." Gibbs drools and tosses his fishing pole down on to the beach. He gets up from his chair and chases after Jenny.

"Crap the sand is slowing me down." Jenny grimaces.

Gibbs tackles Jenny to the ground and gets his full weight on top of her. "You know damn well the penalty for teasing me." Gibbs growls and begins removing Jenny's bikini.

Jenny with her hands on Gibbs' belt buckle on his cargo shorts. "Under thirty seconds." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs ravishes Jenny's breasts as she works off his shorts and boxers. Feeling her hands on his swollen shaft. "Oh god!" He inwardly groans out, finding Jenny's mouth to stifle out an oncoming cry.

Jenny wraps her legs around his waist, arching her slick core into the tip of his length. "I want it rough and fast this time around." Jenny says between hot kisses.

Gibbs groaning out at the feel of her wetness touching his erection obeys his lover and driving into her with a deep thrust, her muscles tighten around him as he slips deeper inside of her. Aggressively Jenny begins to make love underneath of him. Gibbs caught off guard. "Crap!" He moans out.

"What's the matter Leroy?" She laughs and runs her tongue on his lower lip.

With that, Gibbs grounds his body delving deeper inside of her with each rhythmic push. "Be careful what you wish for Jenny." Gibbs grunts.

In the sand, Gibbs and Jenny get down and dirty with one another, their bodies buck and collide with one another at the same time they reach the height of their passion, shuddering in in unison as they explode in a thousand pieces in an explosive climax. They scream out each other's name in a burst of ecstasy. Gibbs buries his face in between his lover's breasts, trembling from the after affects from their love making; Jenny stares off into the ocean, watching the tide, coming in and out of the shoreline. "I guess we're going out for dinner tonight." Jenny laughs.

"You think I'm going fishing after that work out, your mistaken woman." Gibbs groans in protest.

The Cantina

1900 Hours

After spending most of the day either making love on the beach or in bed, Gibbs and Jenny have an early dinner at the cantina. "So how was dinner last night?" Camilla smiles as she puts a pitcher of Margaritas on top of their table?"

"Delicious!" Gibbs smoothly answers.

"I figured that the two of you worked up an appetite after that long flight."

"And other activities." Jenny wickedly answers.

Camilla noting the love bites on the side of Jenny's neck. "So I've noticed." She giggles…"Your tacos should be ready in about ten minutes." Camilla answers and walks off from the table.

Gibbs pouring him and Jenny a glass of margaritas. "I'm getting you drunk tonight." Gibbs smirks.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you." Jenny snickers and takes a sip from her margarita glass.

After midnight, Gibbs and Jenny stagger through the front door of their beach house, Gibbs slams the door behind. "Remember our first weekend off in Naples." Gibbs says, slurring his words.

"Yes, we stayed out all night and staggered back to our hotel room just before dawn."

"You remember what I did to you." Gibbs smirks.

"You ruined a very expensive pair of undergarments as I recall." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"Good thing you're wearing a halter top dress tonight."

"I specifically chose this dress in mind for tonight."

Gibbs grabs Jenny by the face and passionately kisses her on the mouth, they begin to stagger towards the direction of the bedroom, shedding their clothes along the way, just as they get to the doorway; Gibbs picks Jenny up against the wall. "I can't wait any longer." He impatiently growls, pulling Jenny's legs around his waist. Jenny bites down on the side of his neck to stifle out an oncoming cry as he drives into her. Gibbs thrusts harder and faster against her. "We're both going to have hangovers from hell tomorrow morning and won't have the energy for sex." He moans out.

Jenny grabs on to the back of his butt. "Yes!" She screams out.

Their bodies aggressively move against one another. "Shit!" Gibbs inwardly protests, feeling his body giving in.

"Jethro!" Jenny begs him.

"Damn!" Gibbs cries out at the height of his passion, his body shudders spilling himself into her.

Jenny wraps her arms around his neck. "Take me to bed." She pants and buries her face up against his shoulder.

"I'm taking you, but this time we're going to sleep, I've been up for thirty-six hours straight." Gibbs says between breaths. Carrying Jenny into the bedroom, Gibbs walks over to their bed; gently he puts Jenny on top of the bed and climbs into bed beside her burying his face up against his pillow. "Remember the drink we that we got drunk on in Naples?" Gibbs yawns.

"Limoncello!" Jenny mumbles against her pillow.

"We both had a hangover for two days."

"Luckily for me the side effects from a margarita hang over aren't that bad." Jenny laughs and closes her eyes.

Sleep over takes the lovers; they fall asleep for the first time together side by side in a bed that will become their home after they retire from their respective positions at NCIS. Gibbs with a peaceful smile on face as he sleeps finally he has his dream fulfilled; he made love on the beach with the woman he loves. Somewhere up in heaven his mentor Mike is smiling down at the two lovers. "Way to go Probie, bout time you got your lady friend to Baja and I noticed you conveniently have a hot tub installed for her but you forgot to build one for me." Mike snarls.


	78. Auld Lang Syne

December 31st 2011

Baja, Mexico

1300 Hours PST

After sleeping in most of the morning, Gibbs and Jenny wake up hung over. "At least it's not as bad as my hang over from a month ago." Gibbs grumbles and rolls on top of Jenny.

"Like I need you on top of me?" Jenny hisses in annoyance.

"Trust me I'm not up for sex."

"So I've noticed I don't feel you up against my thigh." Jenny yawns.

"Ha, ha!" Gibbs mumbles and gets out of bed. "Maybe a shower, coffee and some food might make us a little bit motivated."

"Shower and coffee, you're stretching it with the food."

An hour later, Gibbs and Jenny venture into town. "I'll be fine." Jenny reassures her lover.

"Just stay in this general location."

"I will, I want to check out some of the boutiques." Jenny softly says to him. Gibbs rolls his eyes at her. "You build boats, toy airplanes, and trains, and screen doors down in your basement to relax." "I go shopping."

"Spending money makes you relax." Gibbs growls.

"It's not yours so why are you worried about it." Jenny sweetly answers. She leans up and tenderly kisses Gibbs on the mouth and walks across the street.

"Yeah the problem is I have no place to put it in my house." Gibbs barks.

Camilla, who was shopping in the outdoor market place down the street, notices Gibbs and walks over to him. "Senor Gibbs!" She smiles at him.

"Camilla!"

"Senora Jenny going shopping?"

"Senora Jenny is always shopping." Gibbs laughs.

"Not shopping with her?"

"Hell no, I would be bored out of my mind watching her going through the clothing racks."

"So I guess you're going to head into the cantina to kill time?"

"No I was about to head over to the jewelry store at the end of the street." Gibbs smiles.

"Buying something for your lady." Camilla winks.

"Yeah and I need a woman's opinion on it."

"I don't need to be in work until five, I'll be happy to help you out." Camilla smiles at him.

Across the street Jenny is talking on her Blackberry with Ziva back at headquarters. "It's perfect!" Jenny smiles.

NCIS Headquarters

The Supply Room

1700 Hours EST

"I knew you would love it, Gibbs showed us the photos of the house that he took when he went across the border." Ziva softly answers.

"So how did Abby manage to avoid me all week in work?" Jenny playfully chastises her dysfunctional daughter.

"Jenny there's a thing called a phone." Ziva giggles.

"Abby must have lost about five pounds from running up and down the stairs." Jenny laughs.

"Trust me she was thrilled that you were out of the office on Thursday afternoon." Ziva laughs.

"So how's Junior making out as team leader?"

"McGee and I are about to strangle him." "Jenny I hope I'm appointed team leader by the time Gibbs retires, I don't think I could tolerate working under Tony again." Ziva sighs.

"I said the same thing about Jethro when I first started working for him." "I survived so can you?"

With that Tony walks into the supply room. "Is there any reason why you're standing around talking on the phone Agent David?" Tony scolds his partner.

"The question is will Tony survive?" Ziva mutters, glaring over at her partner.

"Who are you talking too?" Tony shrugs.

"Mommy!" Ziva snickers, knowing full well that Jenny is about to lay into her. "Happy New Year's Jenny."

"Happy New Year's Ziva, play nice with your older brother." Jenny sweetly says to her and hangs up.

"That'll be the day." Ziva groans and hangs up; she gathers a small box filled with paper, paper clips, rubber bands, and pencils.

"So you had a secret hen session with Jenny in the supply room?" Tony asks.

"You're just jealous because she didn't call you up." Ziva smirks and walks out of the room.

Tony chases after Ziva. "So did Gibbs pop the question yet?"

"No and if he did, Jenny more than likely won't tell us until they get back from Mexico." Ziva answers.

"True!" Tony ponders.

Back over at Gibbs' section, McGee and Abby are talking about the party that Abby is having at her apartment. "Thank god, we got the Director's permission to come in at noon tomorrow." Abby smiles.

"I've been looking forward to your party for weeks."

Tony and Ziva return to their desks. "Found her, she was gossiping on her phone with mommy in the supply room." Tony grins.

"So how is Mexico?" Abby winks.

"Jenny sounded like she was walking on air." Ziva smiles.

"Did you talk to Gibbs?" Abby curiously asks.

"No, Jenny was by herself shopping."

"Gibbs must love that." Tony laughs.

"Like you should talk Tony, it's the one thing that you and Jenny have in common." McGee baits him.

"So I like wearing designer suits and shoes, shoot me." Tony sarcastically answers.

"I can look good and it doesn't need a fancy designer label on it." McGee smirks.

"Yes, you have Today's Man, TJ Maxx, and Kohl's written all over you." Tony laughs.

Abby folds her arms and glares over at Tony. "I don't see anything wrong with Timmy's look." Abby chastises him.

"You wouldn't because you both are geeks."

"Since when are Goth's geeks?" Ziva curiously asks.

"They aren't but Abby and McDork speak in geek talk, something that you and I don't understand." Tony grins.

"You're just jealous because we know what we're talking about, and you and Gibbs need a dictionary to understand what we're talking about." McGee smirks.

Before Tony can answer McGee his desk phone begins to ring. "DiNozzo!" He answers…."I'll be right up." Tony answers and hangs up. "Acting Director Hetty Lange wants a briefing with me up in MTAC."

"Cool, if you see Eric in the background tell him I said hi." Abby smiles.

"Another geek!" Tony grumbles.

Back in Baja, Gibbs and Camilla are browsing through the engagement rings. "So you're going to pop the question to her." Camilla curiously asks.

"Not in Mexico, I have another place in mind." Gibbs smiles.

"Baja isn't the ideal romantic place to propose." Camilla softly answers.

Gibbs attention is drawn to a 14k gold plated 925 silver engagement ring with 14 genuine diamonds and 7mm round sapphire; crafted in 14k white gold plated silver. "I want that." Gibbs points.

The clerk behind the counter takes the ring out from under the glass and hands it over to Gibbs. "What size do you need Senor?"

"Six!" Gibbs smiles.

"You're in luck we have several in the back room." The clerk smiles and walks off towards the back of the store.

Camilla glances down at the price of the ring. "Twelve thousand pesos are you out of your mind." Camilla chastises him.

"It's a thousand dollars in American money and I do not go cheap on my women."

"So when are you going to pop the question?"

"Time and place to be determined by me only." Gibbs smirks.

"So she won't be expecting it?"

"No, Jenny Shepard is not the marrying type."

"Are you sure she'll say yes?"

"It took me three months after my divorce with Diane to get Jenny to succumb to my advances." "Phase one of partially breaking her independence streak."

"So this is phase two?"

"Yes and I won't be turned down, the wild mustang will finally be broken in by Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

That night, Gibbs and Jenny are camping out back on the beach with a bonfire going. "This is to perfect." Jenny softly says.

Gibbs pulls Jenny into his arms. "You sure you want to go back to Washington?"

"I still have unfinished business that needs to be done first." Jenny frowns.

"Arms dealers that were on the take with Vance." Gibbs sighs.

"I'm bringing them all down Jethro."

"Jenny that may take years." Gibbs frowns.

"I know, but I need to bring them all down."

"I wish you would let me help you out."

"Your there for me and that's helping me out."

"Jenny-"….Jenny silences Gibbs with a passionate kiss on the mouth, he goes down on to his back and pulls Jenny on top of him deepening her kiss.

Breathlessly Jenny pulls away; she stares into the depths of his blue eyes. "Ok what were you doing in the jewelry store with Camilla?"

"Browsing!" Gibbs shrugs.

"Did you buy anything?"

"Like I'm going to tell you that." Gibbs snorts.

"Jethro!" Jenny protests and grabs on to his shirt.

"I bought, you a sterling silver bracelet and Abby, Ziva, Leyla, and Amira earrings. "I was going to surprise you with it when we got back to Washington."

"You have to quit surprising me."

"Not going to happen, so quit complaining about it." Gibbs smirks.

"You know I can do the same thing to you."

"With what, I don't need anything?" Gibbs shrugs.

"True, but I'll think of something."

Gibbs glances down at his watch. "2355 hours EST!"

"The team is at Abby's apartment celebrating the New Year." Jenny softly answers.

"The death of Mike was a kick in the gut to me, and like 2008 I chalked up this year as one of the worst years of my life since the deaths of my wife and daughter, then I had my little miracle." Gibbs smiles, caressing Jenny's cheek.

"We both had a miracle." She smiles.

Gibbs pulls Jenny's face up and passionately kisses her on the mouth, deepening his kiss he guides Jenny on to her back getting his full weight on top of her, as Gibbs and Jenny are about to make love on the beach the team is gathered at Abby's apartment.

2359 Hours and eleven seconds

Abby, McGee, Tony, Ziva, DiNozzo Senior, Ducky, Palmer, and Breena are gathered in front of the TV watching the ball drop at Times Square. "Ten seconds to new year's." Abby cheerfully calls out to her guests.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, happy new year's." They shout out in unison.

As one they begin to sing 'Auld Lang Syne'. "Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?" "Should old acquaintance be forgot, and old Lang Syne?" "For Auld Lang Syne, my dear, for Auld Lang Syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for Auld Lang Syne." "And surely you'll buy your pint cup and surely I'll buy mine!" "And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for Auld Lang Syne."

Fireworks explode at the National Mall down in Washington, Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, and New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty to bring in the New Year.

Back in Baja, Gibbs and Jenny have some fireworks of their own on the blanket. Gibbs just as he enters his lover. "Happy New Year's Jen."

"Jethro we're three hours away for celebrating New Year's." Jenny cries out as he slips deeper inside of her.

"I thought I would start three hours earlier." Gibbs smiles, capturing Jenny's mouth.


	79. My Promise To You

January 1st 2012

Baja, Mexico

On the beach

0900 Hours PST

The next morning Gibbs awakens in his lovers arms. "Good morning sleepy head." Jenny smiles down at him.

Gibbs half asleep leans up and tenderly kiss Jenny on the mouth. "Good morning!" He grumbles half asleep and buries his face in between her breasts.

"You know we still have not ventured into the hot tub yet."

"Tonight!"

"Sounds like a plan."

"It's our last night before we head back home, so I figured we would do the hot tub last."

"I'm going to make every minute count between now and 1400 hours tomorrow."

"No we're going to make every minute count between now and 1400 tomorrow." Gibbs smiles, he leans up and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth.

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

1200 Hours EST

Tony, Ziva, Abby, and McGee step out of the elevator wearing sunglasses. "My head!" Tony grimaces.

"Maybe I should have stuck with two pitchers of margaritas." Abby grumbles.

They slowly walk over to their desks; Abby walks over to Gibbs' desk and sits down behind his desk. "If the Director was nice she would have given us the weekend off." Tony scoffs.

"I believe Gibbs has to work the next three weekends." Ziva informs him.

"Make up time for the week that Gibbs and Jenny fly off to Paris." Tony nods.

"That's on my to do list of places to go to." Abby smiles.

"There's nothing like it Abby." Ziva answers with a big smile on her face.

"City of love." Tony grins.

"You still think that Gibbs proposed to Jenny down in Mexico?" Abby curiously asks.

"Oh yeah, we'll be seeing a shiny engagement ring on the Director's hand first thing Tuesday morning." Tony smirks.

"I've been waiting for this moment now for seven years." Abby giggles with anticipation.

"We all have." Ziva smiles.

Back in Baja around noon, Jenny is doing the dishes at the kitchen sink; she glances up at the clock. "Jethro has been gone for about forty minutes; it shouldn't take him that long to buy a newspaper." Jenny mutters…She glances out the window and off in the distance she spots Gibbs walking in between two horses on the beach. "I don't believe him." Jenny says with surprise and turns off the water.

Outside, Gibbs approaches the deck, Jenny steps out of the sliding glass door. "Their ours for the day."

Jenny jumps down from the deck and approaches a small Palomino. "What's her name?"

"Miranda!" Gibbs smiles and pulls Jenny up by her waist and puts her on top of her horse.

Jenny noting that Gibbs chose a white and brown painted stallion. "And yours?"

"Poncho!" Gibbs laughs and climbs on top of his horse.

"Ok Poncho, last one to the reef, gets to be on top all night long." Jenny seductively says and pulls on to her horses reins. "Ya Miranda!" She calls out to her horse; Miranda gallops off down the beach.

"It's not going to be me that's for sure." Gibbs growls and pulls on to his horses reins. "Ya!" He calls to Poncho.

Gibbs and Jenny race down the end of the beach, Jenny tricks Gibbs into going into the water, slowing Poncho down. "I got you right where I want you Jethro." Jenny smirks.

"Damn it!" Gibbs growls.

Miranda maneuvers her way to reef. Jenny waits with a big grin on her face as Gibbs approaches. "I know my way around the saddle Jethro." Jenny gloats up at him.

"Double or nothing!" Gibbs mischievously asks.

"Hell no!"

"Chicken that I might win."

"No, because you failed on your first attempt." "It would be called a do over."

"It's not like I lost anyways, I prefer you on top." Gibbs grins.

"You will be lying on the bed motionless."

Gibbs pulls on to his reins. "That's no fair." He grumbles... Poncho begins to trot along the shore line with Miranda and Jenny trotting alongside of them.

"Take it like a man."

"Keep in mind I have plans in the hot tub prior to the bedroom."

"And you will use all of the air jets to your full advantage." Jenny grumbles.

"More so now since you'll be on top all night long." Gibbs smirks.

"Once we get into bed, no cheating."

"Now would I welch out on a bet?" Gibbs innocently asks.

"Yes, you and DiNozzo are so much alike it's scary."

"Speaking of DiNozzo, I bet you Ziva and McGee are counting the minutes to I return."

"Tony isn't that bad as a team leader, Ziva exaggerates at times." "And face it; McGee will forever be Tony's Probie." Jenny laughs.

"Just like you will always be mine." Gibbs smiles.

Washington, DC

Tony's Apartment

1900 Hours EST

Tony and his father are sitting on the living room couch watching the Gator Bowl on demand. "I know the outcome of this game." Senior baits his son.

"No betting and don't give it away." Tony scoffs

"Of all the schools that you could have went to college to."

"What's wrong with Ohio State?" Tony protests.

"It's a fine school, but it's not Princeton or Yale, or Duke."

"I do not have the grade point average to get into those schools or the money."

"Imagine playing basketball for Duke."

"No I imagine beating Duke." Tony smirks…The doorbell rings. "Pizza's here!" Tony cheerfully says and gets up from the couch and walks over to the door.

"Get a pepper and onion one for me?"

"Yes dad and you're eating the whole thing; it's one of my least favorite pizzas."

"Remember my flight leaves at noon tomorrow."

"I know!" Tony sadly answers.

"Wow there's a shock; you're going to miss me." Senior laughs.

"I'll miss having you around the house."

"You mean you won't miss me interfering with you dating and picking up women." Senior corrects him. "What time do your boss and Director Shepard get back from Mexico?" Senior curiously asks.

"Ten o'clock tomorrow night."

"One of these weekends we have to do get away and do something as father and son."

"I'd like that." Tony smiles.

"Tropical climate where the women don't care how old I am." Senior grins.

"Then it's a date." Tony laughs; suddenly Florida scores a touch town. "Dawn it!" Tony shouts at the TV screen. "Where was the defensive backfield on that play?"

Baja, Mexico

2100 Hours PST

Jenny has her face pressed up against Gibbs' chest as he reclines back against the hot tub bench seat. Gibbs runs his fingers through Jenny's wet hair. "Come down from your release yet?"

"Hell no you over did it with the air jet." Jenny mumbles against his chest.

"I guess you want to sleep it off after this."

"No, you are going to be lying on your back on the receiving end of it for about eight hours."

"Thought you forgot about our bet."

"Not even close."

"Still won't beat out what I did to you in Pairs."

"You never know." Jenny seductively purrs.

Around dawn the next morning, Jenny sitting on top of her lover grabs a hold of Gibbs' hands as he slowly enters her body. "Last time!" She smiles down at him.

"Better be, my body can't handle another one." Gibbs whines in protest.

Slowly Jenny moves her body against him. "And for once I'm going to pace myself." Jenny sensuously warns him.

Gibbs clutches on to Jenny's hands. "Bout time!" He moans out with pleasure.

For ten minutes torturous minutes, Jenny teases Gibbs with her body, Gibbs transfixed by the color of Jenny's green eyes, darken from arousal, loses himself. "Jenny!" He cries out, his body shudders underneath of her in a fiery release.

Jenny feeling him trembling underneath of her goes down on to her right side and pulls Gibbs up against her chest, stroking his sweat soaked hair. "I love you." She tenderly says to him and reins kisses all over his face and forehead.

Gibbs exhausted from being on the receiving end of it all night long, closes his eyes. "I love you Jenny." He mumbles against her chest.

With the first rays of sunlight drifting into their bedroom, Jenny watches over Gibbs as he drifts off to sleep in her arms. "Perfect ending to a perfect holiday weekend." Jenny whispers.

1200 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny lock up the front door. "I want to come down here Easter weekend with Leyla and Amira if that's ok with you." Gibbs smoothly asks.

"That will be great; I had a wonderful time playing with Amira on the beach when I looked after her for Mike a few years back." "Maybe we can take her horseback riding." Jenny suggests.

"That's if Leyla lets her on a horse." Gibbs smiles.

Jenny turns and looks over at the beach. "Other than being in Paris with you, this was the best time we've had together." "No interruptions just the two of us." Jenny softly says.

Gibbs approaches Jenny from behind and encircles his arms around her waist. "That was the general idea when I put this house in."

"I can really see us spending the rest of our lives here."

"The next four to five years can't get here soon enough."

"Finally there will be an us."

With that Gibbs grabs Jenny by the hand and leads her over to the Jeep helping her into the passenger seat. "The way it was meant to be." Gibbs says with a hint of anticipation in his voice. He walks over to the driver's side of the Jeep and gets inside. "We should be in DC by ten." Gibbs shrugs and turns the key.

"From eighty degree weather to thirty degree weather." Jenny shivers.

"So glad this winter has been warm so far." Gibbs says with relief and pulls away from the house.

"Other than being in Paris the past few winters, I haven't had to deal with the cold weather."

"I don't know it felt icy to me when I was inside of Kosmo's mansion." Gibbs bitterly snaps.

"Dad always made it feel uninviting in his house." "I couldn't wait for the next op to come so I could get far away from him as I possibly could." Jenny frowns.

"My pledge to you is I'm going to make you feel loved for the rest of your life." "That is my promise to you." Gibbs vows.

"And I'm going to make you feel loved in return for the rest of your live." "That is my promise to you." Jenny softly says to him. With the future bright for the two lovers, Gibbs and Jenny drive off for the airport.


	80. Play Nice

January 3rd 2012

NCIS Headquarters

0700 Hours

Tony and Ziva step out of the elevator. "Darla, what kind of a name is that?" Ziva laughs as they walk over towards their section.

"Five foot seven, blonde hair, double D cup, blue eyes." Tony drools.

"Figures you would get her bra size in." Ziva mutters and walks over to her desk. Spotting McGee at his desk. "Good morning McGee." She smiles at him.

"Morning!" McGee yawns.

Tony noting the bags under McGee's eyes. "Late Elflord chat." Tony smirks and takes off his coat.

"No I was up until two in the morning writing my book." McGee snaps at him.

"Don't need to take my head off." Tony protests and takes a seat behind his desk.

"Maybe I'm tired of you belittling my interests all the time." McGee angrily responds.

"Like your interests are just as exciting Tony." Ziva chastises him.

"You find my interests boring." Tony pouts.

"Movies, TV Shows, martini's, women, designer clothing, cars, I could go on and on." Ziva sighs.

"What's so boring about that?"

"In your mind it's fun, to somebody else, it gets old and routine after a while."

Gibbs walks in coffee in hand, over hearing his team bickering. "I see you're picking off where you left off, just before I left for Mexico last week." Gibbs barks.

"Morning boss!" Tony and McGee quickly address him at the same time.

"Morning Gibbs!" Ziva smiles at him.

"Morning!" Gibbs addresses his team.

"Director coming in later?" Tony shrugs.

"She came in at 0600 hours." Gibbs smoothly answers; he walks over to his desk and puts his coffee on top of his desk. "I need a briefing on our current investigation."

"Wrapped it up yesterday afternoon." Tony grins.

Gibbs is about to take off his coat when his desk phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers, listening in to dispatch on the other end of the phone. "We'll be right there." He answers and hangs up.

"Case so soon." Tony says with surprise and grabs his coat and backpack.

"Dead Navy Seal found at National Harbor." Gibbs informs his team.

"Hotel or at the marina?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Don't know we'll find out when we get there." Gibbs answers.

National Harbor

On a yacht, in the middle of the harbor, Gibbs and his team are processing the crime scene. "Boss should this involve CGIS since it's on a boat." McGee curiously asks.

"Don't go there McGee." Gibbs growls at the thought of working with Borin on a case.

Ducky and Palmer walk into the room. "Morning Jethro." Ducky addresses his colleague.

"Morning Duck!"

"What do we have here?" Ducky answers and approaches the body of a deceased Naval Seal.

"Lieutenant David Wallace, twenty- eight, gunshot wounds to the head and chest." Gibbs answers.

"Wallace must have had a lot of money to own a yacht like this." Tony notes and takes in the surroundings of the 150 foot long sloop.

"Tony this is a charter yacht and judging by the bottles of champagne, Wallace was invited to a New Year's party." McGee surmises.

"I guess harbor patrol got suspicious when the yacht had stayed in one place for a few days." Ziva nods over at Gibbs.

Ducky sticking a liver probe inside of Wallace's stomach. "Judging by the condition of the body, it looks like Lieutenant Wallace had passed on about forty-eight hours ago."

With that Special Agent Abigail Borin walks into the living room quarters of the yacht. "Happy New Year's Special Agent Gibbs." Borin smirks over at him.

Gibbs head slaps McGee on the back of the head. "Thanks a lot!" He snarls and turns and faces Borin. "This isn't an ocean liner, the last time I looked." Gibbs growls.

"Still a death on board a large vessel, which is by the way part of CGIS' investigation." Borin sweetly answers.

"I knew I should have stayed in Baja." Gibbs grumbles under his breath.

Borin noting the tan that Gibbs is now sporting. "Looks like you've been to a tropical climate for the holidays." Borin smiles.

"Try Mexico!" Gibbs sarcastically corrects her.

"Still tropical!"

Ducky tired of their constant bickering quickly interrupts them. "TOD, two days ago, like I surmised." Ducky informs them.

"McGee find out who chartered the yacht." Gibbs instructs him.

"On it!" McGee nods and walks out of the room.

"Speculate on what happened in here?" Borin curiously asks.

"Not until we process the crime scene." Gibbs answers.

"Good, I brought my team along to help out." Borin smirks.

NCIS Headquarters

Jenny's Office

Two Hours Later

"Jen, I don't need Borin hovering over my shoulder." Gibbs snarls.

Jenny sitting behind her desk. "Jethro, proper protocol when it involves a death on a large vessel is that CGIS has joint jurisdiction on the investigation."

"But why Borin?" Gibbs whines and flops down in a chair at the conference table.

"To agitate you." Jenny laughs.

"Very funny!"

"Jethro it's out of my hands, play nice." Jenny orders him.

"That'll be the day." Gibbs grunts.

Downstairs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are reviewing the crime scene photos on the plasma screen. "No engagement ring on Jenny finger." Tony pouts.

"Jenny isn't the marrying type, so I doubt that Gibbs will propose to her." Ziva mutters.

McGee's desk phone begins to ring. He walks over to his desk and answers it. "McGee!"

"Hopefully that's the charter company that the yacht was rented from." Tony asks out loud.

McGee writes down the information. "Thanks!" He answers and hangs. "The yacht was chartered out to a Raphael Fernando."

"Sounds like a name that a drug dealer would have." Tony ponders.

McGee typing in Fernando's name. "Try weapons dealer."

"I'll run his name by one of my Interpol contacts." Ziva nods and walks over to her desk.

"I better inform Gibbs." Tony says and flips open his cell phone, pressing the speed dial button in for Gibbs' cell phone number. "Boss, Raphael Fernando chartered the yacht, McGee did a background check on him." "Fernando is a known weapons dealer." Tony informs him….."Do you want me to call-" Tony pulls his cell phone back from his ear as Gibbs snarls at him on the other end of the phone. "I take that as a no." Tony laughs.

Two minutes later, Gibbs is leaning over McGee's desk leaning over McGee's shoulder from behind. "Fernando is wanted by MI-5, Judicial Police in Portugal, and SVA in Spain."

"SVA?" Tony shrugs

"Customs Surveillance Service!" Ziva quickly interjects from her desk.

"Big time for a Guatemalan Weapons Dealer." Gibbs grunts.

"Is he on the Director's weapons dealer's hit list?" Tony curiously asks.

"No!" Gibbs sighs with relief.

"You seem relieved." Tony says with surprise.

"Yes, it means that this investigation should keep the Director up in her office where I want her, next week or so Jenny has a lot on her plate and her focus should be on that."

"Boss, according to Customs, Fernando took a flight out to Cartagena, Colombia on January 1st at 1300 hours." McGee informs him.

"Great!" Gibbs grumbles.

"Columbia again." Tony sighs and walks over to his desk.

"Tony, Ziva, I want you to head on over to Wallace's apartment and go over every inch of it" Gibbs orders them.

"On it!" Tony nods grabbing his coat and backpack.

"McGee I want you to follow up on Fernando-"

"Where a bouts prior to the New Year's Eve party on board the yacht that he chartered." McGee interjects.

Tony and Ziva walk out together. "Hopefully there isn't anything kinky at Wallace's apartment." Tony laughs.

"Why you afraid that he may share Betty Carver's taste in whips and chains." Ziva giggles.

Gibbs backs away from McGee's desk. "I'm heading down to Ducky's."

McGee picks up his desk phone. "I better see how Fernando paid for that charter." McGee says under his breath.

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek

Lieutenant David Wallace's Apartment

1400 Hours

"What a drive from hell." Tony grumbles as he walks into Wallace's apartment with Ziva following him from behind.

"Well if you would have let me drive, we would have arrived here about an hour sooner." Ziva sighs in annoyance.

"The question is will we be alive." Tony baits her.

"That's getting old."

Tony removing a pair of latex gloves from the inside of his coat pocket. "I'll start in the bedroom, you start in the kitchen."

"What could I possibly find out in the kitchen?" Ziva protests.

"Something cold to drink in the refrigerator, I'm thirsty."

"Then why send me out into the kitchen."

"A woman's work is never done." Tony smirks.

Ziva walks over to the kitchen and opens up the refrigerator door; inside she finds a small apple juice box and throws it at Tony. "If you want something else get it yourself." Ziva hisses and storms off into the living room. She takes out a pair of latex gloves from her coat pocket and puts them on.

"You could have thrown two of them at me." Tony baits her and sticks the plastic straw into the container.

"You're pushing it." Ziva snaps.

"You should have thought of that when you disrespected my authority in front of Metro PD the other day."

"You were hinting up on Officer McCarthy."

"You still disrespected me." "When Gibbs is away, you should always address me as boss."

Ziva bursts out laughing. "I don't call Gibbs boss and you want me to call you boss while you're acting team leader." Ziva chuckles.

"True!" Tony shrugs and walks off for the bedroom.

Ziva approaches Wallace's desk and opens up the drawer, inside the desk drawer, Ziva finds several flash drives. "I wonder what's stored in there." Ziva ponders out loud.

Inside the bedroom, Tony finds a folder on top of the nightstand. He walks over to the nightstand and picks up the folder. Inside the folder he finds information on an undercover op that Wallace was working with the ATF. "Ziva I got something." Tony calls out to her. Ziva rushes in with the bedroom carrying the flash drives in her hand. "Apparently Wallace was working undercover with the ATF."

"Isn't Wallace a Navy Seal?" Ziva curiously asks.

"According to this he works liaison with the ATF."

"That doesn't make sense." Ziva says with confusion.

"Yeah why what a Seal want to work with the ATF, when he could work with the best federal arms agency in the country, NCIS." Tony grins.

"We'll soon find out."

Tony spotting the flash drives on Ziva. "What's in the flash drives?"

"I don't know haven't gotten that far yet?"

Tony reading the parameters of Wallace's mission. "According to this, Wallace stole Fernando's weapon's container that Fernando had stored at a dock in Norfolk."

"And he was trying to lure Fernando into a trap to obtain his weapons back." Ziva surmises.

Tony reading the container's weapons manifest. "Ziva, I can see why the AFT wanted to bring Fernando down, if the local drug dealers and gangs got a hold of these weapons, local law enforcement wouldn't have a chance."

"You know since this is also the ATF's jurisdiction also, this will involve them in our investigation." Ziva laughs, knowing full well that Gibbs is not going to be happy having to share a case with another agency.

"Gibbs is going to flip out." Tony groans.

Ziva glances down at her watch. "Let's drag out the search of Wallace's apartment."

"We'll get back at headquarters around 2100 Hours." "Perfect!" Tony smiles.

NCIS Headquarters

Gibbs returning from a coffee run is in the elevator talking with Tony on his cell phone. "Great!" Gibbs growls.

Tony, sitting on top of Wallace's bed. "Ziva is processing Wallace's living room, she found some flash drives inside of a desk drawer." "We figured that it would be better if Abby or McGee looked at them first."

"Good idea!" Gibbs answers…The elevator stops, the doors open and Gibbs walks out. "Maybe there's something on the flash drives that will lead us to where Wallace has the weapons hidden at." Gibbs answers.

"I gather you're going to call the ATF?" Tony smirks.

"Hell no I'm going to stall as long as I can." Gibbs barks.

"Three way agency turf war going on." Tony laughs.

"Mental note, head slap DiNozzo when he reports back to headquarters." Gibbs snarls and hangs up. He walks over to his desk and puts his coffee on top of his desk. McGee returns from the lounge. "Anything major." Gibbs asks.

"Nothing, Tony and Ziva haven't called yet."

"I just got off the phone with DiNozzo; apparently Wallace was working liaison with the ATF."

"So that's the reason why Wallace was murdered by Fernando?" McGee asks.

"DiNozzo and Ziva uncovered some information on what Wallace was working on; we'll go over it when they get back from Virginia Beach."

"Does this mean another member of the alphabet family is joining op with us?" McGee grins over at Gibbs.

"Bite your tongue." Gibbs grumbles and takes off his coat tossing it on the bookshelf behind his desk. Gibbs is about to take a sip from his cup of coffee when his desk phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Cynthia's Reception Area

"The Director wants to see you up in her office sir?" Cynthia sweetly says to him.

Noting the tone in Cynthia's voice. "The Director is up to something?"

"I guess you're going to have to find out." Cynthia giggles and hangs up.

Gibbs slams his phone down. "I hate surprises." Gibbs grumbles and stalks off for the stairs.

McGee curious as to what Tony and Ziva has uncovered in Virginia Beach, picks up his desk phone and calls Tony's cell phone. "DiNozzo clue me in."

Cynthia's Reception Area

Gibbs walks in giving Cynthia the stare, Cynthia ignores his gaze, trying to keep her composure. "She's up to something alright." Gibbs grunts.

"You'll have to find out." Cynthia snickers.

Gibbs walks over to the office door and opens it up; he walks into the office and finds Jenny sitting at the head of the conference table. "Ok Madame Director, you summoned me and by the tone of your loyal lady in waiting's voice, it's a joke at my expense." Gibbs growls.

"Double the joke on you Agent Gibbs." Jenny smirks at him.

With that, Hollis walks in from Cynthia's outer office. "Is he going to play nice this time around?" Hollis playfully asks.


	81. Scheming Females

Previously On NCIS

Gibbs and his team are working on an investigation of the murder of Navy Seal Lieutenant David Wallace. At the crime scene location on a yacht in the middle of National Harbor; CGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin enters the crime scene, much to Gibbs' chagrin and informs him that she's co-investigating the crime scene with him.

Back at headquarters, Director Shepard orders Special Agent Gibbs to play nice with Borin. Gibbs sends Tony and Ziva to Virginia Beach, Virginia home to Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, the Navy Seals east coast base of operations. While searching Wallace's apartment, Tony uncovers a liaison operation that Wallace was working on with the ATF. Informing Gibbs back at headquarters, Tony baits his boss at the possibility of another agency joining op with them. "Mental note, head slap DiNozzo when he reports back to headquarters." Gibbs snarls and hangs up.

Returning to his desk from a coffee run, Gibbs gets a phone call from Cynthia instructing him that the Director needs to see him up in her office. Arriving in Jenny's Office, Gibbs glares over at his lover, noting by Cynthia's voice and body language and that Jenny is up to something. . "Ok Madame Director, you summoned me and by the tone of your loyal lady in waiting's voice, it's a joke at my expense." Gibbs growls.

"Double the joke on you Agent Gibbs." Jenny smirks at him.

With that, Hollis walks in from Cynthia's outer office. "Is he going to play nice this time around?" Hollis playfully asks.

Gibbs turns and glares over at Hollis. "What?"

"I guess he forgot." Hollis laughs and walks over to Gibbs and shows him her ID. "Special Agent Hollis Mann, AFT."

"You got to be kidding me." Gibbs groans in protest.

"CGIS Special Agent Borin is on her way over." Jenny announces.

"I had a briefing with Special Agent Borin by webcam." "It seems that you don't like to play nice with her either." Hollis sweetly says to Gibbs and bats her eye lashes at him.

"That's because she's a pushy female." Gibbs growls.

"No she's a mirror image as you." Jenny laughs.

Cynthia walks into the office. "Special Agent Borin!" Cynthia announces, as Borin walks past Cynthia. Cynthia walks out of the office and closes the door behind her.

"I don't believe this." Gibbs grumbles and stalks over to the conference table and flops down in a chair directly across from Jenny.

Borin walks over to Hollis. "Special Agent Mann!" Borin addresses her and reaches for Hollis' hand.

"Special Agent Borin!" Hollis smiles and shakes Borin's hand. Hollis takes a seat at the conference table in front of the plasma screen. Borin settles into a chair in across from Hollis. "I take it that my Director briefed you in on the parameters of Lieutenant Wallace's mission with the ATF." Hollis curiously asks Jenny.

"Yes I've been read into it." Jenny answers.

"Well I haven't, so clue me in." Gibbs grunts.

"Wallace got a tip that an arms dealer was about to get a large shipment at Norfolk International Terminal." Hollis informs Gibbs, Jenny, and Borin.

"Navy Base is right next to it, why didn't he go to NCIS?" Gibbs asks.

"Wallace was working liaison with ATF; he had a few more months on his tour of duty with the Navy, at which time Wallace was going to be a full time ATF Agent." Hollis answers.

"Wallace's father is an ATF Special Agent in Charge; he was just following in his father's footsteps." Jenny answers, giving the reasons why Wallace had chosen the ATF over NCIS.

"He got a tip that Fernando was about to get a large shipment in Norfolk, according to DiNozzo, who read part of Fernando's mission file back at his apartment, Wallace stole the container that Fernando was about to purchase." Gibbs nods over at Hollis.

"Actually Fernando had already purchased it and was about to unload it during the middle of the night."

"So where is the container?" Borin curiously asks.

"I don't know I just started yesterday with the ATF."

Gibbs shakes his head and begins to laugh. "And as usual my team has to figure out everything for you Holli." Gibbs snorts.

"Holli!" Borin asks and raises a curious eyebrow at the two of them. "You two didn't sleep-"

Hollis quickly interrupts Borin before she can finish. "We did and its ancient history and I've moved on." Hollis snaps at her and then gets back to the subject at hand. "On the job it's Agent Mann; do I make myself clear Agent Gibbs?" Hollis advises Gibbs.

"Crystal!" Gibbs smirks.

"I could have my Director go to the SecNav to take sole custody of this investigation." Hollis angrily warns him.

"You can't do that." Gibbs snarls.

"Then play nice with her and there won't be any problems." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Gibbs answers sucking in his teeth.

"Ok what did DiNozzo and Ziva find at Wallace's apartment besides his file on his op?" Hollis asks.

"Several flash drives, they didn't look into them, figured it would be better for McGee and Abby to check them out." Gibbs answers.

"Now that wasn't so hard." Jenny laughs and gets up from her chair. "I have an op to oversee in MTAC and I also have several late op's as well tonight." Jenny reminds Gibbs. She grabs her glasses and portfolio from on top of the table and walks out of the office.

Hollis observing Jenny's body language. "She's having way too much fun with this." Hollis laughs.

"At my expense." Gibbs grumbles.

"Serves you right for not playing ball with me last November." Borin snickers.

Gibbs gets up from the table. "Surrounded by scheming females." "Care to see the body down in Autopsy Agent Mann."

"Yes and it will be nice to see Ducky and Palmer again." Hollis smiles.

"I'll go see if McGee has come with anything." Borin says, noting that Gibbs and Hollis want to be alone.

In the elevator Gibbs is trying to keep his composure. Hollis noting that he's avoiding the question. "Didn't expect to work with me so soon?" Hollis asks, breaking the tension between them.

"No, I completely forgot that you took the job at ATF." Gibbs answers.

"I think you mentally blocked out that I took the job with the ATF." Hollis laughs.

"Cute!" Gibbs grunts…The elevator stops and the doors open. Gibbs and Hollis step out of the elevator and walk into Autopsy, Ducky and Palmer are reviewing Wallace's X-rays. "Find anything new Duck?"

Ducky turns and finds Hollis walking side by side with Gibbs. "Colonel Mann!" Ducky warmly calls out to her.

"Special Agent Mann, I work with the ATF now." Hollis smiles.

"Right, you were offered a job with the ATF." Ducky nods.

"Too bad it wasn't a job offer at the Honolulu office." Gibbs grumbles.

"I see Jethro isn't thrilled to be working with you so soon." Ducky observes and bursts out laughing.

"No he gets to work with two of his favorite female Special Agents; I just met CGIS Agent Borin up in Director Shepard's office." Hollis smirks.

"You don't say." "I guess this is a payback for not playing fair with Agent Borin last November." Ducky muses.

"The Director seemed like she was enjoying this also." Hollis laughs.

"Jethro doesn't play nice with his boss either." Ducky mutters and rolls his eyes over at Gibbs.

"That's because she's a nosey female that can't keep her nose out of my cases." Gibbs growls.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with the previous NCIS Director sticking his nose into your cases." "And I believe with a week and a half after Director Vance took office, he had barged into one of your interrogations and demanded that he question the witness." Ducky angrily reminds him.

"I had my reasons to kiss his ass and you damn well know it Duck." Gibbs barks.

"Yes, he broke up your team and you resorted to Junior Agent Shepard's tactic's to get them reinstated on to your team." Ducky snorts.

"What was Junior Agent Shepard's tactics?" Hollis curiously asks.

"Ass kissing!" Gibbs grumbles.

Ducky getting back to the subject at hand. "No, I didn't find anything new on Lieutenant Wallace's X-Ray." "I was just reviewing them again before I file them away."

"Can I see the Lieutenant's body?" Hollis curiously asks.

Ducky walks off towards the mortuary refrigerator with Gibbs and Hollis following him from behind. He opens up drawer number fourteen. "Lieutenant Wallace was shot execution style in the front of the head, plus he had several gunshot wounds to the chest, the lethal shot of course was to the front of the cranium."

"His father has asked to see his son's body." Hollis requests.

"I'll have him ready for his father tomorrow." Ducky frowns and closes the drawer. "Such a waste at a loss of life so young."

"It's a waste at any age." Hollis nods.

"Particularly the ones who had to live a life yet." Gibbs sadly answers. "We done here?" Gibbs shrugs over at Hollis.

"You are." "I wanted to talk with Doctor Mallard for a few minutes."

"I better rescue McGee from Borin." Gibbs answers and starts off for the doorway.

Hollis waits for Gibbs to leave the room. "He was referring to his daughter." Hollis frowns.

"He'll never get over her death or Shannon's." "Some demons are never exercised." Ducky sadly notes.

"And Jenny is able to live with this at home?" Hollis curiously asks.

"Unfortunately our lovely Director has the same demons that will never be exercised, so she is able to cope with Jethro's struggles, just like he's able to cope with hers." Ducky smiles.

Tony and Ziva arrive at headquarters around 2100 hours, Gibbs noting that his team is tired from the long day orders them home, much to the chagrin of Hollis and Borin. "I want fresh minds on this; we'll pick it up at 0700 Hours tomorrow morning." "McGee I want you down in Abby's Lab going over Wallace's flash drives."

"On it!" McGee nods at him.

Half an hour later, Gibbs is sitting at his worktable down in the basement sanding down a block of wood. "I bet dad is way ahead of me on our little Christmas project." Gibbs grumbles

Hollis at the top of the steps with a brown paper bag in her hand. "No boat!" Hollis calls down to him.

"I told you I finished her."

"Right, you named her after Jenny." Hollis says with surprise.

Gibbs turns and glances up at Hollis, noting the bag in her hand. "I had dinner already at headquarters."

"This isn't dinner." Hollis softly says to him and walks down the stairs. She takes out a pint of Pistachio ice cream along with a plastic spoon and hands it over to Gibbs. "We use to lie in bed eating an entire gallon of Pistachio ice cream." Hollis fondly recalls and removes her pint from the bag.

"Then I would go to work the next day and hit the gym to burn it off." Gibbs laughs and pops the lid from his ice cream container.

"I thought I worked it off of you." Hollis winks.

"No!" Gibbs says between bites of his ice cream.

"That's right you use to fall asleep afterwards." Hollis sighs; she pops off the lid to her ice cream and digs in. Glancing down on top of the table, Hollis notices the blue prints for wooden trains that Gibbs is building. "You're building trains?"

"Along with my dad." "It's for the children at the Children's Hospital, past few Christmas' we've built model airplanes for them." "This year we decided to try something different."

"Need any help?"

"Nah this is a father and son project."

"I bet Jenny helps."

"Jenny is not handy with hand tools." Gibbs laughs.

"Then what does she do when you're working on your little projects down here."

"The days that Jenny doesn't want to be alone, she'll sit at the workbench reading a book, while I work over at the work table." "And when she wants to be alone, I made a room upstairs for Jenny that she can unwind in."

"So while you have your man cave, Jenny has her personal space as well."

"He father had a study in the house that she use to live at in Georgetown, Jenny would spend most of her time in that room." "I want her to feel at home here."

"How does she do that when this is the house that you shared with your first wife?" Hollis shrugs.

"I made a few changes to the house, updated the kitchen, I was willing to redo the living room and the upstairs bedroom to make the place our own, but Jenny refused, she wanted me to keep some of my memories of my family." Gibbs smiles.

"Jenny Shepard is a special woman Jethro, I'm glad you found somebody to share the rest of your life with."

"And I'm glad that you've found somebody to share the rest of your life with." Gibbs smiles.

"He better be, since I gave up Hawaii for him." Hollis laughs

Around midnight, Jenny crawls into bed and buries her face up against her lover's chest. Gibbs stirs in his sleep. "Go back to sleep." She whispers.

"Only if you kiss me good night." Gibbs snorts.

Jenny leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. "I love you." She whispers and buries her face on top of his left shoulder.

"I love you." Gibbs mumbles half asleep and tightens his arms around Jenny's waist. "Spending the rest of my life with you, on a sandy beach in Mexico." Gibbs says to himself, with a big smile on his face.


	82. Burning The Midnight Oil

The next morning at NCIS Headquarters, Abby and McGee are down in Abby's Lab trying to figure out the password on a file that Wallace had stored in one of the flash drives that Tony and Ziva had brought back from Wallace's Virginia Beach apartment. "I'm about to give up." McGee grumbles.

"Well I'm not." Abby sweetly answers.

Gibbs, Hollis, and Borin walk into the lab, Gibbs carrying a Caff-Pow in hand walks over to Abby. "Got anything for us?"

Abby retrieving her Caff-Pow from Gibbs. "No, we're having problems figuring out the password that Wallace had used on one of the files that he had stored on the flash drive that Tony and Ziva had found in his apartment." Abby answers.

"Were there any other files on the flash drives?" Hollis curiously asks.

"Photos, unimportant miscellaneous files." McGee shrugs.

Borin walks over to McGee and leans over his shoulder; she glances up at the computer monitor in front of him. "Conmutador y cebo?" Boring reading the file name out loud.

Abby knowing Spanish. "Switch and bait!" Abby clarifies for her.

Gibbs rolls his eyes. "What's that suppose to me?"

"Got me!" McGee groans.

"I was surprised that Wallace didn't have a computer in his apartment." Abby notes.

"Wallace had a laptop?" Hollis answers.

"Where is it?" Gibbs asks.

"Wallace's car was completely empty when we searched it." Borin answers and also remembers that Wallace's cell phone was missing also. "And his cell phone is missing as well."

"Maybe Fernando has it?" McGee sheepishly suggests.

"Damn it!" Gibbs snaps.

"If Fernando has Wallace's laptop, we're screwed." Borin sighs in frustration.

Up in the lounge, Jenny and Ziva are sitting at one of the table gossiping about Tony's latest girlfriend. "Dumped so soon." Jenny giggles and takes a sip from her bottle of orange juice.

"Tony wasn't interested in a threesome with her best friend Darlene." Ziva snickers.

"I had to do that once on an op I worked in Hamburg, Germany." Jenny grimaces.

"I gather it hurt." Ziva curiously asks, noting Jenny facial expression.

"No, my body wasn't as flexible as I thought it was."

Unknown to Jenny and Ziva, Tony had walked in and overheard part of their conversation. "Oh really Director." Tony smirks and approaches the table.

"Figures you would walk in on that." Jenny mutters.

"I won't ask since we're not allowed to talk about your off the job relationship with my boss." Tony grins.

Jenny gets up from the table. "It wasn't about your boss." Jenny winks and walks out of the room.

"Alright David fess up."

"We were discussing ménage à trois'." Ziva baits her partner.

"You blabbed!" Tony protests.

"Like you don't blab about my sex life." Ziva hisses and gets up from the table.

"I can't blab about McGeek's, his is boring." Tony laughs.

"Like yours isn't."

"Hey I have the babes lined up, where McGee is up in his apartment typing away on his typewriter."

"You mean you have to scope out the bars so that the babes can decide if they want to take in the essence of DiNozzo." Ziva teases him.

"You won't let that go."

"Never!" Ziva laughs.

Autopsy

1300 Hours

Retired ATF Special Agent Paul Wallace is standing in front of the examining table looking down at his son's body. "I want the bastard found." Wallace shouts.

"We'll find him." Gibbs promises.

"Davey was supposed to take up where I left off at the ATF." Wallace chokes.

"From what I was told by his boss, Special Agent Denise Burnett, your son had a promising future ahead of him." Hollis warmly says to him.

"I want to help." Wallace offers.

"You need to grieve first." Gibbs smoothly says to him.

"There's no time for that Special Agent Gibbs." Wallace snaps.

"Alright, but first I want you to spend some time with your son." "After your done come up to the Squad Room and we'll go from there."

"Thank you!" Wallace appreciatively smiles.

Up in the Squad Room five minutes later. "You think that was wise." Borin nods.

"I would be doing the same thing in Wallace's position." Gibbs sighs.

Hollis remembering that Gibbs' wife and daughter were murdered by a drug dealer. "And you've been down this road once before." Hollis softly says to him.

"Yes!" Gibbs swallows and gets up from his desk, grabbing his coat from the bookshelf behind his desk. "I'm going for coffee, if Wallace returns; send him over to the conference room." Gibbs nods over at them and walks off for the elevator.

Borin waits for Gibbs to step inside of the elevator. "Did you have to bring up his wife and daughter?" Borin chastises Hollis.

"He'll never let it go." Hollis frowns.

Jenny over hearing them from the catwalk. "There are some things that a person can never get over and the loss of the love of your life and your only child is something that will always be a part of Gibbs." Jenny sadly says to Hollis.

Hollis making eye contact with Jenny as she makes her way up the stairs. "And a special woman that is willing to accept that without regrets." Hollis smiles.

Half an hour later in the conference room, Gibbs, Hollis, Borin, Tony, and Paul Wallace are sitting around the conference table updating Wallace on his son's murder investigation. "Fernando took a flight out to Cartagena, Colombia on January 1st." Gibbs says to Wallace and points to a photo of Fernando up on the plasma screen behind the table.

"No extradition charges." Wallace snaps.

"Your son was posing as an Italian arms dealer, Lorenzo Moretti." Hollis informs him.

"I thought that Davey had hidden Fernando's container." Wallace shrugs.

"He did, we have video footage of him removing Fernando's container from Norfolk International Terminal on December 13th at midnight." Gibbs says.

Hollis grabbing the clicker from on top of the table. "Kaspries Hauling and Storage was the name of the trucking company that drove off with the container." "It's located in-"

"Arlington!" Wallace finishes and pounds his fist on top of the table. "My brother in law Chuck Kaspries owns it."

"We're in the process of getting a search warrant for Kaspries Hauling and Storage." Tony nods.

"Who tipped off Davey's cover?" Wallace asks.

"We don't know, other than the case file that was found at his apartment back in Virginia Beach, we don't know who your son was working with on the inside." "His cell phone and laptop are missing." Gibbs answers.

"Davey dropped off his things in his old room on Saturday afternoon." "He was suppose to spend New Year's day with us." Wallace chokes.

"DiNozzo I want you and Ziva to search Wallace's bedroom." Gibbs instructs him.

"On it!" Tony quickly answers and gets up from the table and leaves the room.

"Soon as the warrant arrives, Agents Mann, Borin, and I will head on over to Kaspries Hauling and Storage."

"I'm so glad that you're in charge of my son's murder investigation." Wallace smiles with relief and gets up from the table. "With you and your team of agents and along with Special Agents Mann and Borin I know that you will bring Davey's killer to justice."

Arlington, Virginia

Kaspries Hauling and Storage

Chuck Kaspries Office

1600 Hours

Gibbs, Hollis, and Borin are sitting in front of Chuck Kaspries desk, questioning him about the container that his nephew Lieutenant David Wallace stored there on December 13th 2011. "Sure, Davey borrowed one of my trucks on December 12th." "He said he had a container full of furniture from his apartment in Virginia Beach that he needed to store for a few months until he moved back to Washington full time." Chuck informs them.

"He still has six months to go on his tour with the Navy." Borin shrugs.

"Davey said that he was going to live on base in between his liaison duties with the ATF." Chuck answers.

Gibbs taking out a warrant in his jacket pocket to search Fernando's container. "I have a warrant to search the container that Wallace had stored here."

"It's container-"

"343!" Borin interrupts.

"You're in luck, I happen to know where it's located at." "I had one of my men move it this morning to the rear of my facility." "With Davey's passing I was going to have his father go through it." Chuck smoothly says.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs cuts the lock to the container, he pulls the handles up and pulls open the doors. Inside the container, automatic assault rifles, grenade launchers, Uzis, automatic hand guns, and boxes of ammo are piled high up to the ceiling. "Oh my god!" Borin answers with her jaw hanging in disbelief. "No wonder Fernando killed him."

"Hollis photo the inside of the container." "I'm sending a truck over to haul this container back over to the Navy Yard, we're not wasting man power emptying it here." Gibbs says, flipping open his cell phone.

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

1900 Hours

Tony and Ziva are sharing a pizza at Tony's desk. "McGee has not cracked the password for Wallace's flash drive yet." "What are the odds that he'll be able to crack the password on his laptop?" Tony laughs.

"I'd like to see you crack Wallace's password." Ziva smirks.

"That's geek work." Tony grins.

At the end of the aisle next to McGee's desk, Hollis and Borin are having dinner together. "So glad you suggested Mexican, it's been awhile since I've had any decent Mexican take-out that's not from Taco Bell." Hollis smiles and takes a sip from her bottle of Diet Snapple Papaya Mango Tea.

Borin glancing over at the Gibbs' desk. "Surprised that Gibbs isn't eating over at his desk." Borin sheepishly says and then takes a bite from her burrito.

"I bet you ten to one it's Chinese." Hollis giggles.

With that Gibbs steps out of the elevator carrying a cardboard box with Chinese take-out. He walks past the length of the corridor passing his section. "Glad I didn't' take you up on that bet." Borin laughs with relief.

Hollis watches as Gibbs walks up the stairs, over the catwalk and up the second flight of stairs. "His dinner date of choice is the Director." Hollis mutters.

"No, his partner." Tony baits Hollis over hearing her from his desk.

Borin taking in Hollis facial reaction. "I gather the two of you use to sit at his desk."

"First dinner date was Chinese take-out at his desk." Hollis fondly answers.

"Jethro never asked me out." Borin frowns.

"I believe he said that it would have gotten boring after a while with the two of you being so much alike." Tony answers, reminding Borin of the conversation that they had on the subject of her and Gibbs dating one another.

"Believe if I had to do it all over again Abby, I wouldn't have gone out with him, it wasn't worth the pain I suffered in the end." Hollis says regrettably.

Upstairs in Jenny's Office, Gibbs and Jenny are having a romantic dinner over at the coffee table. Gibbs opening up two bottles of Budweiser. "Can't wait until next month." Gibbs impatiently grumbles.

Jenny opening up the container of her Moo Goo Gai Pan. "We have to get through January first." Jenny sighs in frustration.

"And this investigation." Gibbs groans and takes a sip from his bottle of beer.

"Evidence Room Tech's are going to be working an all-nighter."

"I know DiNozzo was baiting them when they were unloading the container outside of the Evidence Lock Up." Gibbs snorts.

"One of these days the Tech's are going to lock him inside of the cage and they will throw away the key." Jenny laughs.

"Fitting punishment." Gibbs chuckles.

Half an hour later, Gibbs hands Jenny her fortune cookie. "Jethro I can't eat another bite." Jenny winces holding her stomach.

"I'll eat it."

Jenny breaks open her fortune cookie, she pulls out the piece of paper. "Promising future beholds." Jenny softly reads out loud. Gibbs with a smile on his face, brings Jenny's hand over to his mouth. "You look like you want to ask me something and it's stuck in your throat." Jenny smiles.

Before Gibbs can answer her, his cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers, annoyed at the interruption. "We'll be right over." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"What happened?"

"Chuck Kaspries body was just found in his office."

"Fernando?"

"We'll soon find out." Gibbs answers and gets up from the couch. "I might have to pull an all-nighter myself."

"I have to stay over tonight as well." "Over sea's op in Manila."

"Get a few winks on the couch in between." Gibbs instructs her.

"I will!" Jenny smiles and gets up from the couch; she leans over and tenderly kisses Gibbs on the mouth. "Be nice with the ladies."

"Thanks a lot!" Gibbs grumbles and starts off for the door.

"You mean that'll be the day." Jenny snickers.

"Quit stealing my one liner's."

"I like to throw them in your face every now and then, remember I'm the boss." Jenny smirks.

"But there was a time when I was the boss and I taught you practically everything you know." Gibbs grins getting in the last word before he leaves the office.

Midnight

Gibbs and his team, along with Hollis and Borin are standing in front of the plasma screen next to McGee's desk watching video footage of Chuck Kaspries murder inside of his office. "Kaspries wouldn't give an inch to his killer." McGee sighs with relief.

"If only his killer knew that Kaspries had a camera inside of his office." Ziva sarcastically answers.

"Ziva run a bolo on that guy." Gibbs orders her.

"On it!" Ziva answers and walks over to her desk.

"It caught the murder on video and it also caught his killer talking to Fernando on his cell phone." "Where did Fernando find this bumbling idiot?" Tony laughs.

"I better head down to Abby's Lab and see if I can crack the passwords to Wallace's flash drive and laptop."

"How did Abby make out with Wallace's cell phone?" Gibbs asks.

"Abby said that she would drop off her report on her way home from work?" McGee nods.

"I didn't tell her that she could go home?" Gibbs barks.

"She said she'll be in at 0600 hours boss, one of us should have a fresh mind."

"You're right, Abby works better that way." Gibbs answers.

Up on the balcony, Jenny walks out of MTAC and heads for her office. "Director staying the night?"

"Yeah, she has a middle of the night MTAC op to oversee." Gibbs answers and walks over to his desk and grabs his coat. "I'm going out to get a coffee traveler at Starbucks."

"Make sure it's Pike's Blend." Hollis suggests.

"And lots of cream and sugar on the side." Tony smirks.

"I wish you would have learned to drink coffee black, like my partner." Gibbs growls and starts off for the door.

"That was fast." Ziva calls out from her desk.

"Bolo came back already." Tony asks with surprise.

"Yes, Julio Mendez, he's wanted in El Salvador for the murder of a bank president."

"What did Wallace get himself into?" Tony openly asks.

"Whatever it was, he was way over his head and he should have went to his ATF Special Agent in Charge." Hollis sadly answers.


	83. Storm Coming Jethro's Way

The next morning, Abby walks into her lab. "About time!" McGee triumphantly shouts.

"I take it you cracked Wallace's password." Abby smiles and walks over to her computer workstation.

"Yes, I was looking through his personal effects; I found a photo of his ex-girlfriend standing in front of the Killer Whale tank at Sea World in Orlando." McGee smiles.

"Shamu?"

"Umash, Shamu spelled back words."

"I would never have figured that one out." Abby laughs.

"I was trying just about anything." McGee grumbles and begins to look over the file.

"Find anything?"

"Wallace's complete op with the ATF."

"While you're reading into that, I'll see if Wallace used the same password on his laptop."

Upstairs in the conference room, Tony, Ziva, Hollis, and Borin are reviewing Wallace's cell phone call log. "It appears that he called Fernando on December 27th." Borin notes.

"I guess to meet up with Fernando, so that he could bait him into buying his weapons back." Tony surmises.

"I better head over to ATF Headquarters and talk with Burnett and see what she knows." Hollis nods and gets up from her chair.

"Gibbs wants everybody involved with the case to stay put." Tony warns her.

"The last time I checked, I don't work for him DiNozzo." Hollis icily answers him and walks out of the room.

"As usual you stuck your foot in your mouth." Ziva mutters.

"Wow you got one right." Tony laughs.

Borin noting the time on the wall. "Gibbs left for coffee about a half an hour ago." Borin says out loud.

"The Director spent the night up in her office, more than likely he's giving Jenny her morning coffee and briefing her on what we currently know about Lieutenant Wallace and Chuck Kaspries murder investigations." Ziva answers.

Jenny's Office

Jenny awakens on her pull out bed and finds Gibbs sitting on the edge of the bed watching over her. "Did you have to wake up?" Gibbs smiles.

"The coffee woke me up." Jenny yawns and sits up in bed. Gibbs leans over and passionately kisses her on the mouth.

Cynthia walks in. "Sorry, didn't see anything." Cynthia cringes in embarrassment and is about to leave.

"Don't go anywhere." Jenny laughs.

"I wasn't expecting Gibbs in here." Cynthia blushes.

"He pulled an all-nighter with his team." Jenny answers and takes her cup of coffee from Gibbs.

Gibbs gets up from the couch. "I better join them in the conference room." Gibbs nods.

"I want a briefing with you at 0800 hours." Jenny calls over to him.

"Just with me or do you want the bickering hens to join me?" Gibbs smirks.

"Whatever?" Jenny yawns.

Gibbs grabs his cup of coffee from on top of the coffee table. "I'll try coming up solo." Gibbs answers and walks out of the office.

"You have your hands full with that one." Cynthia snickers.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Jenny laughs and takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

Down in the Squad Room, McGee and Abby step out of the elevator, they find Gibbs walking over to the conference room. "Boss!" McGee shouts over to him.

Gibbs stops and faces them. "Crack Wallace's password?"

"Boy did I." McGee smiles.

"Apparently Wallace was trying to work the op by himself." Abby answers.

"Why would he want to fly solo on this?" Gibbs shrugs.

"To gain respect of his father." "Wallace kept a journal in his laptop." McGee informs him.

"He already had that." Gibbs sighs and starts off for the conference room with Abby and McGee following him from behind.

"Not as an ATF Agent." McGee sadly answers, relating on how Wallace felt, nothing was ever good enough for his father.

Inside the conference room, Tony, Ziva, and Borin are thinking of ways to get Fernando back into the United States. "I could pose as a weapons dealer." Tony suggests.

"You!" Ziva laughs.

"I could pass off as an arms dealer." Tony protests.

"You better come up with a new look to pass off as an arms dealer DiNozzo." Borin snickers.

Gibbs, Abby, and McGee walk into the room. "McGee cracked Wallace's password." Gibbs announces and notices that Hollis isn't around. "Where's Hollis?"

"She went back to ATF Headquarters to question Wallace's team leader." Tony answers.

"That's was a wasted trip, according to McGee, Wallace kept a journal on his laptop and was flying solo on his op."

"That's suicide." Borin grumbles.

"I know!" Gibbs sighs and takes a seat at the head of the conference table.

"We were thinking of ways to get Fernando to return to the United States." Borin bluntly says.

"A play?" Gibbs shrugs.

"Tony volunteered to pose as an arms dealer." Ziva giggles.

Gibbs rolls his eyes at the prospects of Tony posing as an arms dealer. "We need somebody who isn't an agent."

"Who?" Abby opening asks.

"I don't know anybody." Borin answers.

"I know somebody, somebody that the Director and I are familiar with and you as well Gibbs." Ziva smiles.

"I'm half way through my Jamaican blend David, clue me in." Gibbs growls.

"Tazara Zakar!"

Gibbs sits in his chair, rubbing his chin, Borin cuts to the chase. "Ok who is Tazara Zakar?"

"She was an agent for the National Intelligence and Security Service in Sudan." "Director Shepard and I worked with Tazara on 9|11 Anti-Terrorism Ops in the Middle East and Eastern Europe ten years ago." Ziva answers.

"I have a briefing with the Director at 0800 hours; I'll run it by her." Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his cup of coffee. "In the meantime, with the exception of Abby, I want Borin and my team to go out for breakfast, the four of you deserve a break." Gibbs smoothly says.

"I'll show you what McGee uncovered on Wallace's laptop and flash drives down in my lab." Abby nods.

Abby's Lab

"Stupid!" Gibbs grunts in frustration. "You don't work alone on an op like this."

"You would have?" Abby smiles.

"Wallace ain't me." Gibbs barks.

"Most of the stuff on the flash drive I'm sure that Burnett was aware of." Abby answers.

"With the exception of Wallace acting alone."

"What's Tazara Zakar like?" Abby curiously asks.

"Bundle of energy like you and has an answer for everything like the Director." Gibbs laughs.

"I hope the Director approves of Tazara helping us out."

"I'm sure she will." Gibbs chuckles.

Jenny's Office

0810 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are seated around the conference table. "Good idea it's 1600 Hours in Genoa right now." Jenny softly answers and gets up from the table and walks over to her desk, pressing in the button to her intercom. "Cynthia could you get Tazara Zakar on the phone for me?"

"Yes Director!" Cynthia answers.

Ten Minutes Later

Genoa, Italy

Zakar Shipping Enterprises

Tazara's Office

"I'd be delighted Jenny, it will seem like old times working with you and Ziva again, and of course I'll get to meet Jethro again." Tazara laughs.

"Just what he needs another female to work with." Jenny laughs.

"I heard that." Gibbs growls.

"Isn't it early for him to be grouchy?"

"That's his normal behavior twenty-four seven Tazara." Jenny giggles.

Tazara glances up at the clock on the wall. "I'll fly out tonight."

"Good it will be good to see you again." Jenny smiles.

"And this time, I'll be working with Director Jenny Shepard, not CIA Operative, Harriett Jones." Tazara smiles.

"Harriet Jones is ancient history." Jenny smirks.

Downstairs, Hollis returns from AFT Headquarters and walks into the conference room and finds it empty. "I wonder if McGee cracked the password to Wallace's flash drive and laptop." Hollis curiously asks and walks out of the room.

Abby's Lab

In the ballistics' room Abby is firing several rounds into the bullet collection chamber. Hollis walks into the room and waits for Abby to finish. "I wonder where everybody went to." Hollis inwardly says to herself.

Abby notices that Hollis has entered the room. "Agent Mann!" She sweetly addresses her and removes her safety glasses and earmuffs.

"Abby, since I'm now an ATF agent, you can call me Hollis."

"Something that I'll have to get use to." Abby says with surprise.

"Where are Gibbs and the others?" Hollis inquires.

"Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Agent Borin went out to breakfast; Gibbs is up in the Director's office briefing her." Abby answers and opens up the lid to the bullet chamber.

"I gather that McGee cracked Wallace's password?"

"He sure did, but I'll let Gibbs fill you in on what's going on?" Abby answers.

"And you can't."

"And get my butt chewed out, I don't think so Agent-" Abby stammers…"I mean Hollis."

"Now I have to go all the way back upstairs." Hollis sighs and walks out of the room.

Abby takes out the bullet from the bullet chamber and puts it into an evidence jar. "Hey I don't even tell the Director of NCIS on what's going on one of Gibbs' cases." Abby cringes.

Upstairs, Gibbs and Jenny are standing up on the balcony in front of MTAC. "Tazara should be by around 1500 hours tomorrow." Jenny answers.

"You're looking forward to this." Gibbs laughs.

"It's been awhile since the three of us have worked together." Jenny softly answers.

"Three of us, meaning Ziva?"

"Yes, we made a good team, when the three of us worked together back in the day."

Hollis steps out of the elevator and walks over to them. "Do you mind telling me what's going on?"

"McGee cracked the code to Wallace's flash drive and laptop; apparently he wanted to fly solo on the op to prove something to his father."

"And why wasn't I notified?" "You do have a finger?" Hollis chastises him.

"Maybe if you would have stuck around you would have found out." Gibbs barks.

Jenny shakes her head. "I'll let the two of you battle this out." She laughs and walks over to the eye scanner and scans herself into MTAC.

"Director Shepard!" Hollis calls out to her.

"I'm staying out of this." Jenny smirks over at Hollis and opens the door and goes into MTAC.

"That's a first." Hollis asks and is surprised that Jenny doesn't want to interfere with Gibbs' investigation.

"Director Shepard on her second tour as Director of NCIS keeps out of my cases and rarely sticks her nose into them." Gibbs mischievously grins over at Hollis.

"Unless you pull something, Abby has informed me of the stunt that you pulled on Director Shepard's first day back on the job." Hollis sweetly says to her ex-lover. "The question is did you have to sleep on the couch for being a naughty agent?"

"That's none of your business Special Agent Mann." Gibbs snarls.

Downstairs, Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Borin step out of the elevator and hear Gibbs and Hollis arguing on the balcony. "I love it when Gibbs fights with one of his ex's." Tony laughs.

"What are they arguing about?" Borin curiously asks.

"Who's going to be on top?" Tony smirks….Ziva elbows Tony in the stomach. "Owwwwwwww!" He grimaces and doubles over.

Borin narrows her eyes over at McGee. "Do I need to ask?"

"Long story ma'am which I do not want to get into." McGee quickly answers and walks off for his desk.

Back up on the balcony. "I see we're having a communication problem once again." Hollis hisses.

"Whatever?" Gibbs grunts and walks off for the stairs.

Hollis chases after him. "I could take this investigation away from your team."

"Try it; I highly doubt that SecNav Jarvis will give into your Director." Gibbs laughs.

They both step down on the catwalk at the same time. "What makes you so sure of that?" Hollis sweetly says to him.

"Because my Director is having a briefing with the SecNav on my current investigation, we already have a plan in motion involving a former NISS Agent that use to work with Director Shepard and Ziva when they worked ops together in the Middle East and Eastern Europe."

"NISS?" Hollis shrugs.

"National Intelligence and Security Service, Sudan." Gibbs answers and makes his way over to the stairs with Hollis following from behind.

"It seems that NCIS has been busy plotting strategy behind my back."

"Wasn't behind your back and by the way, Agent Borin was present when Ziva came up with the idea." Gibbs smirks and walks into his section. "The Director liked your plan Ziva." "Tazara Zakar is taking a flight out from Genoa, Italy tonight; she'll arrive at NCIS Headquarters at 1500 hours tomorrow."

"It's been eight years since I've seen Tazara." Ziva smiles.

Abby walks into the bullpen and hands Gibbs a report on the bullet that was used to kill Chuck Kaspries. "Gibbs the murder weapon that Julio Mendez used on was a High-Point .45 HCP."

"That explains the reason why the top of Kaspries head was blown off." Tony answers in disgust.

"Mendez hasn't tried leaving the country yet." Gibbs answers.

"Airport, train and bus stations are all being watched." McGee sharply says.

"I guess we wait." Hollis sighs and frustration and walks over to her desk.

"In the meantime McGee head back downstairs and monitor Fernando's cell phone back in Cartagena." Gibbs orders him.

"Maybe Fernando might try and call Mendez back." McGee nods and walks off for the elevator.

"Abby help out McGee."

"Gibbs I haven't had my Caff-Pow fix today." Abby pouts.

"I bring one back after lunch."

"You better because we have a deal."

"Unlike your older dysfunctional brother I don't welch out on my promises." Gibbs smirks.

"Boss that hurts." Tony grumbles.

"You still owe me twenty bucks for that bet you lost six months ago." Ziva playfully scolds her partner.

Hollis grabs her desk phone and begins to dial Special Agent Burnett's cell phone number. "Denise, while I was away, Agent McGee cracked the password to Wallace's flash drive and laptop; apparently there was information on the flash drive about Wallace working alone on the op." Hollis informs her and waits for Burnett to respond. "That's what I told Agent Gibbs that you had no knowledge about Wallace flying solo on the operation."….."Right!"…"I'll let Agent Gibbs know that you will be over after lunch."….."See you then." Hollis answers and hangs up. "I just got off the phone with Wallace's ATF Team Leader Special Agent Denise Burnett; she'll be paying a visit after lunch." Hollis calls out to Gibbs.

"Great another female." Gibbs grumbles and walks over to his desk, just as Gibbs is about to sit down his desk phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

MTAC

Jenny sitting up in the last row all the way up in the corner and out of the earshot of her MTAC Technicians. "Want to have an early lunch." Jenny purrs.

Gibbs flops down in his chair. "I'm all ears." Gibbs chuckles.

"Meet me down in the parking garage at 1145 hours; I've instructed Noemi to be out of the house for a few hours."

"Sounds like a plan." Gibbs grins…Tony and Ziva raise an eyebrow at one another. "Anything else?"

"Make it look discrete." Jenny sensuously says to him and hangs up.

"Soon as I'm done with the current case that I'm working on I'll take a look at the photos that you sent me dad."…"Yeah I'm in the middle of a high profile case involving members of the other alphabet soup."

Borin takes a seat at a desk across from Hollis. "I take it Burnett wasn't thrilled with Wallace."

"You could say that." "No agent should work alone on something this dangerous."

"I know two agents that would work alone on something this dangerous." Borin smiles and glances over at the direction of Gibbs and Ziva.

1140 Hours

Jenny walks past Gibbs' section on her way over to the elevator. "Going to kiss ass up on the hill." Gibbs playfully taunts his boss.

"No I'm having lunch with the SecNav for your information Special Agent Gibbs." Jenny sweetly answers over her shoulder.

Gibbs gets up from his desk. "I'm checking up on that container downstairs." Gibbs nods over at Tony and walks off for the other elevator.

"So where are we going for lunch." Ziva curiously asks Tony.

"Sit down joint like this morning; I need to get out of this building." Tony whines.

Over at Hollis' desk. "Care to join me for lunch?" Hollis offers.

"You chose dinner last night."

"Deli!"

"Sounds like a plan." Borin smiles.

Gibbs' Bedroom

1215 Hours

Gibbs lying in bed on his back. "I can't take those two scheming bitches much longer."

Jenny rubbing the hair on his stomach. "Jethro I didn't come home for lunch to listen to you whining and complaining about Hollis and Borin."

"My body is recovering." Gibbs growls in protest.

"Then lie back and shut up, while I have my way with your body." Jenny seductively says and begins to rein kisses on his stomach and slowly works her way up to his chest.

1250 Hours

Out front, Gibbs and Jenny are passionately kissing one another, when Melvin pulls up in front of Gibbs' house. Jenny breathlessly pulls away. "It wasn't a complete lie I did have a meeting with the SecNav." Jenny giggles.

"This is exactly what I needed." Gibbs smiles and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. He walks Jenny over to the Towne Car and opens up the right rear passenger side door. "I'll see you back at the office."

"Don't worry, there's no way in hell Hollis can go over my head after the work NCIS has put into in this investigation." Jenny reassures him.

Gibbs closes the door and waves at Jenny one last time, before Melvin pulls away from his house. "Just the way I like it the politician comes in play when I need her and field agent Jen keeps her nose out of my cases." "Life is looking up for me." Gibbs smirks.

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

1310 Hours

Gibbs walks in coffee and Caff-Pow in hand. "Here's your Caff-Pow!" Gibbs smiles and walks over to Abby.

Abby takes her Caff-Pow from Gibbs, noting the love bite on the side of his neck. "Hum that wasn't there this morning." Abby mentally notes. "I see you made sure that they put extra ice in for me." Abby smiles.

"Yes I remembered it keeps your Caff-Pow colder." Gibbs shrugs.

McGee walks in returning from lunch. "Boss, Special Agent Burnett is up in the Squad Room."

"Forgot about that." Gibbs answers and walks off for the elevator.

McGee also has spotted the hickey on the side of Gibbs' neck, waits for Gibbs to walk into the elevator. "I thought the Director was suppose to be having lunch with the SecNav." McGee opening asks out loud.

"I believe it was a diversion tactic McGee."

"Gibbs and the Director sneak out of the building for a lunch time quickie." McGee sheepishly asks.

"Well they both spent the night at headquarters."

"Can't they go without having sex for twenty-four hours?"

"Apparently not!" Abby giggles.

Upstairs, Special Agent Denise Burnett is standing in between Hollis and Borin's desk. "I hate it when people are late." Burnett mutters in annoyance.

Gibbs walks into the room, coming from the direction from the elevator under the balcony. "Sorry I'm late." Gibbs apologizes.

"Special Agent Burnett, I would like for you to meet, Special Agent Gibbs." Hollis smiles.

Gibbs reaches for Burnett's hand. "Agent Burnett!"

Burnett returns the gesture. "Agent Gibbs!"

Over at Tony's desk, his cell phone goes off for a text message. Tony opens up his cell phone and notices it's an incoming text from Abby. 'Hickey on the right side of Gibbs' neck looks like him and mommy snuck out of the building for a lunch time quickie'. Tony quickly forwards the text to Ziva's cell phone.

"So Agent Gibbs, I'll need to review the information on Wallace's flash drive and laptop." Burnett asks.

Over at Ziva's desk, Ziva bursts out laughing at the text message that Tony had forwarded to her cell phone. "Find something funny Agent David." Gibbs growls.

"Just reacting to one of my e-mails, sorry Gibbs won't happen again." Ziva answers trying to keep a straight face.

Gibbs glaring over at Ziva for interrupting him and Burnett. "Wallace's flash drive and laptop are down in the forensics lab, I'll escort you down there." Gibbs offers.

Hollis and Borin get up from their respective desks. "We'll go down with you."

Gibbs rolls his eyes in and sucks in his teeth. "Great!" He sighs and walks off for the elevator with Hollis, Borin, and Burnett following him from behind.

Tony picks up his desk phone and dials Abby's extension number. "Abs, Gibbs is heading downstairs with Hollis, Borin, and Wallace's boss, Agent Burnett." Tony warns her.

"Did they see the hickey?" Abby giggles.

"Not sure!"

"I'll make sure that they see it."

A minute later, Gibbs walks into Abby's Lab. "McGee could you show Agent Burnett the file on Wallace's flash drive and the journal that was found on his laptop." Gibbs instructs him.

Burnett notices the Caff-Pow on top of the counter on Abby's workstation. "You drink Caff-Pow's Agent McGee."

"Once in a blue moon." McGee shrugs.

"That's mine, I'm addicted to them." "Gibbs bought me one during lunch time." Abby sweetly answers.

"Funny I didn't see you return to the Squad Room before lunch time." Hollis asks.

"There are other entrances in the building Agent Mann." Gibbs bitterly reminds her.

Hollis noting that Gibbs is now wearing a charcoal colored wool blazer, navy blue polo shirt, and black dress pants. "So you went home for lunch?"

"So, I went home and got a quick shower?" Gibbs grunts.

Borin spotting the hickey on Gibbs' neck. "And other quickie's." Borin mentally notes.

"What did he have to prove to his father, I don't understand this?" Burnett asks out loud.

"Maybe his father knows." Hollis answers.

"I'll head over to Wallace's parents' house." Gibbs says and is about to walk off for the elevator.

"I'll go with you." Hollis suggests.

"I'll go with Agent David." Gibbs snaps and stalks off for the elevator.

"He always this miserable." Burnett curiously asks.

"Only when he's surrounded by women." McGee laughs.

Capitol Hill Section

Gibbs and Ziva are sitting in the living room of Paul and Wendy Wallace. "My wife is out making arrangements with a caterer." Wallace apologizes.

"We came here to see you." Gibbs smiles.

"Catch my son's murderer."

"Working on it."

"Then why the visit, not only does my wife have to bury our son, she also has to prepare for her brother's funeral." Wallace sighs.

"Your son for some reason tried to work alone on the op he was assigned to." "We finally cracked the code on his flash drive and laptop."

"Why would he do that?" Wallace curiously asks Gibbs.

"He said he had something to prove to you."

"Prove what?" "I don't understand I was proud of Davey." Wallace asks in confusion.

"He had mentioned in his journal on how proud you were of your old team, they had taken out a high profiled arms dealer last fall." Ziva softly says to him.

"That had nothing to do with Davey."

"Apparently your son thought son." Gibbs calmly says.

Wallace gets up from his recliner. "Davey was jealous of the relationship that I had with my senior field agent Patrick Evans."

"You treated Evans like a son, nothing wrong with that." Gibbs reassures him.

"Pat had been raised in foster homes as a child." "I took him under my wing and trained Pat everything that he knew as a probationary status agent."

"Still that wasn't a reason for your son to be jealous of him." "Lieutenant Wallace could have proved himself to you in other ways." Ziva frowns.

"When did you retire?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Last June, I got shot in the leg; it was either desk work or retire." "I chose to retire."

"I would have done the same thing." Gibbs snorts.

"I was about to put my house up for sale and move to the Bahamas, we already have a condo down there."

"After I retire I plan on living out the rest of my life with my lady down in Baja, Mexico, I already have a house along the beach." Gibbs smiles.

"Part time, you forgot to mention that you will be spending your spring and summer months in Paris." Ziva reminds him.

"Forgot about that." Gibbs laughs.

"My wife and I went to Paris on our honeymoon." Wallace fondly recalls. "Best two weeks that we ever had."

"I spent a six month op with my lady in Paris."

"Special Agent Gibbs, I know you're seeing Director Shepard." Wallace winks at him.

"Trying to stay professional."

"It's kind of hard for you to be acting professional when you're walking around with one of her love bites on the side of your neck." Wallace laughs.

Gibbs suddenly dawns on him the reason why Ziva was laughing in the bullpen after lunch, head slaps Ziva on the back of the head. Ziva grimaces and rubs the back of her head. "What's that for?"

"You know damn well what for." Gibbs growls and gets up from the chair, getting back to the subject at hand. "What arms dealer did Evans take out?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Some French arms dealer in Palm Springs, California, I wasn't allowed to read into it, because the CIA listed it as a Black Op." Wallace frowns in frustration.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, McGee returns from Abby's Lab. "Gibbs return yet." McGee urgently asks Tony.

"No, he hasn't returned yet from questioning Paul Wallace." Tony shrugs.

With that Jenny steps out of the elevator. "Since Gibbs isn't here and it can't wait, I have to go to the Director with this."

"She hasn't returned from her meeting with the SecNav yet?" Tony answers.

McGee spotting Jenny walking past Gibbs' section. "Yes she has." "Ma'am, I found something on Wallace's laptop."

"Tell Gibbs!" Jenny answers and is about to walk off.

"He isn't here and it involves a mission that we were all involved with last September."

"When Gibbs gets back, I want the four of you up in my office." Jenny instructs him and walks away.

"What do we tell Hollis, Borin, and Burnett?" McGee grumbles.

"Nothing, it doesn't involve them." Tony grins.

Jenny's Office

Team Gibbs, along with Jenny is seated around the conference table. "Wallace hacked into the CIA and gained access into the raid on Julien Beniot's house in Palm Springs." McGee informs them.

"We have to keep this from Hollis, Borin, and Burnett." Jenny orders them.

"I know but how?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Lie like a trained investigator is supposed to." Gibbs smirks.

Downstairs in the bullpen, Hollis, Borin, and Burnett walk out of the elevator. "I got everything my team was working on, just before Wallace's murder." Burnett says pointing to the file that she's carrying under her arm.

Hollis noting that Gibbs isn't back yet. "Gibbs still at Wallace's parents' house?" Hollis shrugs.

"Maybe he found out about something?" Borin answers.

Burnett remembering the love bite on Gibbs' neck. "Maybe he's off getting a piece of ass." Burnett giggles.

"Jethro!" Hollis laughs and shakes her head. "Not on the job, he's totally professional."

"You ought to know since you slept with him." Borin smirks and makes her way over to her desk.

Burnett raises a curious eyebrow at Hollis. "Do tell?"

"It's ancient history." Hollis protests.

With that Gibbs steps out of Jenny's Office with his team. Burnett glances up and finds them talking amongst themselves near the railing in front of the outer office door. "Conference room?" Burnett asks out loud.

Hollis glaring up at Gibbs. "No Director Shepard's office, apparently something's came up that we haven't been notified about." Hollis hisses.

Up on the balcony, Tony locks eye contact with Hollis. "You're getting the Mann version of the Gibbs stare." Tony laughs.

"Does it look like I care DiNozzo?" Gibbs grunts and starts off for the stairs with his team following him from behind.

Hollis walks behind Tony's desk and approaches the railing. "Keeping secrets from us." Hollis sweetly says to Gibbs.

"No, we've been ordered to go home by the Director." Gibbs smirks down at Hollis.

"We have a case to solve." Hollis chastises him.

"Not much more we can do until Tazara gets here tomorrow." "My team has been up for nearly thirty-six hours and I want them rested."

"Gibbs is right." Borin nods and gathers her things from her desk.

"You got to be kidding me." Hollis says in disgust.

Burnett drops a copy of the case file that her team was working on at the time of Wallace's death. "You can review this file at home." Burnett instructs Gibbs as he walks over to his desk.

"I'll review it tomorrow." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Yeah, building your toy trains is more important." Hollis mumbles.

"It's called downtime Holli." Gibbs grins and grabs his coat from behind his desk.

Hollis spotting the hickey on the side of Gibbs' neck. "Just like the downtime you had during lunch."

"Why jealous that you didn't get lucky during your lunch break." Gibbs grins and walks off for the elevator.

Hollis stands with her mouth wide open. "I love it when the boss man gets in the last word." Tony laughs, grabbing his coat and backpack.

"Agent Mann your facial expression is priceless." Ziva snickers, grabbing her coat and backpack.

"To bad Abby wasn't here to see it." McGee laughs, putting his coat on.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of what's really going on." Hollis warns them and walks off for the stairs.

"Good luck!" McGee laughs.

Up in Jenny's Office, Jenny is about to step out of her office when Hollis brushes past her. "I have an op to oversee in MTAC." Jenny scolds her for barging into her office.

"I want answers." Hollis screams at her.

"Cynthia get me Acting Director Jones." Jenny instructs her.

"Yes ma'am!"

"And call MTAC, tell them I'm going to be a few minutes late." Jenny sighs and closes the door.

Ten minutes later, Jenny presses in the speaker phone button. "You are under orders by your Acting Director to back off." Jenny angrily warns Hollis.

"Gibbs is hiding something from me, Agents Borin and Burnett." Hollis fumes.

"Something that you are not read into."

"I see a black op." Hollis laughs and shakes her head. "And it has something to do with Wallace."

"It has nothing to do with Wallace." "Now if you will excuse me you've already held up an op that I need to oversee." Jenny snaps in annoyance, she grabs her glasses and portfolio and walks out of the office.

"It has something to do with Wallace and I'm going to find out." Hollis smirks.

Later that night at Gibbs' house, Gibbs is down in the basement packing his hand tools, Jenny walks down the stairs, wearing a silk aqua nightie. "Hubba, hubba!" Gibbs drools as Jenny makes her way down the stairs.

At the landing of the stairs. "I take it you like my new nightie." Jenny purrs and walks down the bottom of the stairs.

Gibbs smirking over at his lovers exposed cleavage. "I haven't decided yet." Gibbs mischievously grins and walks over to his worktable.

Jenny slowly walks over to him, she pulls Gibbs long sleeved Henley shirt over his head, shoving Gibbs back against the table. She climbs on top of him, with her breasts at eye level. "Have you come up with a decision yet?" She seductively asks.

"I prefer the nightie off of you." He gulps in sexual frustration.

Jenny sits on top of him and pulls the nightie over her head. "By the way Agent Gibbs, I prefer to be on top." Jenny smirks down at him.

Gibbs pulls Jenny down on top of him, grabbing a hold of her face. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Madame Director." Gibbs grins; passionately he kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Down in Abby's Lab, Hollis with an AFT forensics' tech is reviewing Wallace's laptop. "We're not going to get into trouble for this ma'am are we?" Ned curiously asks.

"No Ned, I want a backup copy of Wallace's laptop." "I want you reviewing everything on it." Hollis instructs him.

Back in Gibbs' basement, Gibbs and Jenny are making love on top of the worktable. "Yes!" Jenny screams out with pleasure as Gibbs' calloused hands, pull her hips down on top of him as he strokes harder and faster against her.

Gibbs wanting to climax inside of her on top of Jenny flips Jenny on to her back, making eye contact with her at the height of his passion. "I love you Jenny." He cries out.

Jenny stroking Gibbs' sweat soaked hair as his body shudders against her. "I love you Jethro." She breathes out.

Gibbs buries his face on top of Jenny's shoulder, trembling from the after effects from his release. "We better move this upstairs." He says between breaths.

"Table too hard for you old man." Jenny laughs.

"No the basement is a bit drafty and I'm freezing my ass off." Gibbs protests, he looks up at her. "And I believe this old man had you screaming your brains out." Gibbs smirks down at her.

"The question is will you have the stamina to make me scream louder." Jenny purrs.

"Hell yeah, since I'm hauling your ass up to the shower, we're covered in saw dust."

"Watch the shower nozzle." Jenny whines.

Gibbs gets up from the table and throws Jenny over his left shoulder. "Can't make any promises." He grins and starts off for the stairs.

AFT Headquarters

Forensics' Lab

2300 Hours

Hollis and Ned are reviewing the black op that Wallace had hacked into. "No wonder Shepard wanted to keep this from me, it involved the CIA." Hollis openly says out loud.

"Operation Lodestone, Kosmo Galanos, Code Name Lucifer, head of operations."

"Is there a photo of Galanos?"

"I'll see if I can hack into the CIA's computers."

"We have our Director's backing on this."

"Shepard isn't going to like it that you talked our Acting Director into this."

"Like I really care, NCIS didn't cooperate with the ATF or CGIS for that matter."

"I hate juristic bickering, Abby Scuito and I get along very well and I hate to mess up our relationship." Ned protests.

"It's part of the territory Ned." Hollis sighs and starts off for the door. "Let me know when you come up a photo on Galanos."

Back in Gibbs' bedroom, Jenny has her face pressed up against her lover's stomach. "By the way did you have to leave a mark on my neck?" Gibbs growls.

"I was just marking my territory." Jenny mumbles.

Gibbs strokes Jenny's hair. "Go to sleep."

Jenny closes her eyes. "I was way ahead of you." She yawns.

Gibbs stares off towards the direction of the bedroom window, noting that it's beginning to rain outside. "My gut is telling me that there's a storm coming my way." Gibbs inwardly says to himself.


	84. Defrosting The Ice Pop

Next morning at NCIS Headquarters, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are sitting at their desks talking amongst themselves. "Whole power grid went out last night, from the Navy Yard all the way down the harbor." McGee informs his coworkers.

"How long was the power out?" Tony curiously asks.

"Came back on mysteriously around 0100 hours." McGee shrugs.

"You figure that they would do more to back up the building after that power outage we had a few years back." Tony grumbles.

"Don't remind me of that." McGee protests.

"You two could never ever function as agents over in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, there were area's that I was assigned to that had no running water, electricity, or even a roof over my head." Ziva sighs in annoyance.

"How did you take a bath?" Tony curiously asks.

"Bathed in a river or you did with out."

"Tony would-"

Tony quickly interrupts him. "Don't go there Probie." Tony angrily warns McGee.

With that Hollis and Borin walk into the bullpen. "I see we're picking up where we left off from yesterday." Borin teases them.

"Typical workplace banter." Tony answers.

"No typical NCIS work banter, my team does not behave like this." Hollis answers and walks over to her desk.

"Before you ask, Gibbs is up in the Director's Office." Tony grins.

"I wasn't about to ask." Hollis sarcastically snaps at Tony. Suddenly her cell phone begins to ring. "Mann!" She answers.

AFT Headquarters

Forensics Lab

"Ma'am this is Ned Parker, the CIA did not have a photo of Kosmo Galanos on their system anywhere."

"Is he a ghost?"

"More than likely an assumed name that was used for an operative that they were keeping his identity a secret."

"Where did he live at?"

"Greek Island of Kalymnos."

"I have some connections there." "Thanks for the help I owe you." Hollis answers and hangs up.

"Connections for what?" Tony curiously asks.

"None of your business Agent DiNozzo." Hollis scolds him.

Up in Jenny's Office, Jenny is on the phone talking with the SecNav. "I don't like the idea of NCIS Headquarters being without power for that length of time sir, under the previous NCIS Director's administration, need I remind you that the Navy Yard was without power for twenty-four hours."

Gibbs sitting on the filing cabinet behind Jenny's desk is getting turned at the sight of his lover getting agitated on the phone. "You would have to wear a tight turtleneck today." He groans in sexual frustration.

"I know funding is tight at the moment, but what good is going to do if there's a terrorist attack in Washington, and the only two rooms at NCIS Headquarters that have power are MTAC and Autopsy." Jenny sighs and rolls her eyes. Gibbs hops off of the filing cabinet and positions himself on the corner of Jenny's desk. "You'll get back to me on it."…..Jenny drops her head back against her chair as Jarvis quickly changes the subject to Gibbs' current investigation. "No nothing new has come up; I'll brief you at the end of the week or if something else comes up on the investigation." "Goodbye sir!" Jenny answers and hangs up. "The man is a complete moron." Jenny hisses and gets up from her chair. Gibbs pulls Jenny over to him and passionately kisses her on the mouth. Jenny pulls away and backs away from her desk. "Are you crazy, Hollis and Borin are downstairs." Jenny chastises him and begins to pace around behind her office chair.

"I don't care." Gibbs smirks.

"Well I do, bad enough Cynthia walked in and caught us kissing on the pull out bed yesterday morning."

"You didn't seem to mind last night, when I had you howling up against the wall in the shower."

"Difference between last night and now, is we were in our own home, not in my office at the Navy Yard."

Gibbs slides off the corner of Jenny's desk. "But the urge is there Jen, don't deny it." Gibbs mischievously grins and walks off for the door.

"Might be, but I know how to keep my legs closed on the job."

"For today!" Gibbs laughs getting in the last word before leaving the office.

"Bastard!" Jenny mutters in exasperation.

Cynthia walks into the office. "Gibbs is in a good mood today." Cynthia says with surprise.

"That's because the son of a bitch got the last word in." Jenny sighs and flops back down behind her desk, grabbing her glasses.

"Don't worry ma'am it won't be long before Agents Mann and Borin set him off about something." Cynthia snickers.

"Actually Borin is behaving herself so far, which is a surprise." "Hollis on the other hand." Jenny grumbles.

"Impossible!"

"Lieutenant Colonel Mann was a lot easier to handle, all I had to do was call her boss back at CID Headquarters and her C.O. would put her back in her place." Jenny smirks.

Down in the Squad Room, Gibbs is sitting behind his desk reviewing the file that Burnett had put on top of his desk the afternoon before. "Stupid that Wallace decided to play this solo." Gibbs frowns.

Over at Hollis' desk, Hollis is on the phone with NIS Agent Rhea Karachalio. "Let me move this conversation to a secluded spot Rhea." Hollis smiles and gets up from her desk and walks off for the conference room.

Gibbs noting that Borin isn't in the room. "McGee!"

"I was way ahead of you boss." McGee answers and begins to do a GPS trace on Hollis' phone. "Boss, you're not going to believe this."

"Try me!"

"I traced Hollis' phone call to NIS Headquarters in Greece."

"Find out who she's talking to?"

"Rhea Karachalio's extension."

"Think she's on to Operation Lodestone?" Tony curiously asks.

"Nah, I believe that Hollis is fishing for something." Gibbs smirks.

"Why the smirk?" "Isn't Hollis under orders by her Acting Director to keep out of the op in Palm Springs?" Ziva asks.

"She probably made a big stink that we're not cooperating and got Jones to change his mind." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Are you going to inform the Director?" Tony grins.

"Nah, we only have suspicion so far and if something turns up we'll handle it our way." Gibbs mischievously grins.

Borin returns from the lounge. "Handle what our way." Borin sheepishly asks and approaches Gibbs' desk.

"Nothing that you need to worry about." Gibbs smiles.

"Since our ATF counterpart is freelancing on her own, I guess you were referring to her."

"You don't seem happy about it either." Tony notes.

"NCIS is cooperating with me, I'm cooperating with NCIS." "Everything is running smoothly with the exception of Agent Mann."

"That's because Gibbs isn't sleeping with her this time around." Tony smirks.

Gibbs rolls up a sheet of paper and throws it at Tony's head, knocking him off of his chair. "I never miss."

"I'll have to try that some time." Borin laughs.

Inside the conference room, Hollis is sitting on the table. "What do you mean there's no photo available on Kosmo Galanos." Hollis sighs in frustration.

"The man lived in seclusion on his private villa, nobody saw him leave and if he did, Galanos left on his private yacht." Rhea informs her.

"You said he's deceased?"

"Last September, Galanos' villa mysteriously burned to the ground."

"And conveniently he died in the fire." Hollis snaps.

"Rumor has it that the CIA killed him."

"So that explains the secrecy from the CIA, NCIS I haven't figured out yet."

"Sorry I couldn't have been more of help." Rhea apologizes.

"Don't worry Rhea, in the end, everything will work itself out." Hollis smiles.

Jenny's Office

1515 Hours

Team Gibbs, along with Jenny, Hollis, and Borin are seated around the conference table getting to know Jenny and Ziva's good friend Tazara Zakar. "Ziva has spoken of you often." McGee smiles.

"She introduced me to Director Shepard." Tazara smiles.

"The trouble we use to get into." Ziva giggles.

"I bet you have." Hollis answered dryly.

"Who's the ice pop?" Tazara smirks over at Hollis.

Tony, who was drinking a glass of water, chokes on it. "I can't believe you said that." Tony coughs.

"I'm not!" Ziva snickers.

"Ok, back to the subject at hand." "Tazara I booked a room for you at the Park Hyatt, under the name Jada Zulubon." Jenny informs her.

"Five star treatment, I love it girlfriend." Tazara winks.

"Just keep the room service to a minimum, funding is limited." Jenny instructs her.

"Unlike Tony's father, Tazara won't charge NCIS $8,000 for a suit." Ziva laughs.

"You had to bring that up." Tony grumbles.

"I called Special Agent Cassie Yates in from Norfolk."

"The reasoning for this?" Hollis nods.

"Jada will need some personal assistants- bodyguards, Ziva and Cassie will fit in nicely." Jenny smirks.

"Do we have names?" Ziva curiously asks.

"Dominquez Dimitrax will be your name." "Cassie's will be Lolita Lugarda."

"Lolita!" Tony laughs.

"Their perfect arms dealer names; I don't see anything wrong with that." Tazara smiles.

"Soon as Cassie arrives, I'll have McGee drive you over to the hotel in my Towne Car." "Tony will be a waiter at the hotel."

"No way!" Tony protests.

"While, Abby Borin will pose as a hotel maid."

"And me?" Hollis curiously asks.

"You'll be monitoring their movements with me and McGee back at headquarters." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"McGee once you arrive at the hotel, I want you to install cameras in Tazara's suite and microphones throughout every room."

"Won't they be wearing an earwig and a COM?" McGee asks.

"Yes, but I want everything in place to be on the safe side." Jenny softly answers. "I'll be monitoring your every move from home."

"You can oversee an op from home?" Hollis says with surprise.

"Yes, my upstairs study is set up with a large plasma screen above my desk so that I don't have to stay at headquarters late into the night."

"What time do I call Fernando?" Tazara curiously asks.

"1400 hours tomorrow, by then everything should be in place." Jenny answers.

An hour later, Tony is grumbling down in the bullpen. "A waiter!" Tony whines.

"Come on Tony, we better head on over to the hotel to play our roles." Borin teases him.

"You're enjoying this." Tony grumbles.

"Yes, because it's making you miserable." Borin snickers.

"DiNozzo get a move on it." Gibbs barks from his desk.

Tony grabs his coat and backpack. "I'm going I'm going." He groans and stalks off for the elevator with Borin following him from behind the elevator doors open, Cassie steps out. "Cassie!"

"Tony!" Cassie warmly smiles and walks over to Gibbs section. "Gibbs!" She calls out to him.

"Cassie!" Gibbs nods and gets up from his desk.

"I bumped into McGee down in the parking garage; my things are in the trunk of the Towne Car."

Hollis gets up from her desk and walks over to Cassie. "You must be Special Agent Yates."

"Yes and you?"

"Special Agent Hollis Mann, ATF."

"The Director told me that there are multiple jurisdictions involved with this op." Cassie smiles.

With that Jenny and Tazara walk into the bullpen. "Cassie did you have a bumpy flight over." Jenny teases her.

"No ma'am, I'm use to riding in a helicopter." Cassie laughs.

"Tazara Zakar, I want you to meet Special Agent Cassie Yates." Jenny introduces them.

Tazara reaches for Cassie's hand. "Director Shepard has spoken highly of you." Tazara smiles.

"She has, what about Gibbs." Cassie smirks.

"I take it Jethro is a bad boy with you." Tazara teases him.

"You mean a bad little boy." Hollis corrects her.

Tazara and Cassie raise a curious eyebrow over at Hollis. Gibbs clears his throat and gets on to the subject at hand. "McGee is picking up Ziva at her apartment first, before you head on over to your hotel suite."

"Where are we staying at?" Cassie curiously asks.

"Park Hyatt!" Jenny smiles.

"Wow, I got out of a boring car theft investigation to play an arms dealer's personal assistant and to top it off; we get to stay at a five star hotel." Cassie grins.

"Keep the room service down to a minimum." Jenny warns her.

"I know, funding."

"Why don't you two get this show on the road?" Gibbs instructs them.

"Wanting to get rid of me so soon Jethro." Tazara winks.

"Yes, two less women in the room." Jenny laughs.

"Ha, ha Director." Gibbs growls and gets up from his desk. "Going down to Abby's." He grunts and walks off for the elevator.

"Jenny you have your hands full with him." Tazara giggles.

Hollis grabs a file from her desk. "I need to make a phone call." She mumbles and walks off for the conference room.

"Somebody better defrost that ice pop and fast." Tazara laughs.

Park Hyatt Hotel

Premier Park Deluxe Suite 5

2000 Hours

Ziva, Tazara, and Cassie are gathered around a laptop talking to Jenny, who's sitting in her study back home. "Tomorrow morning I want the three of you in character." Jenny orders them.

"But tonight I'm taking a dip in the pool." Ziva winks.

"Stay away from the hotel bar for the night." Jenny instructs them.

"I'm turning in early, that was a flight from hell from Genoa." Tazara yawns.

"I'm going to take a long hot bath." Cassie sighs in anticipation.

"I gather you can take laps in the bathtub." Jenny laughs.

"Oh yeah and I'm taking advantage of it." Cassie smiles.

"I'll let the three of you settle in for the night." "Starting tomorrow when the op begins if you should need me for anything I want you to call me on my cell phone right away, do not hesitate."

"We won't ma'am!" Cassie softly says.

"Good night ladies."

"Good night Director." They cheerfully shout up to her at the same time.

Jenny turns off her webcam and shuts off her computer. "Hot bath does sound good." Jenny smiles and gets up from her chair; she turns off the lights and leaves the room.

Back at headquarters, Abby is about to pack up Wallace's laptop. "Since we're done with this, I'm going to put it down in the evidence lock up."

"I haven't run my spy bot program through it yet."

"We're the only ones who have been working on Wallace's computer."

"And we've also been on line with it; I want to make sure it's clean before we give it back to the ATF."

"Ok, ok!" Abby grumbles.

Half an hour later, Gibbs has been called down to the lab. "Nobody had access to this computer last night around 2200 hours."

"I know, a whole power grid was without power, Potomac Electric Company still can't figure out what caused the grid to go out and why it mysteriously went back on around 0100 hours." McGee sighs in frustration.

"Or maybe somebody made it go out on purpose?" Abby openly asks out loud.

"Do we need to call the Director in on this?" McGee asks.

"No, it seems that somebody is sticking their nose into something that isn't their concern." "Once we figure out who's responsible, we'll be playing disinformation strategy." Gibbs smirks.

"I love doing that." "It was so cool when we did that to Vance and Ziva's father last August." Abby snickers.

"And Kort, eventually Cruz caught on to us." McGee grumbles.

"Well nobody will catch on to us, that I will assure you." Gibbs mischievously vows.


	85. Messing With Abby's Toys

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

0630 Hours

Abby and McGee are installing the files from Wallace's laptop on to another laptop. "Ziva is calling her friend from NIS; she said he owes her another favor." McGee laughs.

"How many favors do her contacts owe her?" Abby asks in amazement.

"Apparently a lot." McGee answers.

Suddenly Abby's phone begins to ring. Abby presses in the speakerphone button to her cordless phone. "Hello!"

Park Hyatt Hotel

Premier Park Deluxe Suite 5

With Cassie and Tazara sleeping, Ziva is sitting out on the balcony away from one of McGee's hidden microphones. "Is McGee sitting next to you?" Ziva curiously asks.

"Yes I am!" McGee smoothly answers.

"According to Nicolas Liakos, Rhea Karachalio was asking a lot of questions about Kosmo Galanos." Ziva informs him.

"What kind of questions?" McGee shrugs.

"Photos!"

"Why is Hollis so interested in Kosmo Galanos?" Abby sheepishly asks.

"Because he was in charge of overseeing Operation Lodestone for the CIA." McGee answers.

"Is Gibbs still keeping this information from the Director?" Ziva asks.

"Yes, he wants us to handle it." McGee instructs her.

"I'm trying to figure out how she hacked into Wallace's computer, she's computer illiterate ." Abby openly says to her co-workers.

"Maybe she had help?"

"Who?"

"I'll have Gibbs look into it." "In the meantime, keep this computer running." "I have to head up to the Squad Room." McGee nods and gets up from his stool.

"I'm in desperate need for coffee." Ziva yawns.

"Don't you usually get up at 0300 hours?" Abby smiles.

"Cassie snores." Ziva grumbles.

"Not as bad as DiNozzo." McGee smirks.

"According to Tony, Ziva snores really loud." Abby giggles.

"Trust me, Tony is worse than Cassie." Ziva snickers and hangs up.

Up in the Squad Room, Tony after changing into his waiters outfit flops down behind his desk. "This sucks!" He openly pouts out loud.

"Quit whining!" Gibbs barks from on top of the balcony.

"You're in early." Tony says with surprise.

Gibbs walks down the stairs over the catwalk. "Got in at 0600 hours."

McGee walks in returning from Abby's Lab, noting that Hollis and Borin aren't in yet. "Boss we need to talk, somewhere alone."

"My conference room." Gibbs orders Tony and McGee.

Two minutes later, in between floors, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee are going over strategy to distract Hollis from finding out that Kosmo Galanos is Jenny's father. "Who can we use to play the part of Kosmo Galanos?" McGee curiously asks.

"Easy Trent Kort since he's dead already." Gibbs grins.

"That's not a bad idea." McGee smiles.

"I still can't picture Hollis pulling this off on her own." "She had to have had help." Tony shrugs.

"I'll head down to the main gate and see who came into the building after we left the building on Wednesday night." Gibbs answers.

While Gibbs is holding up the elevator, Hollis and Borin walk out of the stairway. "I bet you Gibbs is holding up the elevator." Borin groans.

"Having a secret meeting with his team so we can't hear what they're talking about." Hollis sighs…The elevator doors open; Hollis walks over to the elevator and pops her head inside and finds the elevator empty. "Heading down to Abby's or Ducky's old trick."

"Or maybe Gibbs wasn't in the elevator." Borin sharply says to her and walks over to Gibbs section, noting his empty cup of coffee in the trashcan. "He's in!"

"Not surprised!" Hollis answers…."I'm heading down to the lounge for a bottle of orange juice." Hollis calls out and walks away.

Tony pretending to be returning from the direction of the men's room notes that Borin is dressed in her normal clothes. "Hey where's your maid uniform?" Tony protests.

"I was about to change." Borin mutters.

"I got in fifteen minutes ago and haven't seen Gibbs yet?" Tony lies.

"Hollis thought that you were having a meeting in the elevator."

"Well she was wrong, haven't seen the boss man yet." Tony grins.

Out at the main gate, Gibbs is reviewing who came into the building on January 4th. "Special Agent Hollis Mann, 2130 hours." Gibbs openly notes.

"She was by herself with nobody else." MP Lance Corporal Jacob Austin answers.

"Power went out around 2155 hours." Gibbs says to himself.

"Is there some kind of terrorist activity going on that we should know about?" Austin urgently asks.

"No Marine, keep in mind the AFT is suppose to be one of the good guys." "I was just checking to see who entered the building before, during the power outage, and after the power was restored." "You are on strict orders not to discuss this with anyone." Gibbs orders him.

"Yes sir!"

"I'm counting on you." Gibbs smiles and walks back over towards the building.

Abby's Lab

"Gibbs went to the main gate to check out if Hollis came into the building after we left on Wednesday night."

With that Gibbs walks into the room. "Just Hollis came into the building around 2130 hours alone."

"She could have hidden her mystery guest in the trunk of her car." McGee surmises.

"I'll kill him!" Abby screeches.

"Who?"

"Ned Parker!" Abby snaps and is about to pick up her cordless phone when McGee grabs her wrist.

"Who's Ned Parker?"

"Forensic Scientist with the AFT." Abby fumes.

Gibbs approaches Abby from behind and rubs her shoulders. "You know Abs; you could get even with him." Gibbs smirks.

Abby with an evil grin on her face. "Paybacks are a bitch." Abby mischievously answers and walks off for the back room.

Hollis walks into the room. "I thought I would find you down here." Hollis sighs with annoyance.

"I gather the waiter and maid left for the hotel." Gibbs chuckles.

Abby returns from the other room carrying a CD. "Tony looks sexy in his waiter's outfit." Abby drools.

"You didn't say I was sexy in mine." McGee pouts.

Abby rubs McGee's belly. "Remember you had a gut back then."

"You bust up on me because I'm skinny, you bust up on me when I was fat." "You're never satisfied." McGee frowns.

"I prefer the heavier McGee, at least you looked healthier." Abby sadly answers, worrying about McGee's weight loss.

"So where do we go from here?" Hollis curiously asks.

"We wait until Tazara calls Fernando." "In the meantime, I'm going for coffee and picking up a Caff-Pow for Abby." Gibbs smiles and walks off for the elevator.

"I'm going to pay Ducky a visit." Hollis nods and walks out of the room.

"So how did you know it was Ned?" McGee curiously asks.

Abby shows McGee a source code in the spy bot program that Ned had installed into the laptop. "Ned invented this spy bot program."

"So what are you going to do to him?"

"Something that he won't ever do again." Abby wickedly answers.

"What's that?"

"Mess around with my toys." Abby angrily vows.

MTAC

1400 Hours

Gibbs, Jenny, McGee, and Hollis are seated in the first two rows talking with Ziva, Tazara, and Cassie. "If Fernando asks why you're in Washington, tell have an agent on the take, but don't give out which agency you're bribing." Jenny instructs Tazara.

Park Hyatt Hotel

Premier Park Deluxe Suite 5

"Don't worry Director I'll have Fernando on the first flight out of Columbia." Tazara grins.

"Make the phone call now."

Tazara, using a burn phone, dials Fernando's cell phone number. "I bet you the bastard will pick it up on the first ring."

Cartagena, Columbia

Raphael Fernando's Hacienda

Pool side, Raphael Fernando is shirtless reclining on a lounge chair smoking a cigarette. "Mendez hasn't returned my call yet." Fernando impatiently grunts.

"No Senor!" Philippe his trusted valet answers.

"Hijo perezoso - de - a – perra!" Fernando curses in disgust and tosses his cigarette into the swimming pool.

"I just had the pool cleaned." Philippe protests.

"Get me a Chaqueta." Fernando shouts.

"Si Senor!" Philippe grumbles and walks off for the house.

Fernando's Blackberry begins to ring; he glances down at his caller ID and notices that it's not a familiar number. "Wonder if Mendez had to ditch his cell phone." Fernando shrugs and presses in the accept button. "Hello!" He answers in English.

"Raphael Fernando!" Tazara purrs.

"Speaking!"

"My name is Jada Zulubon, a mutual acquaintance of mine; Regine Smidt had done business with you."

"Yes, I knew her through René Benoit!" Fernando shrugs.

"That's how I met her as well." Tazara answers and gets down to business. "Rumor has it that your last shipment of weapons was stolen."

"I'm listening."

"It seems that the feds have some corrupt agents." "One of their agents sold me the container that your weapons stored in."

"How do I know this isn't a bluff?" Fernando cryptically asks.

"I'm sending you an incoming video of the container as we speak." Tazara seductively says to him.

Fernando hits accept for an incoming video from Jada Zulubon, noting his Guatemalan Shipping business logo on the side of the container. The doors open and inside the container Fernando finds his shipment of weapons. "So I have to buy back my weapons." Fernando angrily shouts at her.

"If you desperately want them back." Tazara baits him.

"Or I could send one of my people after you." Fernando warns her.

"You would have to get through my people first." Tazara smirks and then winks over at Ziva and Cassie who's sitting on a couch across from her.

"Where are you?"

"Washington, DC, I have a corrupt agent on the take and several politicians."

"Could we meet somewhere other than Washington, DC?"

"Name the time and place."

"Florida Keys!"

"Coast Guard is looking for me down in the Keys." Tazara answers.

"I can't enter the US without the Federales hauling me in for questioning, I wanted for the murder of a sailor."

"I'm not worried about some Navy Federale taking us in." Tazara laughs…"Coast Guard is more of a threat."

In a linen closet down the hall Tony and Borin are listening in, via their earwigs. "I'm already liking Tazara." Borin grins.

Back in Tazara's suite. "I have a house along the beach in the Hamptons, how hard is it to fly up via seaplane and land along the coastline." Tazara sensuously suggests.

"Let me think about it." Fernando swallows.

"Don't take so long, I have another bidder for those weapons." Tazara answers and hangs up. "I'll give him two minutes." Tazara gloats.

"You're a bit cocky." Hollis chastises her.

"I have to be Agent Mann to run my business back in Genoa." Tazara smirks into the camera, with that Tazara's cell phone begins to ring, spotting Fernando's cell phone number on the display panel, Tazara lets the phone ring several times before answering it. "Do I have an answer?"

"Si, text me the coordinates to the location of your home in the Hamptons."

"Latitude: 40.8537, Longitude: -72.4376!" McGee says through Tazara's earwig.

"Tomorrow night!" Fernando asks.

"Saturday night, I still have some unfinished business in Washington." "I'll meet you along the shoreline of my home."

"How will I find your home?"

"Trust me; I'll give you a signal." Tazara wickedly promises him and hangs up.

"Game on!" Jenny sighs with relief.

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Tony curiously asks.

"More than likely Fernando is having Jada Zulubon's identity checked out." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"And he'll find out that she's wanted by NCIS, the ATF, and CGIS." Borin grins.

"And I bet you ten to one that he did a GPS Trace on your cell phone." McGee warns her.

"We're already aware of that possibility McGee; it's the reason why I want them to stay in character between now and the meet up with Fernando." Jenny answers.

"If Jada is wanted by law enforcement how does she explain how she got her hotel suite?" McGee curiously asks.

"Easy, she's booked the room in her sugar daddy's name." Gibbs chuckles.

"Who?" Tony curiously asks.

"Your dad!"

"He's on a beach in the Bahamas's." Tony reminds Gibbs.

"DiNozzo Senor is on a beach in the Bahamas's." "Anthony DiNardo Senior is a successful bank president in the Cayman Islands." "I got a hold of your dad and got his permission to use him by using your old alias."

"Couldn't you have used another alias?" Tony sadly answers.

"I've already made the plans DiNozzo." Gibbs nods and gets up from his seat.

Tony glances over at Borin. "I need some air." He sighs and steps out of the closet.

"What's with him?" Borin asks with concern.

"His old alias brings up sad memories." Jenny frowns….

Tony's Apartment

2200 Hours

Tony is lounging on his couch watching 'Friends, Season 5' on DVD. "As usual nothing on TV." Tony grumbles in protest. Suddenly his doorbell begins to ring. Tony gets up from his couch and walks over to the door; he opens it up and is surprised to find Jenny dressed in casual clothing. "Gibbs let you out of the house without a protection detail?" Tony shrugs and backs away from the door.

Jenny walks inside the apartment. "He's back at headquarters and doesn't know that I'm out alone."

Tony closes the door. "He'll flip out."

"Like I really care." Jenny snaps.

"Want a beer?" Tony offers and is about to walk into the kitchen.

"No I can only stay for a few minutes." "I told Gibbs it wasn't a good idea to use your old alias for Tazara's sugar daddy." Jenny apologizes.

Tony gently puts his hand on the small of Jenny's back and guides her over to the living room couch where they sit down, grabbing the remote from the coffee table, Tony hits the stop button for his DVD player and turns off the TV. "Jenny quit beating yourself up for that."

"I should never have put you or any of my agents into that position to go after René Benoit." Jenny frowns.

"Thinking back on it, I would have done the same thing if that have happened to me." "Difference is I would have been open and honest about it."

"If I would have told you that I was going after my father's killer, you still would have worked the op." Jenny says with surprise.

"Yes!" Tony smiles…."And I still would have fallen in love with Jeanne." Tony sadly answers.

"You can't shut off your heart Tony." Jenny sadly reminds him.

"No, and if I had to do it all over again, I would have come clean with her."

"Think it may have made a difference."

"No, I think it still would have been the same outcome." "In the long run, Jeanne is better without me, she needs a man that isn't selfish like me." Tony sighs.

"You're not selfish Tony." Jenny tenderly reassures him. "Jeanne just wasn't the one and one of these days you'll find that special woman that will capture your heart."

"If and when it happens again, I'm not letting her walk away this time around." Tony smiles.

Half an hour later, Jenny walks through the front door and finds her lover on the couch glaring up at her. "Get over yourself." She angrily snaps at him and locks the front door.

Gibbs gets up from the couch. "Where the hell were you?" He snarls and walks over to the alarm code panel.

"Tony's!"

"Alone!"

"So?" Jenny shrugs and is about to walk off for the stairs when Gibbs grabs her by the arm. "If you value what's hanging in between your legs, you will release me." Jenny warns him.

"When are you going to let the frog go?"

"I will never let go what I did to Tony and Jeanne." "That will eat at me inside for the rest of my life Jethro; there was no excuse for that." Jenny shouts at him.

"Let it go."

"I can't!" Jenny swallows and pulls her arm from him. "I'll be sleeping in my study tonight."

"Come on Jen, you're going to sleep in the study over this." Gibbs laughs.

"I don't care to sleep with somebody who's acting like my father." Jenny hisses and storms up the stairs.

"I believe we had this same argument in London twelve years ago." Gibbs grumbles and walks back over to the couch. "I slept on the couch most of the time anyways, before we got back together." Gibbs sulks and flops backwards on top of the couch.

Upstairs in the study, Jenny is reviewing case files. "Try an over protective father." Jenny mutters to herself.


	86. Wrapped Around Jethro's Finger

The next morning at NCIS Headquarters, Hollis approaches Gibbs' desk. "I have a question?"

"Shoot!" Gibbs grunts.

"My, my somebody's in a grumpy mood this morning." Hollis teases him.

"Either ask me the question Holli or get out of my face." Gibbs barks.

With that the sound and fury of Madame Director could be heard from up on the balcony. "Oh now I get it." Hollis laughs and turns and glances up at Jenny on the balcony, noting that she's purposely wearing a tight burgundy turtleneck sweater and low rise casual charcoal colored Calvin Klein dress slacks along with Jenny's trademark black stiletto heels. "She's dressed casual today." Hollis says out loud.

"I hardly noticed." Gibbs snarls in sexual frustration and gets up from his desk. "If McGee should return from the lounge tell him I went down to Abby's." Gibbs calls over his shoulder and walks off for the elevator.

"Wonder what set them off." Hollis curiously asks.

"Set who off." McGee asks over hearing Hollis as he walks through the entranceway to Gibbs' section.

"Gibbs is grumpy, and the Director is screaming at someone on her cell phone."

"Oh that, Tony warned me in advance last night." "The Director paid a visit to Tony's apartment last night, without her protection detail." "Gibbs is a bit over protective of her since Director Shepard came back-"

"From witness protection." Hollis finishes.

"That's right!" McGee nods and walks over to his desk.

Hollis sensing that McGee is hiding something from her. "So what did the Director eye witness that she had to be put into protective custody for three years."

"Ma'am, I was never told." McGee lies and takes a seat behind his desk.

"And if you did know you wouldn't tell me."

Up on the balcony, unknown to Hollis, Jenny had finished up her phone call and is listening in on her conversation with McGee. "Son of a bitch, I knew her Acting Director would go against me." Jenny fumes and storms off for her office. Stepping inside Cynthia's outer office. "Cynthia get me SecNav Jarvis and Attorney General Holder on conference call, ASAP." Jenny shouts over at Cynthia as she makes her way into her office, slamming the door behind her.

Cynthia cringes as several picture frames drop down on to the floor. "At least Jethro isn't responsible for setting her off this time around."

Down in Abby's Lab. "I was warned that there was a cold front moving in upstairs." Abby teases her dysfunctional work father.

"Mind your own business Abs." Gibbs warns her.

"Try frigid!" Abby grimaces.

McGee runs out of the elevator. "I wouldn't go upstairs right now; all hell is breaking loose up in the Director's Office."

"At least it's not you Gibbs." Abby giggles.

Gibbs getting back to the reason why he came down to Abby's Lab. "How did you make out on your disinformation strategy?"

"We put the phony file on Kosmo Galanos on our clone laptop." McGee smoothly says.

"Ned already accessed the computer last night when I left the room for a half an hour."

"So he took the bait." McGee comments sharply.

"And hopefully Hollis fell for it." Gibbs smirks.

Back upstairs, Hollis is in the conference room talking with Ned Parker on her cell phone. "Trent Kort is Kosmo Galanos?" Hollis says with surprise.

"Yes, from what I could make out from the file, Kort was secretly working with an arms dealer named Julien Benoit the son of René Benoit, who was also known as the French arms dealer La Grenouille." Ned informs her.

Hollis flashes back to her bedroom from five years ago.

August 15th 2007

Hollis Bedroom

0445 Hours

Hollis is awakened by her lover's cell phone. "Shut it off Jethro." She grumbles.

Gibbs grabbing his cell phone from on top of the nightstand. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers half asleep. Hollis tries to cuddle with him in bed and is quickly shoved away. "What in the hell were you thinking?" Gibbs growls and gets out of bed and storms off for the bathroom closing the door behind him.

"Work, yet again, and it seems that whatever your boss is working on, it seems more important than us these days." Hollis sighs in frustration and gets out of bed, grabbing her robe as she approaches the bathroom door.

Inside the bathroom, Gibbs is sitting on top of the toilet seat. "I'll be right over." Gibbs sighs and disconnects his phone and then hits the speed dial button for Tony's cell phone. "DiNozzo, do you know anything about the Director meeting a contact in the middle of the night?" Gibbs barks…"Apparently she went alone and somebody shot at the Director and her contact, he's dead at the scene."…"Whatever this is with La Grenouille, it's getting to personal."

Outside the bathroom door. "La Grenouille?" She openly asks out loud.

Present Time

"From the file on Wallace's laptop, Julien Benoit committed suicide by crashing his plane after the CIA, FBI, AFT, and DEA raided his house last September." Hollis recalls.

"I did a background check on René Benoit; apparently Trent Kort killed him in September of 2007." Ned informs her.

"So why would Julien Benoit want to work with Trent Kort, if Trent Kort had killed his father?" Hollis curiously asks.

"I don't know why." "Why don't you ask the FBI that question, Special Agent Tobias Fornell headed the investigation into René Benoit's murder, when his body was found in a morgue in Baltimore."

"I'm heading over there now." Hollis answers and hangs up.

Up in Jenny's Office, Jenny is angrily pacing behind her desk on a three way conference call with SecNav Jarvis and Attorney General Holder. "It's none of her damn business where I've been the past three years; it has nothing to do with our current investigation." Jenny angrily protests.

"I'll have a talk with Roberts and order him to get Special Agent Mann to back off." Holder says to a relieved Jenny.

"There's also a CIA Black Op that was on Wallace's laptop that Special Agent Mann does not have clearance to look into." Jenny sighs in frustration. "I had asked Acting Director Roberts to order Special Agent Mann to stay out it." "It seems that he went back on his word and Special Agent Mann is snooping around into it."

"If it's a CIA Black Op, Special Agent Mann has no business looking into that." Holder groans.

"I know that sir." Jenny mutters and flops back down in her chair.

"I'll get to the bottom of this." Holder sharply answers and hangs up.

"He better or the world will know that the CIA had faked my father's death so that he could buy and sell arms off of arms dealers." "Then Trent Kort uses my Glock to kill René and then uses my own gun against me, so that I could whore myself for the US government." Jenny icily snaps.

"We'll handle it Jenny." Jarvis reassures her.

"You better sir, or you'll be on your fourth Director in about three months."

FBI Headquarters

Fornell's Office

Hollis is sitting in front of Fornell's desk asking Fornell about his investigation on the murder of French arms dealer René Benoit. "Sure I headed the investigation into René Benoit's murder." "Trent Kort had a signed paper stating that he killed Benoit as a sanctioned hit for the CIA."

"I'm working on an investigation involving the death of Naval Lieutenant David Wallace; he had been assigned as a liaison on Special Agent Denise Burnett's team."

"Shouldn't NCIS be investigating this?" Fornell shrugs.

"They are along with CGIS, since Wallace was murdered on board a yacht in the middle of National Harbor."

"So what does this have to do with the murder of René Benoit?" Fornell curiously asks.

"His son's name turned up on Wallace's laptop."

"Julien Benoit wouldn't have anything to do with Lieutenant Wallace's murder, he committed suicide last September, I was assigned jointly to raid Benoit's Palm Springs mansion, with the CIA, ATF, and DEA."

"Can you read me into what happened, since it was the reason why Wallace went solo on his op without back up and got himself killed by a Guatemalan arms dealer?"

"Sorry Agent Mann, the parameters of that op was sealed and I can't read you into it." Fornell answers.

"Because I don't have the clearance." Hollis sighs in frustration and gets up from her chair.

"Sorry I couldn't have been more of help." Fornell apologizes.

"No you're relieved that you couldn't have been more of help." Hollis sarcastically answers and walks out of the room.

Fornell picks up his desk phone and calls Jenny's private line. "Director Shepard, you're not going to believe who just paid me a visit to my office and was asking a whole bunch of questions about the raid on Julien Benoit's mansion last September."

NCIS Headquarters

Jenny's Office

"Is she a bleach blonde nosey ATF Special Agent?" Jenny angrily snaps.

"So I gather you're not surprised." Fornell chuckles.

"No!" Jenny mutters in annoyance and gets up from the chair behind her desk. "How much did she know about the raid in Palm Springs?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Nothing and I wouldn't budge." "She seemed awfully curious about the death of René Benoit." "I told her that Trent Kort killed him on a sanctioned hit for the CIA."

"Stupid bitch won't back off." Jenny screams.

"Did you give her Director a buzz?"

"Of course I did and he cooperated with me on the first day and ordered Mann to back off." "Then he did a ninety degree turn, I have no clue as to what that woman had said to Roberts to get him to his change mind."

"I'll run over to CIA Headquarters and see what Petraeus wants us to do?"

"It's handled; I had Jarvis go over Roberts head." "Hollis won't be asking anymore questions about Operation Lodestone, René and Julien Benoit or Trent Kort for that matter."

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

1400 Hours

Hollis needing a distraction from work gets up from her desk. "I think I'll pay Ducky a visit, she openly says out loud and walks off for the elevator.

Above on the balcony, Jenny was pretending to work. "Time to put the bitch in her place." Jenny smirks and walks off for the elevator.

Gibbs returns from a late lunch, he glances up on the balcony with Jenny's back facing him. "You would have to wear low rise dress slacks to work today." Gibbs inwardly growls in sexual frustration. "Soon as this little impasse is done with you will be screaming so loud that you won't have use of your vocal cords for eight hours."

Over at the elevator, Hollis impatiently presses the button on the panel. "Come on!" She impatiently sighs. The doors open, Hollis steps in and is surprised to find Jenny in the back of the elevator. "Director Shepard!" Hollis nods at her and presses in the button for Ducky's floor.

"Agent Mann!" Jenny coolly nods at her. The elevator doors close, Jenny waits for the elevator to get in between floors, before flipping the switch over.

"I get it you got a phone call from Fornell." Hollis laughs and shakes her head.

"No I overheard your big mouth down in the Squad Room this morning." Jenny screams at her.

"I thought you were on your phone."

"I was." "Your big mistake was that you didn't bother to check if I was still on the phone."

Hollis defiantly folds her arms up at Jenny. "My Acting Director changed his mind yesterday." Hollis smirks over at Jenny.

Jenny picks up her Blackberry and dials Attorney General Holder's office number. "This is Director Shepard, could you please put me through to Attorney General Holder's office." "Thank you!" Jenny sweetly answers…."Sir I have Special Agent Mann in front of me."…."Sure!...Jenny presses in the speakerphone to her Blackberry. "Go right ahead sir."

Two Minutes Later

Jenny clips her Blackberry back on the side of her waistline. "You wouldn't take no for an answer, so I had to go over your boss' head." Jenny screams at her.

"Which you enjoyed every moment of." Hollis baits her.

"I wanted you off of this investigation, but somehow Acting Director Roberts had convinced SecNav Jarvis to keep you on."

"Wallace's father is good friend of Roberts and he wanted me investigating the case." Hollis answers dryly.

"Hopefully by Sunday I won't be seeing your face around here for a while."

"You never know Director." Hollis winks at her and flips the switch back over.

Up on the Squad Room floor, Gibbs is impatiently waiting for the elevator. "Alright who's holding up my conference room?" Gibbs barks…with that the doors open and Gibbs finds Hollis smirking over at Jenny, who's giving Hollis her version of the Gibbs stare.

"Did you teach her that?" Hollis laughs and steps out of the elevator. Jenny brushes past her lover ignoring his presence and walks off for the stairs. "Somebody's giving you the cold shoulder." Hollis laughs.

"Fuck off Hollis." Gibbs snarls and steps inside the elevator. Hollis stands with her jaw dropping in disbelief.

Park Hyatt Hotel

Tony is standing in the lobby when he spots, Julio Mendez walking through the front door, speaking in his COM. "Abby, Julio Mendez just entered the lobby."

Abby's Lab

McGee who was busy working at the workstation, hacks into the hotel computer system and accesses the hotel lobby video feed. "I see him."

"See who?" Gibbs curiously asks, over hearing McGee.

"Julio Mendez just entered the hotel lobby." McGee informs him.

"Didn't Fernando get the message that Jada's people will be watching her back?" Gibbs grunts.

"Apparently not!" Abby laughs.

"McGee, since I'm not in the mood to talk to the bitch, call Agent Mann, Abby-"

"I know you and mommy are fighting so I'll pass on the message to her." Abby sweetly answers.

"We're not fighting, just having a disagreement." Gibbs growls and starts off for the door with McGee following him from behind.

Abby grabs her cordless phone. "Same thing!"

MTAC

Half an hour later, Jenny standing in front of the plasma screen watching Julio Mendez's every movement in the hotel lobby. "Danielle I want a camera feed of the hallway leading to Tazara's suite." Jenny instructs her.

"Yes ma'am!" Danielle answers.

Park Hyatt Hotel

Gibbs, McGee, and Hollis discretely walk into the lobby. "I see him." Gibbs discretely says into his COM.

Up in Tazara's suite, Ziva, Tazara, Cassie and Borin are sitting around couch watching the video feed of the hotel lobby on the laptop that positioned on top of the coffee table. "Think he'll come up." Tazara curiously asks.

"Most definitely!" Cassie smirks.

"And when Mendez does, he won't know what hit him." Borin grins.

Back in the lobby, Mendez gets up and walks over to the elevator. "Agent Borin I want you out in the hallway." Jenny orders her.

"Do you have a plan in mind Director?" Borin asks.

"Yes, Mendez needs a way to get into the room."

"And I'm the bait, I get it." Borin answers and gets up from the couch.

"Remember you have to act like a kidnapping victim."

"I'll just put on my best old Aunt Edna impersonation whenever she saw a mouse running around on her kitchen floor." Borin laughs.

"I still don't get the reason why grown women are afraid of mice." Ziva sighs in annoyance.

"Tony's afraid of rats." McGee reminds Ziva through her earwig.

"Don't go there Probie." Tony protests.

"Enough!" Jenny angrily shouts at her agents. "One more childish outburst and the four of you will be working weekends for the next six months.

Inside the elevator, Tony and McGee smirk over at Gibbs. "Did you say the four of us ma'am?" Tony grins.

"I believe Agent Gibbs is a part of your team as well Agent DiNozzo." Jenny bitterly reminds him.

Tony leans into Gibbs' left ear. "I guess there goes your trip to Paris next month." Tony whispers so that Jenny can't hear him. Gibbs head slaps Tony on the back of the head. "Ow!" Tony grimaces and rubs the back of his head.

"I gather you stuck your foot in your mouth again Tony." Ziva laughs.

"Agent David I was speaking to you as well." Jenny warns her.

Tazara and Ziva narrow their eyes at one another. "I wonder what Jethro did to her." Tazara inwardly asks.

Out in the hallway, Borin is pushing her maid cart around, Mendez steps out of the elevator. "I need to get into Zulubon's suite." Mendez mentally notes, he spots Borin and quickly gets an idea. "I know how to get in." Mendez smirks and walks over to Borin, shoving a gun in the small of her back. "I need to get into suite five." Mendez orders her.

Borin bursts into tears. "Please don't hurt me."

"Do as you're told and you won't get hurt." Mendez warns Borin and walks them over to the door. "Knock on the door."

Borin knocks on the door, inside the room Tazara's voice is heard. "Who is it?" Tazara shouts.

"Maid ma'am I brought you some fresh towels."

"Come on in, I'm in the bathroom taking a bath."

Borin uses her key card and unlocks the door. "We will slowly enter the room; if you make a sound I will kill you on the spot."

"I beg you, I have six children." Borin cries.

"I've murdered mothers with ten children, you won't be any different." Mendez snickers and opens the door and slowly walks into the room with Borin in front of him.

"Remember I want him alive." Jenny reminds them all.

Mendez shoves Borin down on top of the couch and slowly approaches the bathroom with his gun drawn; he enters the bathroom and finds the bathtub empty. "Looking for someone Julio?" Ziva sensuously purrs into the back of his ear, before Julio can turn around, he feels Ziva's Sig on the back of his neck.

"I warned your boss that I had people that could take care of me." Tazara smirks.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"No we're going to arrest you." Ziva sweetly answers and begins to handcuff him.

"Arrest me?"

"Yes, we're federal agents." "I'm NCIS Special Agent Ziva David."

"NCIS?"

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service."

"Never heard of it before."

Borin gets up from the couch and walks over to Ziva and Mendez. "I guess he's never heard of the Coast Guard Investigative Service either." Borin laughs…."By the way, my name is Special Agent Abigail Borin and I tricked you into kidnapping me out in the hallway."

With that, Gibbs, Tony, McGee, and Hollis enter the room and find that the women have successfully apprehended Mendez on their own. "Who are they?" Mendez angrily asks as he tries to unsuccessfully resist Ziva.

"Back up!" Ziva softly answers.

"I want Mendez back at headquarters within the hour." Jenny orders them. "MTAC out!"

Tony shutting off his COM, just in case Jenny is still listening in on them. "How long are you two going to be at each other's throats?"

Gibbs turning off his COM. "She went over to your place without a protection detail." "End of discussion." Gibbs snarls and walks over to Mendez. "Ziva read him his rights."

"My pleasure!" Ziva smiles.

NCIS Headquarters

Interrogation Room Number 4

Gibbs and Ziva are interrogating Jose Mendez. "We have you on video killing Chuck Kaspries." "You're looking at a possible death sentence." Gibbs informs Mendez.

"How do I get the death penalty taken off of the table?" Mendez swallows.

"By cooperating with us."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Call your boss and let him know that Jada Zulubon checked out of her hotel suite and flew out to New York." Gibbs smoothly says to him.

"And that you will take a flight out to New York tonight so that you can case Jada's Southampton beach house." Ziva instructs him.

"That's it!"

Gibbs hands over Mendez' cell phone. "Make the call."

Inside the Observation Room, Tony, McGee, and Hollis are watching. "That was too easy." Hollis says with a bit of apprehension in her voice.

"Why you want it any harder than that?" Borin sighs in annoyance.

McGee's cell phone begins to ring. "McGee!" He answers.

Abby's Lab

"I don't think Ned Parker got the word to stop hacking into our clone computer." Abby giggles.

"You find this funny because." McGee shrugs.

"Remember the password protected file that I had marked 'The Frog'."

"The one where you hid your little surprise in."

"Ned just opened it up." Abby snickers.

"I'm on my way down." McGee laughs and walks out of the room.

"What was that about?" Hollis curiously asks.

"Got me!" Tony answers shrugging his shoulders at Hollis.

Down in Abby's Lab. "That will teach Ned for messing with my toys." Abby gloats.

"I hate to be on your bad side Abby." McGee laughs.

Abby with her hand firmly on her chin. "I wonder if anybody else at ATF Headquarters got the computer virus that I sent Ned."

"Anybody on his e-mail contact list."

"Cool, Hollis' computer will get infected when she goes to open her e-mails later on."

"That's if she returns to ATF Headquarters tonight." "We fly out to Long Island first thing tomorrow morning."

"Is the Director going with you?"

"No, she'll be overseeing the op from MTAC and I'm glad." McGee sighs with relief.

"The way Gibbs was acting in my lab earlier, I think their little impasse will be resolved by tonight."

"I hope so." McGee frowns with worry.

Parking Garage

2100 Hours

Jenny steps out of the elevator and notices that Gibbs is waiting to take her home. "I'm going to kill Melvin." Jenny inwardly fumes and rolls her eyes over at Gibbs.

"Get your ass over here." Gibbs barks at her.

Jenny slowly walks over to the car. "The next time Melvin will be ordered to take me home when I ask him to."

Gibbs opens up the passenger door and shoves Jenny inside of the car. "This ends tonight." Gibbs growls and slams the door closed.

"There you go again, treating me like a two year old."

"Then quit acting like one." Gibbs snaps and then makes his way over to the driver's side door and gets inside of the car.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs pulls up in front of his house, Jenny is about to get out when Gibbs grabs her elbow. "Jen you could have talked with Tony up in your office."

"I was only gone an hour." Jenny sighs.

"It only takes a minute."

"Need I remind you that I went grocery shopping the Saturday you had the hang over."

"The store is down the road and you were in and out of the store and home with in fifteen minutes."

"And like you said it takes a minute." Jenny sarcastically answers and pulls away from Gibbs and gets out of the car.

Gibbs gets out the car and chases after Jenny. "Jenny!" He shouts.

"Jethro, you can't treat me like a porcelain doll."

"Yes I will." Gibbs chokes up with emotion and pulls Jenny's face up. "I thought I lost you forever three and a half years ago."

"Jethro-" Before Jenny can finish Gibbs grabs a hold of Jenny's face capturing her mouth with hungry urgency. Jenny grabs a hold of his lapel on his coat, dragging her lover over towards the front door, in between kisses Gibbs unlocks the front door and presses in the alarm code.

"I liked it better when my front door was unlocked." He growls and flings up the front door dragging Jenny inside with him.

Jenny slams the front door behind them. "Shut up and make love to me."

Gibbs bolts the lock to the front door. "I do not have any patients for the alarm code at this time." Gibbs hungrily snarls and leans down and kisses Jenny on the mouth. Impatient with need, they shed their coats, sport jackets, shoes, socks, and nylon stockings as they make their way over to the fireplace. Just before Gibbs is about to lead them down on to the floor he pulls his polo shirt and t-shirt over his head at the same time. "You were a major tease in work today." Gibbs chastises his lover, shoving her backwards, as Jenny goes down on the floor, she pulls him on top of him.

"I only wore the outfit to torment the living hell out of you." "Sex was the furthest from my mind with you tonight." Jenny purrs and begins to nip him along his collar bone.

"You did a helluva good job at torturing me." Gibbs barks in sexual frustration.

"I should have worn a short skirt instead."

"You should have, because by now I would have had your skirt over your waist." Gibbs impatiently says to her and captures Jenny's mouth.

"I can't believe I'm giving into the bastard." Jenny inwardly scolds herself.

Gibbs in between kisses begins to work open his belt buckle and the front of his pants. "You got less than a minute to get out of the rest of your clothes, before I rip them off of your body."

Jenny complying with her lovers demands works open the belt to the front of her slacks and slowly removes the lower half of her clothing, she pulls Gibbs pants and boxers down past his waist. "I believe you can finish undressing yourself."

Gibbs kicking out of his pants and boxers. "The hell with the turtleneck." He groans.

Jenny wraps her legs around his waist arching up into his harden length. "It's been thirteen long years since you've had your way with me and you better not be gentle with me you son of a bitch."

Gibbs enters her with a driving thrust. "Gentle is not what I had in mind for you, there's a penalty for teasing Jethro and you damn well know it." He smirks and aggressively begins to move against her.

"Yes!" She cries out with pleasure, the back of her heels press down on his lower back as he delves deeper into her with each rhythmic push.

"I don't want to hear whimpers of pleasure." He inwardly growls wanting to hear his lovers screams of pleasure.

Aggressively they make love to one another on the floor in front of the fireplace, with her orgasm building up inside of her; Jenny digs her nails into Gibbs back. "Don't stop!" She moans out.

"I can't hear you Jen." Gibbs mischievously grins.

"Jethro!" She screams out his name, her hips arch up to meet each possessive thrust. Fast and frantic their bodies collide in wild ecstasy. Gibbs wanting to prolong their lovemaking slows down the pace of their lovemaking. Tenderly and gently he moves his body against her, Jenny caught off guard. "What are you doing to me?"

"Giving you a reason to think the next time you decide to leave without your protection detail."

"Jethro-" Gibbs kisses Jenny on the mouth to silence her protest.

At the same time they plunge over the edge, their bodies shudder in completion. Gibbs exhausted slumps down on top of his lover heaving with exertion.

Jenny gasping for breath. "Jethro do you mind getting some of your weight off of me." She pants.

Gibbs getting his weight off of her looks into the depths of Jenny's green eyes. "You have somebody to come home to now."

"You mean I have somebody to come home to that loves me." Jenny softly says to him.

Gibbs pulls them up in a sitting position on the floor, pulls Jenny's turtleneck over her head and removes her bra. "And I have somebody to come home to that loves me." Gibbs smiles and pulls Jenny into his arms. Jenny buries her face up against Gibbs' shoulder. Feeling her tears of happiness running down his chest. "My vow to you is to keep you safe until my last breath and I can't do that knowing that there's a chance that you'll break your protection detail again." "I want you to promise me Jenny that you won't leave the house too far without an agent watching over you."

"I promise I won't leave the house too far without an agent watching me." Jenny says above a whisper.

Gibbs pulls Jenny's face up so that he can make eye contact with her. "I love you."

"I love you Jethro." Jenny breathes out his name and leans up and kisses him on the mouth.

Midnight

Gibbs returning from the kitchen with a sandwich in his hand walks out into the living room and finds Jenny sleeping on the floor in front of the fireplace. After they had made love the second time, Gibbs had lit the fireplace and grabbed the blanket and pillow from the couch and made a little love nest for the two of them in front of the fireplace. "Valentines week can't get here soon enough for me." Gibbs smiles in anticipation.

Jenny cracks open an eye and finds Gibbs watching over her. "Do you have enough for me?" She yawns.

Gibbs walks over to her and goes down on to the floor, breaking his peanut butter and jelly sandwich in half. "I always share with my partner." Gibbs smiles and leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Jenny noting that some of the jelly had dripped on to his chest. "I'll clean that up after I eat." She wickedly answers and takes a bite from her sandwich.

NCIS Headquarters

Jenny's Office

0600 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are standing in front of the window behind her desk. "I'll brief them on the plane." Jenny says to Gibbs as she secures her sidearm on to her waist line.

"I'm glad you changed your mind about coming." Gibbs smiles.

"My place is with my partner." Jenny softly says, she grabs her Natural Sherling Volcano Coyote jacket and pocketbook and starts off for the door. Gibbs is about to walk off when he notices that Jenny has the fortune from the fortune cookie that she opened the other night taped above her monitor screen. Jenny stops at her door and turns and glances back at her lover. "You coming?"

"Yeah!" Gibbs shrugs, suddenly getting an idea into his head.

"Not again!" Jenny sighs in exasperation and walks out the door.

"What?" Gibbs innocently asks with a mischievous grin on his face.

"You know damn well what Leroy, it's another one of your secret surprises that you will hit me unexpectedly with." She chastises him from the outer office.

Gibbs smirks over towards the direction of the doorway. "In a million years you won't see this coming." Gibbs says barely above a whisper.

Down in the bullpen, Tony, Ziva, McGee, Cassie, and Tazara patiently wait for Gibbs and Jenny to join them downstairs. "I owe Abby ten bucks." Tony grumbles as he watches Gibbs and Jenny descend the stairs.

"I owe Ziva twenty bucks." Cassie protests.

"So glad I stayed out of it this time." McGee snickers.

"Face it Jethro has her wrapped around his finger." Tazara winks.

Jenny over hearing Tazara. "I believe it's the other way around Tazara." Jenny smirks.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Gibbs laughs.


	87. Handled In House

Arlington, Virginia

Arlington Municipal Airport

0645 Hours

Hollis is standing outside of hanger number fifteen, waiting for Gibbs and his team to arrive. "I wonder if Gibbs' mood has improved since last night." Hollis snickers.

A black van pulls up in front of the hanger with Tony behind the wheel and Ziva sitting in the passenger seat beside him. "Surprised that Gibbs isn't driving." Hollis shrugs.

The side door pulls back, McGee exits the van carrying his backpack. "I'll check in with Abby and Borin back at headquarters." McGee says over his shoulder.

Gibbs climbs out of the van. "Remind her to make sure that Mendez calls Fernando at 1300 hours."

"It will be the first thing out of my mouth." McGee nods.

Jenny steps out of the plane, wearing Gucci Grey mirrored sunglasses and her Natural Sherling Volcano Coyote jacket. "I see her majesty has graced us with her presence." Hollis sarcastically says to herself.

Tazara follows Jenny from behind and notices Hollis standing in front of the hanger. "Ice Pop is here." Tazara smirks over at Hollis. "We should arrive at Teterboro Airport within the hour."

"Can we get a few hours in New York, before the op?" Tony curiously asks.

"We're here to work on an op, not sight see DiNozzo." Gibbs growls.

"So SecNav Jarvis has beach front property in the Hamptons, I didn't know that." McGee smoothly says.

"He spent the holidays there." Jenny answers and walks off for the plane.

"So what's the signal that we're going to use so that Fernando can find Jada's house." Tony sheepishly asks.

"You'll see when we get there." Gibbs smiles.

After a briefing on board the plane, Gibbs, Jenny, Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Hollis secure themselves in their seats. "Wake me up when we land." Gibbs yawns.

"Boss we should only be in the air for about twenty-five minutes." McGee shrugs.

"It's called a nap McGee." Gibbs grumbles and closes his eyes.

Hollis sitting by herself is talking on her cell phone. "I didn't need that surprise Ned." Hollis sighs in annoyance.

ATF Headquarters

Forensics Lab

"You think I enjoyed mine yesterday afternoon." "All of my equipment got fried during the power surge." Ned grumbles in protest and stares at the burnt out shells of his equipment.

Unknown to Hollis, Tony and Ziva are eavesdropping on her phone conversation. Tony opens up his cell phone and begins to text Abby back at headquarters. 'Ned's equipment back at ATF Headquarters is toast and you also got future ex-wife number four's computer in the process.' Tony types her.

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

"I'm going to sit with Mendez up in interrogation." Borin nods over at Abby and walks away.

Abby's cell phone rings for an incoming text message, she picks up her phone from on top of the counter and spots Tony's name on the display panel. "Must be some gossip on Hollis." Abby snickers and pushes in the accept button and reads Tony's text. "Ned's equipment back at ATF Headquarters is toast and you also got future ex-wife number four's computer in the process." Abby reads out loud….."Yes!" Abby screams out in triumph and begins to do the happy dance in the middle of her lab.

Palmer walks in. "What are you so happy about?" Palmer laughs at her.

"Revenge is better served cold." Abby mischievously winks over at Palmer.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side." Palmer snickers.

Abby holding up her phone, begins to text Tony back. 'Paybacks are a bitch; nobody messes with Abigail Sciuto's toys.'

Back on board the plane, Tony bursts out laughing at Abby's response. "DiNozzo do you mind keeping it down." Gibbs barks.

"Sorry boss!" Tony laughs.

The plane takes off down the runway. "I gotta hang up Ned, I'll call you back." Hollis says and hangs up.

"Wish you were staying back at headquarters with Borin." Jenny icily says to herself.

"Director you awfully quiet." Tony smiles over at her.

"I have a million things going on in my head right now Agent DiNozzo." Jenny sighs….

As the plane gets off the ground, Hollis takes in the peaceful expression on her ex-lover's face. "He never had that expression on his face when I would watch over him as he slept in my bed." Hollis sadly notes.

Teterboro, New Jersey

Teterboro Airport

Half an hour later, Tazara safely lands the plane. Jenny gently nudges Gibbs to wake him up. "Jethro!" She tenderly calls out to him. Gibbs blinks his eyes open. "Plane landed in New Jersey."

Gibbs removes his seatbelt and begins to stretch in his seat. "Soon as we leave the airport I need to find a Starbucks." Gibbs yawns.

McGee checking into the location of the nearest Starbucks on his PDA. "There's one on Route 17 just outside of the airport." McGee informs him.

"Two hour drive to the Hamptons and I'll need at least cup to get me going and another cup for the long drive." Gibbs grumbles and gets up from his seat.

Ziva knowing that she could get them there in about an hour- "I could-"

"And get pulled over by the local police I don't think so Special Agent David." Jenny quickly dismisses her.

Tazara standing in the entranceway from the cockpit. "Ziva's driving hasn't changed much in over the years." Tazara giggles.

"No, but Gibbs is just as bad." Jenny laughs and unfastens her seatbelt.

"Hey it gets us there." Gibbs growls.

Hollis unfastens her seatbelt and gets up from her seat. "I'll be outside." She nods and exits the airplane.

"Blow torch may help melting her." Tazara laughs.

Southampton, New York

SecNav Clayton Jarvis' House

1100 Hours

Tony, Ziva, and McGee are standing out on the back deck overlooking the ocean. "What a view?" Tony says in disbelief.

"Didn't you use to live a life like this when you were a child?" McGee curiously asks.

"Yes, but I never had a view like this." Tony answers in awe.

Inside the house, Gibbs is pouring coffees for him and Jenny. "I hate to tell DiNozzo we have the same exact view down in Baja." Gibbs smirks and hands Jenny her coffee.

"I was talking to Leyla the other day; Amira is looking forward to going to Baja to see the new house." Jenny softly answers.

"Totally forgot about it since my mind has been focused on our trip to Paris next month." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"The next few weeks better fly by real fast." Jenny sighs.

Hollis walks into the kitchen. "I thought I smelled coffee in here."

Jenny annoyed with Hollis' presence gets up from the kitchen table. "I better check in with Abby." Jenny nods; she grabs her cup of coffee from on top of the table and walks out of the kitchen.

"I see her mood hasn't improved since yesterday." Hollis sarcastically baits her ex-lover.

"Give it a rest Holli." Gibbs warns her.

"You can't wait for this op to be over with."

"I'm counting the minutes." Gibbs grunts.

"Keep in mind we may work together in the future." Hollis sensuously reminds him.

"If and when we do work together again, you won't pull a stunt like you pulled the other day."

"I wanted to know what Wallace was digging into."

"It had nothing to do with our investigation." "Director Shepard had an agreement with Acting Director Jones that you were not allowed to look into Operation Lodestone or the joint agency raid of Julien Benoit's home in Palm Springs." Gibbs barks.

"This has something to do with the reason you were spending late hours at the office when we were together."

"What are you talking about?" Gibbs snaps and gets up from the table.

"The phone call you got at four in the morning, when you had spent the night at my place."

"I get phone calls in the middle of the night all the time." Gibbs shrugs.

"From your boss."

"Hollis I don't know what your upset about." "That was five years ago." "You're engaged to be married; I'm living with Jenny now." "As far as I'm concerned that's in the past and I've moved on." "I can't say the same thing for you." Gibbs frowns and grabs his cup of coffee.

"You never moved on when we were together and I'm not talking about your first wife Shannon."

"That's because Jenny Shepard is a tough act to follow." Gibbs smiles and walks out of the kitchen.

Hollis flops down at the kitchen table. "Then why waist six months with me, when you wanted to be in her bed to begin with?"

Out in the living room, McGee had made a Wi-Fi connection with a video camera to a fifty inch screen plasma TV. Jenny is standing in front of the TV talking with Abby back at NCIS Headquarters. "Is everything ready to go?"

Washington, DC

Abby's Lab

"Yes, everything is good to go when Mendez calls Fernando at 1300 hours." "I'm sending a live shot of the Interrogation Room to McGee's laptop as we speak."

Jenny turns and glances at McGee's laptop that's sitting on top of a coffee table, spotting Borin sitting across from Mendez in the Interrogation Room. "It came through."

Gibbs walks in. "What came through?"

"Video feed from the interrogation room, back at headquarters." Jenny answers.

"Hopefully Mendez doesn't screw this up."

"If he wants the death penalty taken off, he better not."

1300 Hours

In Interrogation Room number 4, Jose Mendez is placing a phone call to his boss, Raphael Fernando. Fernando answers the phone on the first ring. "Fernando?"

Cartagena, Columbia

Raphael Fernando's Hacienda

"Jose, did you locate the bitches' house in the Hamptons."

"Yes and it's heavily guarded." Mendez informs him.

"She did say that her people would take care of her." Fernando sighs in frustration.

"Are you calling this off?"

"No, I'll meet with this Jada whore."

"Are you going to buy you weapons from her?" Mendez curiously asks.

"Raphael Fernando does not pay for something that is rightfully his." Fernando grins and hangs up.

"That was too easy." Jenny laughs from Jarvis' living room sectional sofa.

"Boss you still haven't mentioned how Fernando is going to find Jarvis' house."

"You'll see soon as it gets dark." Gibbs smirks.

2000 Hours

Gibbs, Jenny, Tony, Ziva, McGee, Hollis, Cassie, and Tazara are standing out on the beach behind Jarvis' house. Taking in the enormous display of white Christmas lights that Jarvis had installed on top of his roof for the holidays. "I wonder what his electricity bill was for the month." Tony sheepishly asks.

"I highly doubt that he cares DiNozzo." Gibbs smoothly answers.

2130 Hours

Raphael Fernando along with his pilot Manny Barrio are approaching the shoreline near Jarvis' beach front property, spotting the brightly lit house along the beach. "She's right, that's one helluva a signal." Manny laughs.

"Land the plane, near the boat pier." Fernando instructs him.

Barrio lands his Dornier Seastar seaplane into the water and guides it over towards the pier. Fernando gets out of his seat and walks out into cabin, finding several of his body guards sleeping. "Wake up!" He shouts down at them. They quickly jump out of their seats. "The plane has landed, I want two of you walking behind me at all times." Fernando orders them.

Out on the back deck, Ziva, Cassie, Tazara patiently wait for Fernando to arrive. "The suspense is killing me." Abby giggles into their earwigs back at NCIS Headquarter in Washington.

Suddenly Fernando appears on the deck with his body guards behind him. "Senora Zulubon." Fernando nods over at Tazara, noting that designer gown and expensive jewelry that she's wearing.

"That is correct!" Tazara smiles at him. "These are my personal assistants-bodyguards." Tazara smiles and gestures towards Ziva first. "Dominquez Dimitrax and Lolita Lugarda."

"Female bodyguards!" Fernando laughs.

Ziva throws a knife that goes in between Fernando's legs. "I chose to miss on purpose." She smirks.

Fernando narrows his eyes over at Ziva in disbelief. "You want to come work for me?" He offers.

"Nah, you couldn't afford me." Ziva purrs.

"Let's get down to business shall we." Tazara interrupts them and gets up from her lounge chair. "Follow me into my office."

"First thing first, where are my weapons stored at?" Fernando demands.

"Right where Lorenzo Moretti stored them at."

"My hit man couldn't break Chuck Kaspries on the where a bouts of my container." Fernando snaps.

"That's because Chuck Kaspries was my loyal fed that I had on the take." "The consequences in betraying Jada are far more severe if he would have given out where the container was hidden at." Tazara seductively says to him.

"How severe?" Carlos gulps.

"His lower anatomy would have been the only thing that would be left for his family to bury." Tazara laughs and steps inside of the dining room with Fernando following her from behind.

Outside, Ziva and Cassie pull their weapons on Carlos and Marco. "Federal Agents, drop your weapons." Ziva and Cassie shout at them.

Down along the pier, Tony, McGee, and Hollis enter the seaplane and draw their Sigs on to Fernando's bodyguards and on a sleeping Barrio. "Federal Agents!" They shout.

Back in the house, Tazara leads Fernando into her office. "I shouldn't have to pay for something that is rightfully mine." Fernando groans in protest.

"It was mine all along." "Moretti was my middle man trying to make a deal with you."

"I made him an offer that he wouldn't refuse." Fernando smirks.

Unknown to Fernando, Gibbs and Jenny are standing behind him with their Sigs, pointed at him. "We know we saw the bullet hole in the middle of his head." Gibbs snarls….Fernando slowly turns and faces Gibbs. "Federal Agents!" Gibbs announces.

Fernando is about to reach for his gun, concealed behind the back of his waist, when Tazara shoves him on to the ground. "I don't think so pretty boy." Tazara laughs.

Jenny bends over and retrieves Fernando's weapon. "Raphael Fernando you are under arrest for the murder of Navy Lieutenant David Wallace." Jenny informs him and is about to read Fernando his Miranda rights.

"I didn't murder a Lieutenant Wallace." Fernando protests.

Gibbs grabs Fernando from behind and begins to handcuff him. "Lieutenant Wallace is Lorenzo Moretti." "He was working undercover as a liaison officer for the ATF." Gibbs bitterly says to Fernando.

"Boss, we have Fernando's men taken into custody." Tony informs Gibbs through his earwig. "Copy that DiNozzo." Gibbs says into his COM.

Ziva and Cassie drag Carlos and Marco inside of the office. "That was way too easy." Ziva smirks.

"Just the way I like it Agent David." Jenny smiles.

"Do you mind telling me who's arresting us so that I can get in touch with my lawyer?" Fernando requests.

"NCIS!" Gibbs announces with a big smile on his face.

"Along with the ATF and CGIS." Hollis and Borin angrily remind Gibbs through his earwig.

"ATF and CGIS also were in on your arrest." Gibbs answers with a smirk.

"Ok people, we'll need to head back to Washington and wrap up this investigation by tomorrow afternoon the latest." Jenny orders her agents.

"Ma'am it's a two hour drive back to Teterboro Airport." McGee reminds her.

"We'll just borrow Fernando's plane since he won't be needing it to head back to Columbia." Tazara snickers.

The next morning in Jenny's Office, Jenny, Ziva, and Tazara are saying goodbye to one another. "It's been fun." Tazara smiles and affectionately hugs her friends. Gibbs peaks his head into the office door. "It's safe to come in now Jethro, one less female for you to have to deal with." Tazara teases him.

"Heading back to Genoa?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"No, Miami, I have some business down there, and then I'm on my way to Jamaica." Tazara smiles.

"Have a safe trip." Gibbs smiles at her.

"I will!" Tazara answers and walks off for the door. "Take care of my girls, particularly Jenny." Tazara winks and walks out of the office.

"Tazara wait up I'll walk you out to the parking garage." Ziva calls after her and rushes out of the office.

"Borin wrapped up her end of CGIS' investigation last night." Jenny sighs with relief.

"ATF is wrapping up their end outside of the Evidence Room, their inventorying the weapons that were seized by us in the container."

"I hope that Hollis Mann never sets foot into this building ever again after today." Jenny snaps and grabs her pocketbook and briefcase from on top of the table. "I'll see you at home." Jenny nods over at Gibbs and walks out of the office.

"I'll make sure that Hollis Mann has second thoughts about entering this building ever again." Gibbs angrily vows.

Few minutes later Gibbs is in the elevator on his way down to the Evidence Room, the elevator stops on Abby's floor, the doors open and Abby steps inside carrying a box. "Hi Gibbs!" She sweetly says to her dysfunctional work father.

"Abs!" He smiles at her and glances inside of the box. "What do you have inside of the box?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Wallace's laptop, which I had to destroy unfortunately for the ATF."

"Technically Ned Parker thought he was hacking into Wallace's laptop, makes sense." Gibbs shrugs.

"I sent a power surge through Wallace's laptop yesterday morning."

"With the laptop destroyed, Parker won't know that we were on to him." Gibbs nods.

"What are you going to do about Agent Mann; she shouldn't be allowed to get away with this?" Abby protests.

"Don't worry Abby, like I said I'll handle her my way in house." Gibbs smirks.

Outside the garage door, a team of AFT agents are collecting and cataloging the weapons that are inside of the container. Gibbs and Abby walk out and find Hollis overseeing the agents. "You finally get to be on top." Gibbs sarcastically shouts at his ex-lover.

"Very funny Agent Gibbs." Hollis sighs.

"I thought it was." Gibbs grins.

Abby hands Hollis a cardboard box. "What's in the box?" Hollis curiously asks.

"What's left of Lieutenant Wallace's laptop, mysteriously I had a power surge in my lab on Friday afternoon." Abby innocently answers.

"Power surge?"

"Maybe it had something to do with that power outage that we had the other night." "Who knows?" Abby shrugs.

"Power company still doesn't know why the power was out for three hours." Gibbs lies, knowing full well that Ned Parker hacked into the power company's system and shut the power grid down.

"I have some things to take care of in my lab and then I'm off to the bar." Abby smiles…"Later Gibbs!" Abby waves and walks away.

Hollis noting Gibbs' body language. "You are happy that this investigation is over and done with."

"Try elated!" Gibbs grins and steps back inside of the Evidence Room with Hollis following him from behind.

"Keep in mind there may other investigations between our agencies down the road." Hollis sweetly says to him.

"And there may not be."

"After Sharif got away that first time did you think that we would be working together so quickly?" Hollis sheepishly asks.

"Thought never entered my mind." Gibbs smoothly answers and walks off for the elevator.

"But when we worked together three weeks later, the one thing that entered the both of our minds is that we wanted to end up in bed together." Hollis sensuously reminds him.

"As I recall our first time wasn't the greatest." Gibbs laughs.

Hollis joins him over at the elevator. "So I noted you couldn't get it up the third time around." Hollis teases him.

"If I couldn't get it up it meant that you weren't sexually satisfying me in bed." Gibbs mischievously answers.

The elevator door opens, Gibbs and Hollis walk inside at the same time. "If I wasn't satisfying you in bed Jethro, why did you continue to see me?" Hollis angrily asks.

"I got a piece of ass out of it and on top of it I thought I was making Jenny jealous, by flaunting our relationship under her nose." Gibbs smirks.

"Thought?" Hollis shrugs.

"Jenny can read me like a book; she knew you weren't satisfying me in bed."

"Instead of making your boss jealous by using me, you should have been in her bed not mine." Hollis chastises him.

"She had a no off the job rule in place."

"And you wanted to get back at her by using me." Hollis sighs in disbelief.

"I left Mexico for her." "I had every intention of getting back together with Jenny when I returned to Washington."

"But she had gotten on with her life while you had went on your little siesta, I get it." Hollis laughs.

"The whys aren't important for the reason why we didn't get back together then." "What's important that when Jenny came out of witness protection, we realized that we still loved one another."

"And the two of you got back together again, and somehow the no off the job rule didn't have to apply anymore." Hollis answers in disgust.

"Jenny and I were living together when Jarvis offered Jenny her old job back, he knew that we were together and had no problem with our off the job relationship, just as long as it did not interfere with our on the job roles and so far it hasn't."

"So I noted by her behavior on Friday." Hollis answers and bats her eyelashes.

Just as the elevator reaches the Squad Room floor, Gibbs flips the switch over. "The next time you have one of your people hack into an NCIS computer, I will have your badge." Gibbs snarls.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hollis defiantly answers.

"Just before the power outage you had entered the gates at the Navy Yard." "Conveniently the lights go out at 2200 Hours." "Ned Parker is hidden in the trunk of your car." "You sneak him into the building and down into our forensics lab." "McGee found the spy bot program that Ned Parker had planted in Wallace's laptop."

"You planted that virus on Wallace's laptop." Hollis snaps.

"Let's say that Ned Parker will think twice about hacking into another agencies computer system again." Gibbs laughs.

Hollis folds her arms up at Gibbs. "So I guess Director Shepard is going to be screaming at my boss on the phone first thing Monday morning."

"No!" Gibbs answers and shakes his head.

"No!" Hollis says with surprise.

"It was handled in house my way." "You were told to back off on went down in Palm Springs last September and on Operation Lodestone and wouldn't take no for an answer." Gibbs barks.

"I wouldn't take no for an answer, because as I recall René Benoit kept you away from my bed many a night." Hollis hisses.

"I was doing my job."

"No you wanted to be in Jenny's bed not mine." Hollis screams at him.

"You don't get it Holli." Gibbs frowns, tired of arguing with her.

"What's there to get?" Hollis fumes.

"Through it all no matter what our roles are, subordinate, boss, lover, Jenny and I will always be partners." "She has my back, I have hers and that's the way it is."

"So La Grenouille was personal?"

"I can't go into that."

"So personal that you put your partner above me first."

"I'm through arguing with you Holli, because you'll never get it."

"No I won't."

Gibbs before flipping the switch back over comes face to face with Hollis. "There will never be a joint ATF-NCIS investigation between the two of us, am I making myself clear."

"I can't make any promises Jethro." Hollis sweetly says to him and flips the switch over. The elevator starts up and stops on the Squad Room floor. "Never say never again." She laughs at him.

The doors open and Gibbs walks out. He walks back into his section and finds his team finishing up with their reports. "I want your reports on my desk, no later than 1800 hours." Gibbs growls.

"Boss there's-" Gibbs glares over at Tony who stops in midsentence. "I guess I can see the highlights on ESPN later on." Tony grumbles.

Hollis retrieves her belongings from her desk. "It's been a pleasure." She smiles at Gibbs and his team.

"I can't say it's been a pleasure for me and my team." Gibbs grunts and takes a seat behind his desk.

"Give Ducky my best." Hollis nods and walks off for the elevator.

Tony waits for Hollis to step inside of the elevator. "Goodbye future ex-wife number four." He grins and pumps his fist into the air.

"How long do you think it will be before we work with her again?" McGee curiously asks.

"Hell will freeze over." Gibbs snarls.

Later that night, Gibbs crawls into bed with his sleeping lover, touching Jenny's naked body under the covers, Jenny awakens. "Jethro I'm tired." She grumbles in protest.

"Well I'm not." Gibbs smirks and begins to ravish Jenny's neck and shoulders.

Jenny feeling his erection up against her thigh. "This better not be an all-nighter, I'm exhausted." Jenny yawns.

"Who knows, I've been known to have four or five erections in one given night with you."

"I believe your previous record was ten times in one night in Serbia." Jenny purrs.

"Well like you said it was a week with nothing to do but-"

"Make love!" Jenny finishes and finds his mouth in the darkness; Gibbs deepens her kiss and rolls on to his back, pulling Jenny on top of him. "I gather you want me on top." Jenny asks between kisses.

"I wouldn't have it any other way boss." Gibbs teases her.


	88. Strawberry Preserves

February 10th 2012

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

1400 Hours

For the next eight working days, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo Junior will be the agent in charge of the Major Case Response Team, much to the chagrin of his co-workers. "If you shoot one more rubber band at me I'm going to shove the box that they came in up your ass." Ziva angrily warns her partner.

"Be careful Ziva, he may like that." McGee smirks from his desk.

"For those remarks I'm going to order my team to run laps around the Navy Yard." Tony grins over at them.

"My pleasure it will be more pleasant than being stuck in a room with you." Ziva sarcastically answers.

"The essence of DiNozzo is more potent when he's in charge." McGee laughs.

Tony annoyed that his junior agents are not taking him seriously. "That was over a year ago, could we please drop it." Tony protests.

"Sorry Tony but you walked into that one." Ziva teases him.

Tony quickly changes the subject. "I wonder when Gibbs and Jenny will land in Paris." Tony openly asks.

"Their flight leaves at 1500 hours." "Depending on turbulence, I'd say in about eight hours." McGee smoothly says.

"Seven hours and forty one minutes to be exact." Ziva announces.

"How do you know that?" Tony curiously asks.

"Flight time calculator site." Ziva answers.

"That means that Gibbs and Jenny will be landing at 0530 hours tomorrow morning Paris time." McGee calculates.

"Remember when we went to Paris a few years ago." "It took me two days to get use to the time difference." Tony grimaces.

"I hardly noticed Tony." Ziva sensuously answers.

McGee remembering that they both had a different answer for their sleeping arrangements. "So I gather you slept like a log on the couch." McGee smirks over at Ziva.

"I told you that I slept on the couch." Tony protests.

McGee gets up from his desk. "Funny, Ziva told me that she slept on the couch because you snore." McGee laughs.

"I don't snore!" Tony shouts.

Satisfied that he got Tony and Ziva into an argument, McGee walks off for the elevator. "That felt good." He snickers.

Paris, France

Jenny's Apartment

0630 Hours CET

Gibbs and Jenny walk into the apartment, closing the door behind them; Gibbs drops their luggage in the middle of the living room. "Bed and it doesn't involve sleeping." Gibbs impatiently growls.

Jenny grabbing the lapel of Gibbs' jacket. "I slept on the flight over." She purrs.

Gibbs picks up Jenny in his arms and begins to walk them into the bedroom. "So did I." Gibbs smirks, as Gibbs approaches the bed, he tosses Jenny down on top of the bed. "We're not getting out of this bed until late this afternoon."

Jenny unbuttoning her coat. "This is what I had in mind on our first day in Paris." Jenny seductively says to her lover.

"It's all I've thought about for over a month." Gibbs smiles and begins to undress.

Fifteen minutes later, the lovers are cuddling in bed in a quiet afterglow. Jenny with her face pressed up against Gibbs' right shoulder, runs her fingers through the gray hairs on his left breast. "You're quiet." Gibbs smiles and kisses the top of Jenny's head.

"Recovering!" Jenny softly says against his chest.

"I was surprised that you wanted me to be the dominate lover on our first time." Gibbs says with surprise.

"I wanted you on top of me for a reason."

Gibbs pulls Jenny's face up so that they can make eye contact with one another. "Why is that?" He tenderly asks.

"I had a bad dream about my father on the flight over." Jenny frowns.

"And you wanted to be reassured that you were safe."

"Yes!" Jenny answers above a whisper.

Gibbs sits up in bed and pulls Jenny into his arms. "As long as we're together I will keep you safe."

Jenny presses her face up against his chest listening to the sound of his heartbeat racing inside. "I love you Jethro."

"I love you Jenny."

Throughout the rest of the morning and early afternoon, they passionately make love to one another with Gibbs being the dominate lover, after an hour nap they make their way into the shower. "I highly doubt that the shower got a work out like this while we were away." Gibbs smiles and picks Jenny up by the waist.

Jenny wraps her legs around her lover's waist, crying out as he enters her body. "I'm no longer in a passive mood." She purrs and begins to nibble along his earlobe.

"So I noticed." Gibbs laughs and backs Jenny up against the wall. Aggressively they begin to make love to one another, as Gibbs increases his strokes, Jenny claws on to his back. "Watch the nails." He protests.

"Don't stop!" She screams out.

Feeling her muscles convulsing around him. "Trust me I'm going to hold out as long as I can." Gibbs inwardly says to himself.

For five minutes, Gibbs holds back his release, Jenny lost in her orgasm. "Come on!" She begs him.

"I thought you didn't want me to stop." Gibbs answers between thrusts.

"That was five minutes ago, you son of a bitch." Jenny moans out. Gibbs explodes inside of her in a glorious moment of ecstasy, his body shudders in a chain of spasms. Jenny exhausted wraps her arms around his neck. "You better put me down on to my feet before you drop me." She pants with exertion.

"I haven't dropped you yet." Gibbs snorts.

Jenny unwraps her legs around his waist. "There's always a first time." She snickers and finds her footing on the floor of the shower.

"True, the surface in this shower isn't the greatest." "Once we retire, I want to do some remodeling in the apartment."

Jenny smiles up at him with surprise. "First time in a while that I've heard you mention Paris and retirement in the same sentence, usually you talk about Mexico."

"I have plans for Paris." Gibbs smiles at her.

Jenny noting the mischievous look in his eyes. "You're up to something." She mutters in annoyance.

"Your imagination is running wild as usual." Gibbs teases her and grabs the bottle of shampoo.

"No, I know you when you're plotting something." Jenny sighs.

"I guess you'll have to patiently wait." Gibbs smirks.

"I hate waiting."

"I know!" Gibbs laughs.

After eating an early dinner at a local bistro, Gibbs and Jenny wander the sidewalks of Montmartre rediscovering their old haunts that they found last September. "Since we had to keep local last September I want to revisit the places we went together back in 1999." Gibbs tenderly asks.

"Most of them are still there, I use to go to them to keep my mind off of my father." Jenny softly answers.

"We're here until next Sunday morning, if we're not in our bed making love; I want us exploring the city together."

Jenny tightening her grip on her lovers hand. "Each day one of us gets to pick and choose our favorite place that we use to go to."

"Sounds like a plan." Gibbs smiles and pulls Jenny close to them. "You up for ice cream?"

"Yes!"

"We'll share one together, since you're worried about keeping your figure." Gibbs chuckles.

"Don't worry Jethro; you'll burn it off of me later on." Jenny wickedly answers.

For the next few days, Gibbs and Jenny return to their old haunts by day, outdoor market places, coffee shops, and eating out at their favorite French restaurants that are still in business. They visit the Eiffel Tower, wander the length of the Champs-Élysées, and take a romantic boat ride on the Seine River. "Imagine 'The Shepard' traveling up the length of the Seine River." Gibbs smoothly says to Jenny who has her face pressed up against his chest trying to keep warm.

"No because we would most likely be down below deck." Jenny laughs.

"True!" Gibbs chuckles and kisses the top of Jenny's head. "After the boat ride I want to get a picture of you standing in front of the fountains at Place de la Concorde."

"Another picture!" Jenny groans in protest.

"I want to capture all the special places that you and I went to on this trip."

"I really don't see where this trip to Paris isn't any different than the last time we were here, other than we were restricted on where we could go." Jenny sighs.

Gibbs holding Jenny close to him. "But this time is different." Gibbs smiles to himself.

That night, Gibbs and Jenny are sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace playing a game of Scrabble. "Lunch makes more sense tomorrow than going out for dinner, the restaurants are going to be mobbed during dinner time for Valentine's Day." Jenny softly answers.

"We'll have Chinese for dinner." Gibbs answers forming the word breast across the board.

"Jethro!" Jenny chastises him.

Gibbs smirking over at the loose fitting Cami top that Jenny is wearing. "Well you have enough of it exposed."

Jenny forms a word using the letter b. "Here's my opinion of you at the moment Jethro." Jenny teases.

Gibbs raises a curious eyebrow at Jenny as he reads the word that she had made out on the board. "Beast!"

"You walked right into that one." Jenny giggles and reaches for her glass of red wine.

"No this word describes you to a t." Gibbs laughs and spells out the word tease on the board.

"I have the assets to use, so I might as well flaunt them." Jenny sweetly says to him and bats her eyelashes at him.

Gibbs bored with the game tosses the board off to the side. "There's a penalty for flaunting them." Gibbs warns her.

Jenny finishes the contents of her glass of wine and puts her wine glass on top of the end table. "I know!" She purrs and pushes Gibbs down on to his back.

Gibbs pulls Jenny on top of him; his hands go under her Cami top, feeling up her breasts. "I guess since I lost our Scrabble match that you get to be on top."

"You deliberately lost so that I got to be on top." She sensuously says to him.

"If it gets your-" Before Gibbs can finish Jenny kisses him on the mouth to shut him up.

Valentine's Day Morning

0800 Hours

Jenny dressed in a hot pink teddy walks into their bedroom carrying a tray of croissants, strawberry preserves and two cups of coffee. She approaches the bed and puts the tray on top of her sleeping lover. "Jethro!" She sweetly calls out to him. Gibbs blinks his eyes open. "Good morning sleepy head."

"Good morning!" Gibbs grunts and sits up in bed, noting that Jenny has brought them breakfast in bed.

"You like the new teddy I bought." Jenny seductively says to him.

"I prefer you out of it."

Joining Gibbs in bed. "If you want it off of me, you're going to have to remove it yourself."

"I'll have it off in less than thirty seconds." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny hands Gibbs his morning cup of coffee. "It's French Roast."

"Better be strong." Gibbs warns her and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

Noting the approval on his face. "I may be a horrible cook, but I know how to make coffee."

"And I don't have to worry about you burning down the kitchen either." Gibbs laughs.

Jenny playfully swats at him. "Besides lunch what are we going to do today?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Play it by ear I guess." Gibbs shrugs.

Jenny grabs a knife and begins to smear the strawberry preserves on Gibbs' croissant. "I can't recall the last time we had breakfast in bed."

"When I took you out on 'The Shepard'." Gibbs answers.

Jenny puts the croissant into her lover's mouth. "Right, Sunday morning, you made French toast and I got the syrup all over your chest." Jenny purrs.

"Which you cleaned up for me?" Gibbs smirks and bites down into his croissant.

"It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it." Jenny teases him.

Twenty minutes later, Jenny is about to get out of bed, when Gibbs puts the tray on top of the night stand. "You're not going anywhere." He warns her and pushes Jenny down on the bed.

Jenny staring up at her lover as he removes her teddy in under thirty seconds. "Oh no!" She cringes knowing full well that he's up to something. Gibbs grabbing the jar of strawberry preserves from the tray dumps the contents of the jar on Jenny's chest. "Jethro!" She protests.

"You protest too much." Gibbs laughs and begins to lick the preserves on her right breast.

Jenny clutches on to the back of his hair as his tongue circles around her right nipple. "Please don't drag out the foreplay." She begs.

"Not a chance, your mine and I'm going to ravish every inch of your body."

Jenny lies motionless on the bed letting Gibbs have his way with her body. "Happy Valentine's Day Jethro!" Jenny tenderly says to her lover.

After spending the morning in bed, Gibbs and Jenny go out to lunch around one o'clock to one of their favorite French restaurants 'Bartholomieu'. They order a bottle of burgundy wine while they look over the menu. "I know you're going to order escargot." Gibbs teases her.

"I always order escargot when I come to Bartholomieu." Jenny smiles.

"Why can't they have an English version of the menu?" Gibbs growls.

"What did you have in mind?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Clams for an appetizer maybe."

"Palourdes au Gratin!"

"What the hell is that?" Gibbs barks.

"Baked clams in butter garlic with bread crumbs." Jenny answers.

"How you decipher this crap is beyond me."

"I could say the same thing about you, remember you speak and read Russian." Jenny reminds him.

After a romantic lunch, Gibbs and Jenny hail a taxi. "You pick the place this time around." Gibbs smiles.

"Musée du Luxembourg!" Jenny says to the taxi driver.

"Wi Madame." The driver answers and pulls away from the curb.

"Well we haven't gone to a museum yet." Gibbs snorts.

"And notice I haven't went shopping yet."

"You'll be shopping by the end of the week." Gibbs laughs.

Back in Washington, Tony and Ziva are down in Autopsy discussing Lance Corporal Travis Capshaw's autopsy report. "Even though Metro PD fatally wounded Capshaw with a bullet wound to his heart, I would rule this a suicide." Ducky sadly informs them.

"Capshaw was depressed about his recent divorce." Ziva announces as a possible reason for Capshaw to commit suicide.

"Over a woman." Tony laughs.

"Tony Capshaw married his ex-wife before he enlisted in the Marine Corps." "She was his first love." Ziva chastises him.

"To throw your life away like that." Tony shrugs in disbelief.

"According to his CO, Capshaw had been quiet and withdrawn for weeks." Ziva frowns.

"Somebody missed something." Tony sighs.

"Maybe they weren't looking." Ducky openly says.

"So officially our end of the investigation is closed since we don't investigate suicides."

"I'm afraid so." Ducky answers.

Tony quickly gets off the subject of his current investigation. "I wonder what Gibbs and Jenny are doing in Paris?" Tony curiously asks.

"Enjoying one another." Ducky smiles.

"They deserve the time away after that op we had with Hollis and Borin last month." Tony grumbles.

"No they deserve the time away for themselves." "In Paris they are Jethro and Jenny with zero responsibilities." Ducky muses.

"Just think in a few years from now that's going to be their permanent spring and summer home." Tony grins.

"Spring and summer is the perfect time to be in Paris." Ziva smiles with envy.

"Paris is your favorite place to travel to." Tony asks.

"Paris and Rio de Janeiro!" Ziva winks.

That night in Jenny's apartment in Paris, Gibbs and Jenny are sitting on the living room couch finishing up their quarts of Shrimp Chow Mein. "Perfect Valentines dinner." Jenny smiles and puts her empty container down on top of the coffee table.

"You and I don't have much patients for crowds anyways." Gibbs says in between bites of his food.

"You mean you don't have patients for crowds." Jenny corrects him.

"I'm surprised that you didn't attack your fortune cookie already."

"I'm getting there." "I just need to get some of my food digested first."

Gibbs tosses his empty container on top of the coffee table. "I guess I'll eat all of them." He teases and grabs the small brown paper bag from on top of the table.

"Oh no you don't." Jenny protests.

Gibbs hands Jenny a fortune cookie wrapped in a white wrapper with red hearts on it. "Chinese take-out had them made up for Valentine's Day." Gibbs smiles.

Jenny unwraps the wrapper and notices that her fortune cookie is chocolate flavored. "I've already ruined my diet this week." Jenny laughs and breaks open her cookie. "Jethro my glasses are on the end table behind you, I want to see if this tops out my last fortune." Jenny softly answers.

"You never know Jen." Gibbs innocently answers and reaches over and retrieves her glasses from the end table.

Jenny taking her glasses from Gibbs. "Soon as I get done reading mine I want you to read yours."

"Don't need to I already got my fortune sitting next to me."

"Jethro!" Jenny smiles up at him and leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. She puts on her glasses and holds up her fortune. "Jenny will you marry me?" She reads out loud.


	89. Giving Heart

Previously On NCIS

Gibbs and Jenny fly out to Paris to spend Valentine's Day week together alone. After spending a few days wandering the streets of Paris, Gibbs and Jenny decide to have a quiet romantic Valentine's Day dinner back at Jenny's apartment.

Gibbs had chosen Chinese take-out for dinner, where they could lounge on the couch eating from their cardboard containers with their chopsticks. After dinner, Gibbs hands Jenny a fortune cookie wrapped in a white wrapper with red hearts on it. "Chinese take-out had them made up for Valentine's Day." Gibbs smiles.

Jenny unwraps the wrapper and notices that her fortune cookie is chocolate flavored. "I've already ruined my diet this week." Jenny laughs and breaks open her cookie. "Jethro my glasses are on the end table behind you, I want to see if this tops out my last fortune." Jenny softly answers.

"You never know Jen." Gibbs innocently answers and reaches over and retrieves her glasses from the end table.

Jenny taking her glasses from Gibbs. "Soon as I get done reading mine I want you to read yours."

"Don't need to I already got my fortune sitting next to me."

"Jethro!" Jenny smiles up at him and leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. She puts on her glasses and holds up her fortune. "Jenny will you marry me?" She reads out loud. Thinking that Gibbs is playing a practical joke on her. "Very funny Jethro." She giggles.

Gibbs removes a small black velvet box from inside of the fortune cookie bag. "It's not a joke Jenny." He smiles and gets down on his knee and opens the lid to the box. "Jennifer Shepard will you marry me?"

Jenny speechless watches as Gibbs removes a 14k gold plated 925 silver engagement ring with 14 genuine diamonds with a 7mm round sapphire; crafted in 14k white gold plated silver and places it on her left ring finger. "Jethro!" She breaths out, overwhelmed with emotion.

"You're not officially mine until you become my wife." "I'm tired of glaring at men ten years younger than me who do not see a wedding ring on your finger and think that your open season for them." "I love you Jenny, I want to spend the rest of my life with you as your husband this time I want it to count." "Our wedding rings twelve years ago were meaningless."

Jenny with tears streaming down her face. "I wasn't expecting a proposal from you." She sniffs.

Gibbs tenderly cups Jenny's face into his hands. "It's all I've thought about since we made love in that bed five months ago."

"It's all I thought about and what kept me going the three years that I worked for my father." Jenny answers with her voice quivering with emotion.

"And what was your answer when I asked you to marry me?" Gibbs smiles.

"Yes!"

"And is that your answer now?"

"Yes!" Jenny tearfully smiles.

Gibbs pulls Jenny into his arms and crushes her up against his chest. "You don't know how happy you've made me." Gibbs chokes; passionately he kisses Jenny on the mouth. In between kisses. "I love you."

Jenny wanting to look over her engagement ring breaks away from his kiss. "Jethro where did you get this at, it's gorgeous." She says in awe, marveling at the diamonds circling around the sapphire.

"Baja!"

Jenny getting out of Gibbs arms. "I knew it!" She playfully scolds him and flops backwards on the couch.

"I knew you saw me in the jewelry store with Camilla so I bought the bracelet as a roués."

Jenny holding up her ring. "I love it and most of all, I love you." She smiles.

Gibbs climbs on top of her on the couch. "I want you to show me."

"Don't you want to eat your fortune cookie?" Jenny mischievously asks.

"I'm about to eat it now." Gibbs smirks, finding his lovers mouth.

Around first light the next morning, Gibbs is sitting at the foot of the bed watching Jenny sleeping on her stomach. "I didn't think it would be that easy." Gibbs inwardly says to himself. Jenny wakes up; her hand feels for Gibbs on his side of the bed. "Did you have to wake up?"

Jenny rolls on to her back and finds her lover sitting at the end of the bed watching her. "How long have you been awake?" She yawns.

"I've been up all night, I watched over you as you slept."

"We were on the go all day yesterday, you should get a few hours' sleep." Jenny softly says to him.

"Only if you hold me in your arms."

"I'll hold you until you wake up."

Gibbs crawls on top of the bed and buries his face on top of Jenny's chest. "Serbia I would wake up in your arms at first light."

"My heart would skip a beat looking into the depths of your sleepy blue eyes." Jenny smiles.

Gibbs closes his eyes. "When we retire I want to wake up every morning in your arms."

Jenny strokes his hair. "Go to sleep Jethro." She whispers against his ear. The sound of Jenny's heart beat lulls Gibbs to sleep. "Unfortunately Jethro, retirement is at least four to five years away for me." Jenny frowns.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

0700 Hours

Team DiNozzo are discussing on what they did with their significant others on Valentines Night. "I took out Veronica to a five star French restaurant." McGee smiles from his desk.

"You have to try the real thing in Paris sometime." Ziva softly says to him.

"So what did Scott get you Ziva?" McGee curiously asks.

"A dozen red roses and he cooked me dinner." Ziva smiles.

"Cheap, cheap!" Tony taunts Ziva from his desk.

"Scott is a Chef at the Ritz Carlton Hotel at the Pentagon." Ziva sighs in annoyance.

"Ok DiNozzo what did you do for Maxine?" McGee asks.

"Honey dust!" Tony smirks.

"At least they both got something out of it." Ziva laughs.

Tony's thoughts go to Gibbs and Jenny. "I wonder what Gibbs got Jenny for Valentine's day." He asks out loud.

"Knowing Gibbs, it was romantic." Ziva smiles in awe.

Back in Paris, Gibbs is standing outside a boutique shaking his head at Jenny inside of the store. "I don't have the room for this crap at home." Gibbs grumbles.

Inside the store, Jenny takes her time going through the clothing racks. "I love annoying the crap out of him." Jenny laughs.

"Did you say something Madame?" The clerk asks.

"I was debating on which sweater I should get." Jenny fibs and chooses the peach sweater. "I have a pair of jeans back home that this will look good with."

"Do you need help with anything else?"

"No, the three blouses and sweater should be enough." "My fiancée is hyperventilating outside." Jenny giggles.

"Why is that?"

"He doesn't have the closet space at home for my shopping sprees."

"Then maybe he should buy you a home with bigger closets." The clerk suggests.

"He'll never move out of that house and I don't want him to."

"You have a giving heart Madame." The clerk smiles.

Jenny glances at the window and notices that Gibbs is pointing at his watch for them to move on. "No, my fiancée has the giving heart." Jenny softly answers.


	90. This Time I Said Yes

February 17th 2012

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

01400 Hours

Team DiNozzo is returning from questioning a witness. "Going to Melissa Turner's place of employment was a wasted trip; I told you she didn't have any information to give us." McGee grumbles.

"Hey she was the last person to see Staff Sergeant Ryan Nichols alive." Tony protests, defending his actions.

"She has an alibi for her where a bouts during the time that Staff Sergeant Nichols was murdered." Ziva sighs in annoyance and stalks over to her desk, tossing her NCIS cap down on top the desk.

"Face it you wanted to wrap up this investigation before Gibbs comes in on Monday morning." McGee snaps in frustration of the lack of leads that they have into the death of Sergeant Nichols.

"It would have been cool to have everything wrapped up in a neat bow by Monday morning." Tony answered his team mates.

"I would rather have the case solved on its own terms than to rush to solve it so that you could make a point to Gibbs." Ziva chastises him.

Unknown to the Gibblets, Ducky was standing in the entranceway holding a file in his hand listening in on the younger agents squabbling. "I don't know why you need to prove yourself to Gibbs; you did well on your own while Gibbs was off in Mexico for four months." Ducky smiles up at Tony, reminding him of his brief tenure as Team Leader of the Major Case Response Team.

"That seemed like a lifetime ago." Tony frowns.

"You had your chance at becoming a Team Leader Tony and you turned Director Shepard down." McGee smoothly says to him.

"I was working undercover on the La Grenouille Op, I couldn't blow four months of work down the drain."

"No you thought that Gibbs wasn't going to make it as Team Leader." Ziva sweetly says to him.

"Part of me had wished that he would quit." Tony sadly admits.

"So that you could take your place again." Ducky nods and walks in approaching Tony's desk. "Gibbs will retire for real one day Tony."

"I said that six years ago." Tony laughs and shakes his head. "Six years later I'm still Senior Field Agent and Gibbs is still Team Leader." "Jenny won't step down as Director of NCIS until she brings down all the arms and drug dealers that Vance was on the take with and that could take years." Tony sighs and walks over to his desk.

"Until that time comes you must have patients." Ducky advises him.

"Hey Ricardo Tubbs played second to Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice." McGee cheerfully says to Tony.

"True!" Tony shrugs…. Ziva doubles over and begins to giggle at the prospects of Gibbs wearing pastel. "What's so funny?"

"Could you mentally picture Gibbs wearing fuchsia to work?" Ziva snickers.

"Power blue maybe." Tony laughs.

"What time does their plane arrive on Sunday?" McGee curiously asks.

"1800 hours!" Tony answers.

"Another day in the City of Love." Ziva smiles.

"Hopefully they make the best of it before heading back." Ducky nods and walks away.

Paris, France

2030 Hours

After eating dinner, Gibbs and Jenny decide to walk back to Jenny's apartment. "It feels so good to walk off that meal." Jenny groans and rubs her stomach. Gibbs with a mischievous grin on his face is about to respond with an obscene comment when Jenny interrupts him. "Don't go there." Jenny playfully scolds him.

"Good idea since I won't be able to perform it on you until we get inside of your apartment." Gibbs laughs.

"Somebody should wash your mind out with soap." Jenny mutters.

"Sorry when it comes to you it can't be done." Gibbs smirks.

Ten minutes later, Jenny unlocks her apartment door. "Two more nights." Jenny frowns and opens up her apartment door, just as she passes through the doorway; Gibbs flips her over his right shoulder. "Jethro!"

Gibbs pulling the key from the door closes the door behind them and locks it. "Sorry I can't wait anymore." He impatiently growls and rushes off for the direction of the bedroom.

Two minutes later, partially undressed, Gibbs throws Jenny on top of the dresser, wrapping her legs around his waist. "You've been begging for it since dinner time."

"Oh god!" Jenny cries out as he enters her with a driving thrust.

Gibbs pulls his t-shirt and polo shirt of his head. "I ain't doing a damn thing until you get the rest of your clothes off." He grins, his fingers begin to tease and stroke on her centre.

Jenny quickly pulls her sweater over her head and unfastens her bra. "You're damn lucky I wore a bra that hooked from the front." Jenny purrs and leans up and kisses him on the mouth. As Gibbs deepens her kiss his hands pull her bra straps down her shoulders and away from her body. Instinctively their bodies begin to move together in a frenzied pace. Jenny claws on to his back as he delves deeper inside of her with each rhythmic push.

Breaking away from her kiss. "Damn it Jen watch the nails." Gibbs protests.

"You're making me crazy." Jenny seductively answers arching up into him to meet his powerful thrust. Aggressively they make love on top of the drawer. "Harder!" Jenny screams out with pleasure.

"If I thrust any harder I'll have to re-sheet rock the wall." Gibbs moans out.

"Yes!" She screams out. The back of her feet press up against Gibbs' lower back as he rocks inside of her over and over again.

Gibbs getting off with his lover falling apart underneath of him, her muscles convulsing around his length. "This won't top peaches n cream, I wouldn't do that to you twice." He smirks down at her.

"Jethro!" Jenny whimpers out.

Gibbs exhausted from holding back his release explodes inside of her, his body shudders in a white hot eruption. "Jenny!" He moans out and slumps down on top her.

Jenny trembling from the after effects from their love making. "I love you." She pants.

"I love you Jenny!" Gibbs says between breaths.

After coming down from their respective releases, Gibbs carries Jenny over to the bed. He climbs into bed with her and leans over top of her. Jenny running her fingers through his sweaty hair. "What are our plans for tomorrow?" Jenny curiously asks. Gibbs smirks down at her with one of his trade mark little boy expressions. "We're not spending our final day in bed together Jethro." Jenny protests.

"It was just an idea." Gibbs innocently answers.

"Sex is something we can do when we get back to DC." Jenny sighs.

"Or on the flight over." Gibbs suggests.

"I don't think so."

"Why not?" Gibbs balks.

"I'm no longer Junior Agent Shepard or CIA Operative Harriet Jones anymore." "I won't look right if the Director of NCIS was frolicking around in the bathroom with one of her Senior Field Agents." Jenny groans at the prospects of getting caught.

"Besides the Director couldn't pace herself with Agent Gibbs in the bathroom." Gibbs laughs.

"Um I believe Agent Gibbs couldn't pace himself with Harriet Jones on my father's plane." Jenny sweetly reminds him.

"You jumped my ass and I barely had time to recover when Tony called." Gibbs protests.

Jenny shoves Gibbs on to his back. "And I'm about to jump it now since your recovered." She sensuously warns him.

With Jenny's large chest in clear eye view. "I love having you on top." He inwardly smiles and leans up and ravishes Jenny's right breast.

The next afternoon Gibbs and Jenny are on the third level deck of the Eiffel Tower taking in the view of the city. "I have the urge to carry you into the elevator and flip the switch over and-"

"Don't go there Jethro." Jenny laughs.

"It was just a suggestion." Gibbs smirks.

"Control your urges until we get back to our apartment later on tonight." Jenny purrs.

"I have to wait that long." Gibbs protests.

"Yes I want to spend the day together wandering the city, not being cooped up in the apartment." "We'll be cooped indoors once we get back to Washington."

"You mean you will be cooped up indoors, I get to go outside."

"You had to remind me." Jenny sighs and goes into her lovers arms.

"Back to reality." Gibbs frowns at the prospects of their romantic vacation ending so soon.

"Until we walk out of our apartment tomorrow morning I want us focusing on the moment."

"Ok where do you want to go from here besides a museum?"

"We could browse some of the outdoor market places."

"And haul more crap back with us." Gibbs growls.

"Browse, I didn't say buy." Jenny sighs and steps out of his embrace. "From there you can take me out to dinner."

"And afterwards could we go back to our apartment." Gibbs asks in his innocent little boy tone of voice.

"Yes since your libido won't make it past eight o'clock." Jenny laughs and walks off for the elevator.

"Try seven o'clock." Gibbs barks and follows Jenny over to the elevator.

1930 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny get out of a cab outside of their apartment. Gibbs grabs Jenny by the elbow and leads her over to the outside door. "If I don't get you into bed soon."

"Patients my little boy." Jenny sensuously teases him and unlocks the door.

"I lost mine an hour ago." Gibbs impatiently answers and opens up the door. He pulls the key out of the lock and pulls Jenny inside closing the door behind him.

"Jet-" Before Jenny can answer him, Gibbs hungrily kisses her on the mouth, they stagger their way up the three flights of stairs loosening up their coats as Gibbs and Jenny make their way over to the apartment door.

Gibbs momentarily separates himself from his fiancée to unlock the door to their apartment. "What is it with you and the third floor?" Gibbs growls in sexual frustration.

"To piss you the hell off." Jenny seductively says to him and successfully turns the key to the front door.

Once inside, Gibbs closes the door and turns the lock. "You're doing a hell of a good job at doing it." Gibbs grins and kisses Jenny on the mouth, dropping their coats down on the floor. Jenny wanting him inside of her, backs Gibbs over to the couch and goes on top of him, she works open his belt buckle. "Damn it what's gotten into you?"

"Shut up and make love to me." Jenny hisses and leans over and kisses him on the mouth.

In between kisses they undress from the waist down, Gibbs wanting to be on top of Jenny shoves her down on her back wrapping her legs around his waist. "I'm going to be on top." He smirks.

Jenny moans out with pleasure as he enters her with a deep driving thrust. "Oh god, what have I gotten myself into." She inwardly curses herself out as he grinds his body into hers.

"You're going to be screaming in about thirty seconds." Gibbs says to himself, moving harder and faster against her, Jenny's hips meet his thrusts and matched them in hot wild abandonment.

"Yes!" She screams out. Fast and frantic they move on top of the couch, Jenny grabs on to the back of Gibbs blue polo shirt. "Jethro!" She screams in ecstasy.

Gibbs increases the tempo of his strokes, rocking inside of her over and over again. "You're going to be screaming like this all night." He mischievously smiles at her.

Jenny lost in her orgasm, as her muscles convulse around his shaft. "You mean we'll both be screaming." She moans out.

Suddenly the tables are beginning to turn on Gibbs. "Damn it!" He moans out as his body is giving into his lover's aggressiveness underneath of him. Jenny's body arches to meet each possessive thrust. They buck and collide together in perfect harmony.

"Having a problem Leroy?" She teases him.

Gibbs fighting from having his release. Jenny runs her tongue on his lower lip. "That's cheating." He screams out with pleasure.

"No its I know how to make you surrender." Jenny wickedly says to her battle weary lover.

Over the edge, they climax in unison, their bodies shudder and convulse. Ripples of sheer ecstasy flood through them as they come down from their orgasms. Gibbs exhausted lies on top of Jenny, his breath harsh and uneven. "What the hell did you just do to me?"

"You mean we Jethro, we both achieved our orgasms at the same time." She whispers and tenderly strokes his sweat soaked hair.

"Want to move this over to the bedroom."

"I need at least five minutes."

"I'll need about ten."

"I guess it's foreplay for ten minutes." Jenny laughs.

Inside the bedroom, Gibbs and Jenny are in a sitting position in bed roaming their hands over their bodies. Gibbs feeling up Jenny's breasts with his strong calloused hands. "You sure do know how to tease me with your chest, particularly when you're pissed off at me." Gibbs grins.

"I don't know, back in the day when men actually wore jeans that fit them properly and women could check out their asses, you use to tease me on a regular basis back at the office." "You use to wear Levi jeans to work all the time, without a belt."

"So you hate the men's jean fashion of today?" Gibbs shrugs.

"Hell yeah, how am I suppose to check out your ass when you're wearing bagging jeans to work all the time." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"Never realized it." Gibbs answers…."I just buy what's on the rack."

"So I noticed." Jenny teases him and shoves Gibbs down on to his back. "There were other areas that I could also check out when you wore your tighter jeans to work." Jenny seductively purrs and begins to touch his swollen shaft.

"I guess foreplay is over with." He moans out.

"For you it is, not for me." Jenny smirks.

Gibbs lies on his back and watches as Jenny places feather kisses on his stomach, and slowly works her way up to his chest, her tongue tortures and teases each of his nipples before ascending up to his mouth. Gibbs grabs the back of Jenny's head and hungrily kisses her on the mouth, his tongue circles inside of her mouth. Jenny fighting for oxygen breaks away from his kiss. "My turn to have my way with your body." Gibbs grins and shoves Jenny on to her back.

"They always say paybacks are a bitch." Jenny cries out at the feel of his tongue circling around her left nipple.

All night long Gibbs and Jenny passionately make love in bed. The next morning Jenny is at the Laundromat across the street washing the bed linens and towels. To keep herself occupied while the laundry finishes, Jenny sits at a nearby table and is absorbed into one of her books. Gibbs walks in carrying two cups of coffee and a bag of pastries. "Maybe we should have brought Noemi with us." Gibbs laughs.

"And have her sleep on the sofa and listen to us screwing all night long, I don't think so." Jenny giggles and takes off her glasses and puts her book and glasses down on top of the table.

Gibbs flips open his cellphone and takes a picture of Jenny with several washers behind her. "Now this should make a nice photo for the 'Times', Jenny Shepard, Director of NCIS doing her own laundry in a Laundromat in Paris."

"Really Jethro!" Jenny sighs and takes her coffee from him.

"I got you a Crème de Cocoa Latte." Gibbs smiles.

Jenny giving Gibbs a knowing look. "Did somebody squeal on me at the coffee shop?" Jenny laughs and takes a sip from her cup.

"No, I was away on an op with the team a few years ago; forget which city and Ziva had ordered one at a coffee shop." "She said that you had got her hooked on them when you worked together over in Europe."

"I haven't had one since I was in Paris when I was packing up my apartment." Jenny softly answers.

Gibbs opens up the bag and takes out a Chausson aux Pommes. "Maybe I can convince you into a last minute-"

"We don't have the time Jethro; we need to be at the airport by noon." Jenny interrupts him.

Gibbs hands Jenny her pastry. "It was just an idea." He innocently answers.

"Jethro I'll be sleeping off last night's activities on the flight home to Washington." She answers him in a husky whispery tone of voice.

"Too bad we won't be able to pick up where we left off when we get home." Gibbs sighs.

"I want everybody at the house when we get home so that we can announce our engagement, it can't wait until tomorrow." Jenny smiles.

"I can't wait to see the expression on Abby's face." Gibbs laughs.

"Remind me to wear earplugs." Jenny cringes at the thought of the Goth's squeals of happiness.

Charles de Gaulle Airport

1315 Hours CET

Jenny is sitting in the lobby waiting for Gibbs to come back from the men's room. She stares down at her engagement ring in wonder. "I can't believe what I'm seeing on my finger." Jenny softly says. Suddenly a dozen yellow roses come in front of her from behind. "Jethro!" She breathes out.

Gibbs gets front of her and leans over. "This time you're not going anywhere." He smiles and passionately kisses her on the mouth.

Jenny momentarily breaks away from his kiss. "And this time I said yes." She smiles and captures his mouth once again deepening his kiss.

Washington, DC

Gibbs' House

1830 Hours EST

Tony pulls up in front of Gibbs' house and finds, Ziva, Abby, McGee, and Ducky waiting outside. "I wonder what's going on." He curiously asks out loud and gets out of his car. "Something happen to Gibbs and Jenny?" He calls out to his friends.

"Got me?" McGee shrugs just as clueless as everybody else.

Suddenly Palmer with Breena pulls up in front of Gibbs' house. "Jimmy and Breena?" Abby asks in disbelief.

"Something's going on?" Ziva openly says.

Palmer and Breena get out of Palmer's car and approach the others. "Group meeting at Agent Gibbs' house?" Palmer nods.

"We have no idea why Gibbs and the Director called us over here?" Ducky answers.

Fifteen minutes later, Jenny's Towne Car approaches the curb. Melvin gets out of the driver's side door and walks over to the rear passenger side door and opens it up letting Gibbs out first. Ziva noting the four pizza's that Gibbs' is carrying. "Their celebrating something." Ziva observes.

"The Director pregnant?" Tony asks out loud. With that Ziva steps on his foot. "Ouch!" He grimaces.

Jenny gets out of the car carrying two plastic bags containing two liter soda bottles. Wearing leather gloves to hide her engagement ring. She walks over to the front of Gibbs' house. "Everybody's here and on time." Jenny smiles.

"Ok what's going on?" Abby asks and folds her arms.

"In due time Abby." Jenny teases her.

Gibbs hands Tony the four boxes of pizza. "Here make yourself useful since you'll be consuming half of this." Gibbs barks and walks over to the alarm code pressing in the code to unlock the front door.

"Good to have you back boss." Tony baits him.

Ten minutes later, Team Gibbs along with Abby, Ducky, Palmer, and Breena are gathered around Gibbs' worktable down in his basement. "Ok why have you called all of us here?" Tony curiously asks Gibbs and Jenny.

"This is why?" Jenny softly answers and removes her left glove showing off her engagement ring.

"Oh my god!" Abby squeals and mauls her dysfunctional work parents at the same time.

"Abby we can't breathe." Gibbs and Jenny choke at the same time.

"Sorry!" Abby apologizes and separates herself from them and takes a hold of Jenny's hand looking down at her engagement ring. "Gibbs it's beautiful, where did you get it?"

"Baja!" Gibbs smiles.

Tony walks over to Gibbs and affectionately hugs his surrogate father. "I guess there won't be an ex-wife number four?" Tony teases him. Gibbs affectionately head slaps Tony on the back of the head. "I take that as a no." Tony laughs and walks over to Jenny and affectionately hugs him. "Finally caved into the boss man."

"No Tony it's about time that Jethro made an honest woman out of me." She affectionately smiles over at her fiancée.

Ducky walks over and hugs Gibbs. "Congratulations Jethro." Ducky smiles.

"Thank you Duck." Gibbs smiles.

Ducky takes Jenny into his arms. "Be happy!" He chokes and holds his daughter into his arms.

"I will!" Jenny chokes up with emotion.

Ducky pulls away from her, Ziva approaches her cherished friend, speaking in Hebrew. "**ברכותינו**, **ברצותם קיימא אי פעם האושר**." Ziva smiles and kisses Jenny on both cheeks.

"**תודה אני תיקר לנו במילים שלך**." Jenny smiles and kisses Ziva on both cheeks.

"Come again?" Tony asks in confusion.

"I said Congratulations, wishing you ever lasting happiness, to Jenny." "Her response back to me was, thank you I will cherish your words." Ziva sweetly informs her confused partner.

"And you couldn't have told her this in English." Tony teasingly protests.

"No!" Ziva smiles and affectionately hugs Jenny and walks over to Gibbs. "This is where the kid affectionately hugs her dad and wishes him well." Ziva tenderly says to Gibbs and wraps her arms around his shoulders hugging him tight. "It's long overdue, you don't know how many nights I would listen to a drunk Jenny crying out for you, while we were working as partners over in Europe." "Leaving you for the job offer cost her having your children." Ziva whispers into his ear so that only Gibbs can hear her.

"And this is where the dad affectionately kisses his kid on top of the head, thanking her." Gibbs smiles and kisses Ziva on top of her forehead.

McGee walks over to Gibbs and shakes his hand. "Congratulations, I didn't see this coming." McGee beams with surprise.

Gibbs returning the handshake. "Thanks McGee."

"I did and none of you would take a bet on it." Tony groans at the money that was lost.

McGee walks over to Jenny and affectionately hugs Jenny. "Congratulations!"

Jenny returns the hug. "Thank you Tim." She smiles at him.

Palmer and Breena both approach Gibbs and Jenny and wish them well. "So how many pepperoni pizzas did you order?" Tony curiously asks.

"Two!" Gibbs answers.

"I bought one Hawaiian pizza for me and I know Abby eats it as well." Jenny informs the group.

Abby pouring herself an orange Crush. "Where's Cynthia?" Abby asks noting Cynthia's absence from the group.

"She had dinner plans with her boyfriend, I'll surprise her with the news tomorrow so don't blab about our engagement."

"Like I would do a thing like that." Abby innocently answers.

"So how was Paris?" Breena curiously asks.

Gibbs and Jenny smile at one another at first than look the other way. "Really!" Ziva laughs and affectionately elbows Jenny.

"TMI!" Abby shouts.

"Our whole trip wasn't in the bedroom Abby, get you mind out of the gutter." Jenny affectionately scolds her.

Tony pulling Gibbs' collar back, noting the hickey on the right side of Gibbs' neck. "Some of it was in the bedroom." Tony laughs.

"So do you have a date set?" Palmer curiously asks.

"No, not yet." Jenny answers and opens up the box containing the Hawaiian pizza grabbing a nearby plate; she puts a slice of pizza on to her plate.

"I guess it will be Baja or Paris for the honeymoon." McGee nods.

"No, we mutually both want to go someplace else." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Virgin Islands!" Tony suggests.

"Nah!" Gibbs answers and opens the box of plain pizza take a slice.

"Didn't you take Diane to St. Croix?" Ducky curiously asks.

Gibbs choking on his slice of pizza. "Ducky I'm eating don't remind me of my honeymoon with Diane."

"Wouldn't your honeymoon with Stephanie been worse since it was in Moscow?" Jenny teases him.

"I'm telling you if NCIS ever stationed me in Russia I would shoot myself from boredom." Tony cringes.

"Trust me Tony there are worse places than Russia to be stationed at on an assignment." "When you're an agent you do not have a choice in the matter on where you're stationed at." "The job isn't about glamour; I still think you watch way too many James Bond movies." Jenny sighs.

"International Espionage isn't about glamour and sex Tony." "Trust me I've been there and done that." Ziva frowns.

"Ok back on to the subject at hand." "Are you going to have a big or small wedding?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Small, we want it to be with our surrogate family." Jenny softly answers.

"Decided on where you want to have your wedding?" Abby curiously asks.

"Not yet Abby." Jenny shrugs and takes a bite from her slice of pizza.

"First wedding is Palmer and Breena." "Then we'll work on our wedding plans." Gibbs smiles.

2130 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny cuddling on the living room couch finally having the house to themselves, exhausted from lack of sleep from the night before and the flight over Jenny is fighting to keep her eyes open. "I'm heading upstairs." Jenny yawns.

"I'm too wired up to go to sleep."

Jenny leans up and tenderly kisses Gibbs on the mouth. "Good night!" Jenny smiles and gets up from the couch. "You better call your dad about the news before Abby does." Jenny laughs and starts off for the stairs.

"Night Jen!" Gibbs laughs; he reaches inside of his pants pocket and takes out his cell phone. "Wonder if dad is working on our little project for the kids." Gibbs ponders and hits the speed dial button for his father's store back in Stillwater.

Stillwater, Pennsylvania

Stillwater General Store

Jack is sitting at the table putting together a replica of 'The Stillwater' train station. "I'll be damned at the resemblance." Jack smiles…The phone on the counter begins to ring. Jack gets up and walks over to the counter. "Stillwater General Store!" He answers.

"Dad, we're back home from Paris." Gibbs smoothly says to his father.

"And you called me at this hour to inform me of this." Jack teases him.

"Are you sitting?"

"No, give me a minute." Jack answers and grabs the phone and walks over and takes his seat at the table. "I'm sitting!"

"I proposed to Jenny on Valentine's Day and she said yes." Gibbs smiles.

Jack thunderstruck at the news. "It's about time, congratulations Leroy, where's Jenny?"

"Thank you dad." Gibbs answers and gets up from the couch. "Jenny went to bed, between lack of sleep from the night before and jet lag, she's tired."

"I won't ask why she didn't sleep the night before." Jack snorts.

"It felt like Paris thirteen years ago, we couldn't get enough of one another after she accepted my proposal." Gibbs smirks.

"I don't blame you son if I were twenty-five years younger I would hint up on Jenny myself." Jack laughs.

"You couldn't pace yourself with her." Gibbs growls.

"You can barely pace yourself with her; I heard the mating calls from your bedroom during the holidays." Jack teases him.

"Rub it in." Gibbs barks and quickly changes the subject. "How's your end of children's toys going along?"

"Just built my first replica of 'The Stillwater' train station. "Not bad on my first attempt." Jack says with pride.

"I haven't gotten very far on my end because of our trips to Baja and Paris and I a joint op with several agencies that took up a lot my time and Jen's."

"We have months to go before Christmas comes." Jack reassures him. "So when's the date?"

"Don't know yet, we're going to wait until after Palmer and Breena's wedding than set a date for ours."

"Don't make it too long and I want to be there for your wedding."

"You will be at my wedding dad." Gibbs affectionately promises his father.

Around midnight, Gibbs dressed in his boxers walks into the bedroom and finds Jenny sleeping on her right side. He walks over to the bed and sits on the edge, picking up Jenny's left hand, Gibbs smiles down in wonder at her engagement ring. "I did it!" He says in awe.

*****Author's Lament*****

Few weekends ago one of Mark's movies from the 80's was on 'Worth Winning' on the FX Movie Channel and found myself drooling over again of his younger version that I had a severe crush on when I was a teenager. My mother caught a glimpse of the movie and said I prefer Mark now as Gibbs, I said hell no I prefer him as Taylor Worth at least I get to see him running around in Calvin Klein briefs, tight jeans and his shirt off LOL. I often wonder what Lauren Holly was thinking back in 1986 when she replaced the first actress to play Julie Chandler on 'All My Children' that nineteen years later she would be rolling around in bed naked with People Magazine 1986's Sexiest Man Alive and at the time Lauren was in her early 20's.


	91. Back To Reality

February 20th 2012

NCIS Headquarters

Jenny's Office

0630 Hours

Cynthia walks into Jenny's Office carrying a fresh coffee carafe. "Good morning Director, how was Paris?" Cynthia smiles over at her.

"I wish we hadn't left." Jenny laughs and gets up from her desk. "Join me over at the coffee table for a bagel and coffee." Jenny instructs her.

"I guess you want to review what's going on?" Cynthia answers and walks over to the coffee table with the carafe putting in on top of the table beside the two cups that Jenny had positioned on the table with the bagels and cream cheese.

"No I want to share some news with you." Jenny smiles putting her left hand into pocket, she walks over to Cynthia.

"What news is that?" Cynthia softly asks. Jenny removes her hand from her pocket and shows Cynthia her engagement ring. Cynthia overwhelmed with emotion throws her arms around her boss. "Congratulations!" She beams with excitement.

"You're not going to talk me out of it." Jenny laughs.

"No!" Cynthia giggles and pulls away from Jenny. "I'm not going to talk you out of marrying the love of your life." Cynthia smiles.

"Actually my one and only love of my life." Jenny smiles and leads Cynthia over to the couch. "I bought you a jalapeño bagel."

"It's still my favorite." Cynthia answers and sits down on the couch.

"I bought a plain bagel, because Jethro blew my diet in Pairs." Jenny laughs and takes a seat beside Cynthia on the couch.

"You could hit the gym?"

"Not this week, my schedule is tight." Jenny sighs.

"So I noticed." Cynthia answers and pouring Jenny and herself a cup of coffee.

"Back to reality!" Jenny groans.

Squad Room

0700 Hours

Tony, Ziva, and McGee step out of the elevator. "I hate Monday mornings." Tony whines.

"It wasn't like you stayed out late last night, you went straight home after you left Gibbs' house." Ziva mutters as they make their way over to their section where they find Gibbs sitting behind his desk reviewing their current investigation. "Good morning Gibbs." Ziva softly calls out to him.

"Good morning Ziva, DiNozzo, McGee." He grunts as he continues to read the file on top of his desk.

"Morning boss!" Tony and McGee answer at the same time.

"Soon as the three of you take off your coats and drop your bags behind your desks I want a briefing on our current case in front of the plasma screen next to McGee's desk." Gibbs instructs them.

"Not much to go on boss, we have no leads at this time." Tony shrugs.

"I'll be the judge of that when I review the crime scene photos up on the plasma screen." Gibbs barks.

Five minutes later in front of the center plasma screen, Gibbs and his team are going over the crime scene photos. "Staff Sergeant Ryan Nichols' body was found in his car outside of 'Doogles Beef N Ale' in Columbia Heights on 14th Street." Tony informs him.

"Did any of you check the video-"

"Yes I did, all it showed was Nichols staggering out of the bar at 0130 Hours on February 16th." McGee quickly interrupts him.

"Anybody walking past Nichols would have thought that he was drunk." Ziva answers.

"Blood trail?" Gibbs nods over at Tony.

"Led to a pool table in the back." Tony answers.

"Who was Nichols playing pool with?" Gibbs asks narrowing his eyes over at Tony.

"By himself, there were no witness' to the shooting; the bar was empty at the time." "The bartender Barry Sheetz was in the office talking on his cell phone."

"So he says." Gibbs grunts.

"Ziva and I are heading back to the crime scene later on this morning." Gibbs answers wanting to see if his team missed anything.

"And what do you want McGee and I to do while you're out?" Tony curiously asks.

"I want you to work off that pizza you ate the night before, McGee head down to Abby's Lab and see if she came up with the weapon that was used to kill Nichols."

"Boss the bullet was mangled up." McGee frowns.

"Abby's identified worse." Gibbs answers and walks off for the elevator.

"Great I get to sit on the exercise bike while the two of you get to work." Tony grumbles.

"You did eat an entire pepperoni pizza last night Tony." Ziva cringes.

"I was starving."

"No you were making a pig out of yourself." Ziva says in disgust.

"Oink, oink!" Tony mumbles loud enough for his team mates to hear him; he walks over to his desk flopping into his chair. "I believe I have some vacation time coming up."

"I heard, your suppose to go to Aspen with your dad?" McGee smiles.

"Name that famous Jim Carrey film that had Aspen as its setting." Tony grins.

"Easy DiNozzo, 'Dumb and Dumber'." McGee laughs.

"I always felt sorry for Mary Swanson having those two bumbling idiots chasing after her." Ziva laughs.

"It's a good thing she never saw their shag van." Tony grimaces.

Abby's Lab

With her trademark music blaring, Gibbs walks into the lab holding his ears. "Abby!" He screams out.

Abby steps out from her backroom. "I didn't expect to see you this early." Abby smiles and grabs the remote to her CD player and turns down the volume. "Did you get me something?" Abby winks over at him.

Gibbs hands Abby a small gift bag. "I didn't want to do this in front of the others."

Abby reaches in and removes a white dog collar red and blue medal studs on them, hanging from the middle of the collar is a small replica of the Eiffel Tower. "Gibbs I love it!" Abby says in awe and wraps her arms around his neck.

"How are you making out trying to identify the bullet that killed Nichols?"

Abby quickly pulls away from him. "I see somebody is in work mode already." Abby teases him and walks over to her workstation.

Gibbs following her from behind. "It keeps my mind off of Paris." Gibbs sighs.

"So, how did you pop the question to the Director?" Abby curiously asks.

"I won't ask that woman in a million years to become my wife?" Gibbs growls.

"Ok, let me rephrase that question." Abby giggles and turns and faces Gibbs. "So how did you pop the question to Jenny?"

"We had Chinese take-out for dinner." "I had made up several chocolate flavored fortune cookies and Jenny's proposal was inside of it." Gibbs smiles.

"That is so sweet?" "What was her reaction?" Abby sweetly answers.

"She thought I was joking." Gibbs laughs.

"But you weren't."

"No, I got down on my knee and proposed to her the way a man should propose to the woman he loves."

"And you swept her off of her feet that Jenny couldn't refuse you." Abby winks.

"No!" Gibbs smiles.

"Your half way there Gibbs until she's finally all yours."

"Soon as Palmer and Breena get married we'll pick out a date." "We want everything to be focused on them right now as it should be." Gibbs smoothly says.

"I guess you're going to call you dad today?"

"I called him last night, he's floored."

"I bet he was." "At least this time around, Jack will be in attendance to one of your weddings." Abby smiles.

Doogles Beef N Ale

1100 Hours

Gibbs and Ziva are standing next to the pool table at the exact location where Staff Sergeant Ryan Nichols was shot at. "Bullet came towards the direction of the front door." Gibbs notes.

"Your Gunnery Sergeant instincts come in handy." Ziva softly answers.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

McGee glancing up at a cell phone tower location on his computer screen. "Boss, according to Barry Sheetz' cell phone call log, he wasn't talking to his wife at the time Staff Sergeant Ryan Nichols was murdered." McGee informs him.

"Who was he talking to?" Gibbs shrugs.

"Somebody on a prepaid cell phone."

"That could have been his wife." Gibbs sighs.

"Tony called Rhonda Sheetz' cell phone pretending to be a salesman, she actually fell for his sales pitch on the DVD club of the-"

Gibbs irritated at McGee's constant babbling quickly interrupts him. "Get to the point McGee." Gibbs growls.

"From what Tony could make out, Rhonda Sheetz is in Reno, Nevada with her sister Judy." "Sheetz lied to us when we questioned him."

"Apparently he did." Gibbs answers and gets back to the subject at hand. "So we're back to square one."

"Not exactly, I did a GPS trace on the burn phone that Sheetz was talking to and it located at Howard University Hospital." McGee smoothly says.

"Melissa Turner works at the front desk at the ER and was working at that time." Gibbs notes.

"You want us to bring in Melissa Turner." McGee curiously asks.

"No, get a search warrant for her apartment."

"On it!" McGee answers and hangs up.

"So Tony was right, Melissa Turner might be a possible suspect." Ziva asks.

"He listened to his gut more often." Gibbs smirks with pride.

Jenny's Office

2100 Hours

Jenny is packing the last of the case files into her briefcase when Gibbs walks into her office. "Ready to go home?"

"I'll still be busy working." Jenny laughs and closes the lid to her briefcase.

"I come home and solve the case." Gibbs grins.

"Tony must have loved that." Jenny sighs and shakes her head.

"Melissa Turner and Barry Sheetz were having an affair; Turner had a life insurance policy on Nichols of over fifty grand."

"And Sheetz took him out for her." Jenny answers and secures the latches closed.

"When DiNozzo and McGee searched Turner's apartment they found a diary and apparently Turner was going to repay the favor to Sheetz." "He had a life insurance policy of five hundred thousand on his wife."

"Killing over greed, so senseless." Jenny answers in disgust. Gibbs walks over with her coat and opens it up for her. "Thank you." She smiles and steps back inside of her coat.

"Maybe you should hit the sack by eleven-thirty."

"I'll be up past midnight and I have to be in again at 0600 Hours, I have an overseas op in MTAC."

Gibbs grabbing Jenny's briefcase from on top of her desk. "What did you say the other day just before our flight back to Paris?"

"Back to reality." Jenny groans.

"Home!" Gibbs laughs and takes a hold of Jenny's right hand, they walk out of the office. "Forgot to ask you earlier what was Cynthia's reaction to our engagement?"

"She was ecstatic?"

"Didn't talk you out of it?"

"No because I was marrying the love of my life." Jenny softly answers.


	92. Tender Loving Care

March 5th 2012

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

0710 Hours

Tony after spending a week in Aspen, Colorado skiing with his father DiNozzo Senior; Tony is bearing gifts to his co-workers. "Boss I brought you and Jenny a cowboy and cowgirl hat, I found a hat that would go with the coat that Jenny wore when we went to SecNav Jarvis' place in the Hamptons." Tony smiles and hands Gibbs a gift bag.

"It will come in handy the next time we go horseback riding down in Mexico." Gibbs smiles and removes a white Stetson Cattleman Cowboy hat from the bag.

"I figured since the Lone Ranger wore a white hat." Tony grins.

"Did you get Jenny a similar hat?" McGee curiously asks.

"No, I bought her a Stetson White Straw Santa Fe Cowgirl hat."

Abby rushes into the room and throws her arms around Tony. "I heard you were back." Abby smiles.

"No you heard I as back bearing gifts." Tony corrects her and glances over at Ziva.

"You would be correct, what did you get me?" Abby sweetly answers.

Tony hands Abby a gift bag. "This had you written all over you." Tony smiles.

Abby opens the bag and pulls a large glass German Style Ale Mug with Aspen, Colorado written on the side of it. "Tony!" Abby cheerfully screeches and wraps her arms around his neck. "I love it." "It's my new hobby; I'm collecting beer mugs from all over." Abby smiles and glances over at Ziva. "What did he get you?"

"An autographed bikini from the Hawaiian Tropic girls." Ziva laughs, holding up her bikini.

"Tony!" Abby playfully chastises her older brother.

"I saw it and it had Ziva written all over it." Tony grins.

"Ok what did you get McGee?"

"He brought me a pipe back for my pipe collection." McGee smiles.

"I don't understand it, you don't smoke, but you collect pipes." Abby sighs.

"It's a writer's thing that you'll never understand." McGee smoothly answers.

Abby picking Gibbs' cowboy hat from on top of the desk and puts it on top of his head. "You look sexy as a cowboy; wait until the Director see's it." Abby drools.

"Impossible, she's in New York at a conference." Gibbs smirks and gets up from his desk. "I'm going to the lounge." Gibbs nods and walks away.

"Gibbs seems quiet?" Abby asks with concern.

"I think he has a cold." Ziva frowns.

"Why isn't he in bed?" Abby asks placing her hands on her hips.

"That's a question you ask his fiancée." Tony shrugs.

"I don't think Jenny knows he's sick." "She left for New York last night via train." Ziva answers.

Over at the lounge, Gibbs is purchasing a bottle of orange juice when Ducky walks into the room. "Good morning Jethro?"

"Morning Duck!" Gibbs answers trying to hide his sore throat.

"Quit hiding it Jethro, I know when you have a cold from a mile away." Ducky snorts.

"Just don't tell Jenny or she'll be up my ass." Gibbs groans.

"Like you're not up hers when she's hurt or sick, remember Jethro she has to pay you back for last summer." Ducky snickers.

"She had a gunshot wound on her side." Gibbs growls.

"And if the roles had been reversed with Jenny fussing all over you."

"Hum, me lying in bed naked with Jenny's hands touching me." Gibbs grins.

"Jethro your incorrigible." Ducky laughs.

Gibbs' House

1000 Hours

Noemi is dusting out in the living room when the phone begins to ring; she walks over to the end table and picks up the phone. "Senor Gibbs' residence." Noemi answers.

"Noemi I'll be home for dinner tonight." Jenny informs her.

"Conference will be over soon?"

"It should be over by two o'clock." Jenny answers.

"Anything special for dinner?"

"Surprise me!" Jenny smiles and is about to hang up.

"I'll make your favorite stuffed shells and I have Senor Gibbs' slow cooking on the stove right now."

"Senor Gibbs likes stuffed shells." Jenny reminds her.

"Not when he has a sore throat." "He was trying to hide it this morning on his way out to work this morning."

"It explains the reason why he hid downstairs yesterday before I left." Jenny sighs.

"What are you going to do about it?" Noemi curiously asks.

"Ignore him, since my little boy is doing this on purpose to seek out attention, he'll come crawling to me." Jenny smirks.

"And then you will take care of him." Noemi smiles.

"No I'll be paying him back for last August." Jenny answers with an evil grin on her face.

1930 Hours

Jenny is up in her study reviewing her e-mails from work. "Moron!" Jenny mutters in annoyance and is about to respond to Jarvis' e-mail when Gibbs walks into the room and hands Jenny gift from Tony. "It better not be anything obscene from Aspen DiNozzo." Jenny laughs and opens up the bag. "This will come handy down in Mexico." Jenny smiles and takes out her cowgirl hat from inside of the bag.

"That's what I told him." Gibbs answers with a scratchy throat.

"Noemi has your dinner inside of the crockpot on top of the counter."

"I'll eat a little since I don't have much of an appetite." Gibbs answers and walks out of the room.

"By nine o'clock you'll be crawling to me." Jenny smirks.

An hour and a half later, after getting a shower, Gibbs dressed in a long sleeved gray Henley shirt and navy sweatpants glances up in the mirror above the and takes in his disheveled appearance. "Shower didn't do a damn thing for me, I'm aching all over, feverish, and I can't get warm." Gibbs frowns and flashes back to when he was a child and how his mother took care of him whenever he had a cold or the flu. "I must be hiding this pretty well since Jenny hasn't caught on yet." Gibbs answers in a scratchy tone of voice. "I'll curl up on the couch with a blanket and see if there's a game on the tube." Gibbs shrugs and walks out of the bedroom.

Downstairs, Jenny is sitting on the couch reading a book with her legs stretched out the length of the couch. Gibbs walks downstairs. "You're not in your study reading." Gibbs says with surprise.

"No wanted to get comfortable." Jenny softly answers without lifting her eyes from the book. Gibbs shivering from the chills walks over to the couch and flops down face forward burying his face into his lovers lap. Jenny tossing her book down on top of the coffee table. "I gave you until nine o'clock." Jenny laughs and takes off her glasses.

"Ducky rat on me." Gibbs groans.

Jenny stroking the back of Gibbs' hair. "No Noemi did."

"Right the homemade chicken soup."

"Let's get you up into bed and I wouldn't advise sleeping naked for a few days until your fever breaks."

"As long as you stay naked."

"And what would be the purpose of me being naked in bed while you're sick." Jenny laughs and nudges Gibbs off of her lap.

"Ophelia climbed into bed naked with Winthorpe in 'Trading Places' when he had the flu." Gibbs smirks.

"I thought you don't watch movies." Jenny sighs and gets up from the couch.

"I haven't watched the crap from the past twenty years." Gibbs barks.

"For a minute there I thought that you and DiNozzo had switched places." Jenny teases him and helps Gibbs up on to his feet.

Upstairs five minutes later, Jenny is applying compresses to Gibbs' face. "You have a one hundred and two fever; you're staying in bed tomorrow."

"Jen-"

"Not another word from you." Jenny chastises him. "Tony can handle things back at headquarters and Noemi will be home to make sure that your ass doesn't leave the bed or the couch downstairs."

Gibbs with a pouty little boy facial expression sinks under the covers. "I can't get warm."

"Soon as I get into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt I'll join you in bed." Jenny says to him and throws the comforter over him. "I have some phone calls to make, I'll be back." Jenny nods and gets up from the bed.

Minute later in the study Jenny is sitting at her desk talking to Tony on his cell phone. "Few days the most, I can't see grumpy staying cooped up in bed for very long." Jenny laughs and then remembers Tony's gift from Aspen. "Oh thank you for the cowgirl hat that will come in handy when Jethro and I go horseback riding down in Mexico." Jenny smiles in appreciation.

"Or here it goes with the coat you wore that Saturday when we went to Jarvis' summer home in the Hamptons."

"Right, forgot all about that." Jenny softly answers. "I have one more phone call to make, before going to bed." "I'll see you at headquarters tomorrow morning." "Good night Tony."

"Good night Director." Tony answers and hangs up.

In bed a short time later, Gibbs shivers in Jenny's arms. "Ducky will be over first thing in the morning."

"Great!" Gibbs groans at the prospects of Ducky badgering him.

"On the bright side, I'll be at work, but I will be home to check up on you at lunch time so your ass better be in two locations only." Jenny warns him.

"Being a nag already."

"No giving the man that I love some TLC." Jenny whispers and kisses the top of his head. "Get some sleep."


	93. Jenny's Bebé

Gibbs' Bedroom

The next morning Ducky is examining a disgruntled patient. "You really can be a large child at times Jethro." Ducky admonishes his mule headed stubborn patient.

"Jenny's worse than I am." Gibbs whines.

"True!" Ducky snorts feeling up Gibbs' glands. "Your glands are swollen."

"So!" Gibbs shrugs.

"It means bed rest for a few days."

"Hell no, I'll be behind my desk tomorrow morning."

"Not if your boss-fiancée over rules you." Ducky chuckles.

"Great I have you and Madame Director ganging up on me." Gibbs protests.

"Jethro you're not a spring chicken anymore." Ducky warns him.

Noemi walks in with a glass of orange juice. "I can hear Senor Gibbs whining like a bebé." Noemi snickers.

"Senor Gibbs can be a bebé whenever he's sick or injured Noemi." Ducky laughs.

"Very funny!" Gibbs grumbles.

"Noemi would you mind running out and getting this prescription of antibiotic's filled for Jethro." Ducky asks her.

"Not a problem Doctor Mallard, the CVS around the corner is open twenty-four hours a day."

"I'll sit with Jethro while you run out."

"I don't need a babysitter." Gibbs snaps.

"Yes you do Jethro." Ducky mutters.

"It should only take me about a half an hour." Noemi smiles and hands Gibbs his orange juice.

Jenny's Office an hour later, Ducky and Jenny are sitting around the conference table talking about Gibbs' current condition. "I would advise bed rest for at least another twenty-four hours." Ducky suggests.

"We're talking about Jethro Ducky." Jenny laughs.

"He's not getting any younger."

"I'll see what I can do to keep him in bed, but my hands are tied during the daytime because I have to be in my office."

Ducky gets up from the table. "The one thing that Jethro and I both agree on is you're a worse patient." Ducky chuckles.

"Maybe it's the fact that I don't like a bunch of chauvinists fussing over me." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"Jethro did enjoy taking care of you last August Jenny." "He spent most of the night applying compresses to your face and forehead to keep your fever down, plus he gave you a Luke warm sponge bath."

"No Jethro enjoyed having his hands on my body while I was out of it."

"He was the perfect gentleman may I remind you." Ducky chastises her.

"The perfect gentleman in front of you it would have been a different story if you weren't in the room."

"True!" Ducky laughs and starts off for the door. "I told Noemi to call me if Jethro's condition changes."

"I just hope it's a twenty-four hour flu bug." Jenny frowns.

Down in the Squad Room, Tony, Ziva, and McGee return from a crime scene. "I hate investigating robberies they are so boring." Tony grumbles and walks over to his desk, spotting Ducky walking out of Cynthia's outer office. "Ducky how long is Gibbs going to be out of work?" Tony calls up to him.

"If it were up to me a week, but knowing Gibbs he'll be back behind his desk by Thursday morning." Duck shouts down to the younger agent.

"For a cold, I thought that Gibbs would be back by tomorrow." Tony openly says to his team mates.

"It's more than a cold Tony; Gibbs has the flu and is running a high fever." Ducky informs him as he makes his way down the stairs.

"He'll hate being cooped up in bed." McGee laughs.

"I know Noemi has her hands full." Ducky chuckles.

Abby's Lab a half an hour later, Abby paces around the front of her workstation. "Gibbs can't be sick." "He's never sick." Abby frantically says with worry to Ducky who's sitting on top of the counter top watching Abby pace back in forth. "Did anybody try peppermint tea yet?"

"I don't know what the Director has been using on Gibbs for home remedies." "Noemi was giving him orange juice this morning."

"I'll make him a cup of peppermint tea after work tonight; he'll be as good as new by tomorrow." Abby smiles.

"The yarrow should ease his aches and pains and relieve Gibbs of his fever and chills."

"And maybe he'll be back in work by tomorrow."

"I doubt that his over protective fiancée will let Gibbs back to work tomorrow Abigail." Ducky laughs.

"And I did over hear her telling Ziva this morning in the lounge that she wanted to get even with him for babying her last summer while the Director was recovering from her gunshot wound." Abby smiles.

Unknown to them, Hollis was standing in the room and over heard them. "I didn't know that Director Shepard was alive last summer." Hollis curiously asks.

Abby grimaces, before turning and facing Hollis. "Special Agent Mann what can I do for you?"

"We were curious if you had a backup copy of the contents of Wallace's hard drive?"

"Why would I make up a backup copy of Wallace's hard drive?" Abby sarcastically shrugs at her.

"I was just curious." Hollis answers and narrows her eyes over at Abby. "You didn't answer my question about Director Shepard?"

"I believe I don't have to answer your question Special Agent Mann." Abby snaps and folds her arms at her. "You know you could have called and asked me your question."

"I could have, but I hate using the phone." Hollis sweetly answers.

"You just wanted to snoop around and made an excuse to come over."

"I believe this is my cue to leave." Ducky cringes and hops off of the counter. "I'm already behind in my work." Ducky nods and glances up at Hollis. "Agent Mann!"

"Ducky!" Hollis smiles and watches as Ducky rushes out of the room. "I don't need an excuse to come over."

"Yes you did, there was nothing of importance on Wallace's hard drive other than the black op that you were ordered to stay out of."

"It had something to do with Director Shepard didn't it?"

"Ma'am you have about twenty seconds to leave my lab, before I have security escort you out."

"I'll be out in about ten." Hollis smiles and walks off towards the elevator.

Abby picks up her cordless phone and dials the extension number to Cynthia's desk. "Cynthia is the Director in?"

MTAC

Jenny sitting in the front row overseeing an op. "She what?" Jenny angrily hisses.

"She overheard Ducky and I talking about Gibbs taking care of you last summer." Abby sighs.

"Great!" Jenny grumbles and takes off her glasses. "Roberts better do something about her."

"She claimed that she wanted a copy of Wallace's hard drive, I lied and said that we didn't have one."

"Good answer!" Jenny nods and gets up from her seat.

"What are you going to do about her?" Abby asks out of curiosity.

"Whine to my boss and her boss and they'll do nothing about it as usual." Jenny bitterly answers.

"And she gets away with it." Abby protests.

"I don't know what she has on Roberts, but whatever it is it must be damn good for Hollis to keep getting away snooping into something that is highly classified as Operation Lodestone is." "I'll pass on to the MP's at the front gate that from now on Special Agent Hollis Mann needs my permission to enter the Navy Yard."

"Cool, unless it's a joint investigation between the ATF and NCIS there shouldn't be a need for Agent Mann to be in the building."

"Right!" Jenny smirks.

"Oh I'm coming over after work to make some peppermint tea for Gibbs." "That should get rid of his, fever, chills, aches and anything else that ails him." Abby smiles.

"I still want him home for at least another day or two of bed rest Abs, Jethro will be sixty-one this year and I don't want him pushing himself."

"Come up with a wedding date yet?" Abby curiously asks.

"No not yet." Jenny softly answers. "I know Jethro wants it no later than July."

"Why is that?"

"I haven't the vaguest idea." Jenny laughs and notes that something is going on with her op on the plasma screen. "Abby I have to get back to work."

"Talk to you later." Abby smiles and hangs up. "July wedding!" Abby asks out loud.

Office of the Secretary of the Navy

1130 Hours

Jenny furiously is standing in front of Jarvis' desk. "I want it stopped." Jenny screams at Jarvis.

"I just got off the phone with Attorney General Holder." "He assures me that it will be taken care of." Jarvis promises her.

"You said that the last time." Jenny snaps.

"Jenny you better calm down and get a hold of yourself." "I won't have you speaking to me like this." Jarvis warns her.

"Sir I'm tired of her constantly disobeying a direct order." "If one of my agents were to constantly disrespect my authority like that by flagrantly disobeying a direct order time and time again, I would ask for their badge." Jenny hisses.

"And Gibbs does it on a regular basis." Jarvis laughs.

"Two months he's behaved himself."

"Shocking!" Jarvis sarcastically answers and gets up from his desk. "Your tantrum is making me late for an important lunch with the Secretary of Defense."

"Tantrum, please I've had worse outbursts than that."

"Unlike the previous SecNav's I won't tolerate them in my office Jenny." "Keep in mind I didn't want you back as Director-"

"But you had no choice because Fornell tricked you into it." Jenny interrupts him. "My job was stolen from me by the previous SecNav and by Director Vance, I earned it by busting my ass off as a field agent over in Europe, not by kissing politicians asses like Leon."

"We'll continue this argument some other time." Jarvis grumbles and grabs his coat.

Jenny walks off for the door. "As far as I'm concerned I've said what I had to say sir." Jenny says to him over her shoulder. "I'll see you up on the plasma screen at 0900 hours tomorrow."

Gibbs' House

Twenty Minutes Later

Jenny walks through the front door. Noemi pops her head out of the kitchen. "Senor Gibbs is sleeping like a bebé." Noemi softly says to Jenny keeping her voice down.

"I'm going to sit with him until I leave."

"Do you want anything for lunch?"

"Make up a sandwich to go, so that I can eat on my way over to the office." Jenny nods taking off her heels, quietly she makes her way up the stairs and walks into the bedroom, finding Gibbs sleeping in bed with the covers pushed down around his knees. "If you want your fever to go away, you have to keep covered up." Jenny inwardly groans and walks over to the bed, pulling the covers over Gibbs.

"I'm sweating like a pig." Gibbs whines, shoving the blankets away off of him.

Jenny sits on the bed near the headboard and pulls Gibbs on to her lap. "I guess my little bebé was pretending to be asleep." Jenny laughs.

"My head is spinning counter clockwise, I'm hot one minute and freezing my ass off the next."

Jenny grabbing the blankets, once again pulls the covers over him. "And if you want to get better, you have to keep the blankets on you."

Gibbs closing his eyes. "I wish you could take the rest of the day off." He mumbles into her lap.

Jenny stroking the back of his sweaty hair. "So do I, but I have several meetings and an op to oversee in MTAC." Jenny frowns and suddenly remembers that Abby is coming over later on. "Abby will be stopping by after work."

"Tell her I'm not up for visitors."

"I'm afraid that Abby won't take no for an answer." Jenny giggles.

Back at headquarters the team is sitting around Tony's desk eating lunch along with Abby. "I can't believe that Hollis can't keep her nose out of Operation Lodestone after she's been ordered to stay out of it." Tony snaps.

"It's none of her business." Ziva sighs.

"Mommy wasn't a happy camper when I told her." Abby grimaces.

"I bet she wasn't, I could mental picture several F bombs being directed towards Roberts's way." Tony grins.

"I wonder if she told Gibbs yet." McGee sheepishly asks.

"Gibbs isn't in the condition to be told yet." Tony frowns with worry.

1245 Hours

Jenny gently disengages herself from Gibbs and gets off of the bed without waking him up. Noemi walks in with a hot water bottle. "I figured he could use one."

Jenny taking the hot water bottle from Noemi puts the hot water bottle up against Gibbs right side. "In another hour check up on him and if he's awake make sure he drinks a glass of water, I don't want him getting dehydrated."

"Si Senora!" Noemi whispers.

NCIS Headquarters

Jenny steps out of the elevator. "Boss feeling any better?" Tony shouts from his desk.

"No, he still has a fever and the chills." Jenny frowns with worry and approaches the partition in front of Tony's desk.

"Then why aren't you at home taking care of him." Abby asks noting the concern on Jenny's face.

"I can't reschedule my meetings and I have an op in MTAC to oversee." Jenny sighs.

"Abby I'm sure that Gibbs will be he old self in a few days." Tony reassures her.

"He'll be his old self after Gibbs drinks my peppermint tea." Abby smiles.

"I warned him that you were coming over." Jenny laughs and starts off for the stairs.

Gibbs' Bedroom

1900 Hours

Abby is pampering Gibbs in bed, by trying to spoon feed him a bowl of chicken broth. "I'm not a child." Gibbs protests and takes the spoon away from Abby.

"According to mommy you're acting like one." Abby giggles.

"That's because mommy is being a pain in the ass." Gibbs barks.

"She's only being a pain in the butt out of love." Abby winks and gets up from the bed. "I'll go see if the kettle is ready downstairs." Abby smiles and walks out of the room.

"She's being a pain in the ass to get even with me from last summer." Gibbs grumbles and shoves a spoonful of broth into his mouth.

Back at headquarters, Jenny has just finished up her op in MTAC and is about to walk up the ramp when her Blackberry begins to ring. "Shepard!" She answers.

Cynthia's Reception Area

"Ma'am I forgot to remind you about your eleven o'clock appointment with Doctor Cranston for tomorrow morning." Cynthia informs her.

"Right!" Jenny groans at the prospects of talking about her father.

"You don't seem happy about it." Cynthia frowns.

"Just hate bringing up that part of my life up again." Jenny sighs wanting to leave her past behind. "But I made a promise to Jethro."

"I have your briefcase packed and ready."

"You're a life saver; all I want to do is go home and take care of my fiancée." Jenny softly says to her.

Half an hour later, Jenny arrives home and walks into the bedroom. "Enough of the tea Abby." Gibbs snarls.

"Pinch your nose and drink it."

"You sound like my grandmother." Gibbs grumbles.

"Did it work?" Jenny laughs.

"Yes, but there's a vast difference between gulping down a medicine cup of cough syrup and a cup of peppermint tea."

"Trust me Gibbs it will make your fever and chills go away." Abby promises.

"You I trust, my scheming fiancée, no." Gibbs growls and glares over at the direction of his smirking lover.

Jenny walks over to Gibbs and leans up against his right ear. "As long as you're running a fever your lower half of your body won't be getting a damn thing from me." Jenny sensuously purrs in a low whisper.

With that Gibbs drinks the tea making a face as he consumes the contents of his cup, handing the cup back over to Abby. "Satisfied!"

"Yes!" Abby giggles and raises a curious eyebrow over at Jenny. "I guess it wasn't meant for my kiddie ears?"

"No because you would have squealed it right back to your older brother Tony." Jenny playfully chastises her dysfunctional work daughter.

"Moi!" Abby innocently answers.

"Yes vous!" Jenny teases her.

"Huh!" Abby asks in confusion.

"Vous means you in French Abby."

"And I don't need to hear the French language in my own bedroom." Gibbs snaps.

"You better start learning it since we'll be living in Paris for about four to five months out of the year once we retire." Jenny smirks.

"You two are a piece of work." Abby laughs and shakes her head. "I have league night in a few hours."

"Nuns?" Jenny shrugs.

"Yes we're in first place as usual." "See you at work tomorrow Jenny." "And Gibbs trust me you'll be your old self by tomorrow morning." "Good night!"

"Night Abs!" Gibbs smiles at her.

"Night Abby!" Jenny smiles over at her and watches as Abby waves at them before exiting the room.

"If Abby's tea thing works will my lower half get some action tomorrow morning." Gibbs mischievously grins.

"Don't press your luck Leroy." Jenny laughs and walks over to the dresser removing a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. "You want the TV on?"

"No I'll read one of Abby's fishing magazines that she brought over for me." Gibbs answers and takes his glasses from on top of the nightstand. "You going to undress in front of me."

"No, I'll undress in my study, you've suffered enough." Jenny seductively answers him and walks out of the room.

"Thanks a lot!" Gibbs pouts, picking up the magazine from on top of the bed. "That's a big swordfish." He notes from the photo on the magazine cover.

During the middle of the night, Abby's tea takes full effect. Jenny changes the sheets on the bed. "Why don't you get a shower while I finish changing the sheets?"

"My temperature is down to ninety-nine." Gibbs smirks.

"Get a shower alone." Jenny impatiently hisses at him from lack of sleep.

Gibbs hangs his head down and walks out of the bedroom. "My fever is only one degree from normal and I can't get laid." Gibbs whines walking off for the bathroom.

0600 Hours

"Absolutely not, tomorrow morning." Jenny chastises Gibbs at the kitchen table.

"My temperature is at ninety-eight for crying out loud." Gibbs barks.

"Senor Gibbs you don't want to have a relapse." Noemi warns him.

"Alright, but you won't stop me tomorrow morning." "I'm going to work." Gibbs growls and gets up from the table, storming out of the room.

"Who says that you need niños when you have Senor Gibbs?" Noemi giggles.

"Senor Gibbs is definitely a child Noemi." Jenny laughs and gets up from the table. "I have a breakfast meeting with several heads from the Pentagon; Department of Defense is one of them."

"That explains your gray Gucci suit." Noemi smiles.

"I bought this before Christmas." Jenny smiles….Suddenly Jenny hears Melvin pulling up in front of the house. "I'll be home at my normal time tonight, if Senor Gibbs is feeling up for a meal tonight, cook a normal dinner." Jenny nods and walks out of the room.

Four Seasons Hotel

0830 Hours

In a 13,000 square foot meeting room, Jenny, the Directors of the FBI, ATF, DEA, CGIS, Central Intelligence, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano are having breakfast with several heads from the Pentagon, including the Department of Defense and several heads from the agencies that work with in the DOD's operations. Acting Director Roberts stays clear of Jenny. "Is there any reason why Roberts is staying away from you Jenny?" CIA Director Petraeus curiously asks her.

"You know damn well why he's staying clear from me." Jenny mutters in annoyance and gets up from her chair. "I have a phone call to make." Jenny nods and walks off for the ladies room.

Few minutes later, Jenny hangs up her Blackberry and is about to walk out of the bathroom when she bumps into a familiar face. "Well I'll be damned." Jenny smiles over at Doctor Samantha Ryan, Head of the PsyOps Division at the Pentagon.

"I see the rumors are true that you're back from the dead." Ryan warmly smiles over at Jenny and reaches for her hand.

Jenny returns the gesture. "It wasn't fun playing dead, trust me Sam." Jenny frowns.

Ryan spotting Jenny's engagement ring on her left hand. "Ok, who's the lucky guy who got you to finally cave in?"

"Jethro Gibbs and he didn't get me to cave in; it was finally time for me to settle down." Jenny softly answers.

Back at Gibbs' house, Gibbs is sitting in Jenny's Study looking at places that they can travel by boat for their honeymoon. "I've always wanted to go to Nantucket by boat." Gibbs smiles with anticipation.

Noemi walks in folding her arms. "Bed or couch."

"Couch I've had enough of the bed." Gibbs growls and shuts off Jenny's computer. "I get double teamed twenty-four hours a day by you hens." Gibbs whines in protest.

"You protest too much Senor Gibbs, I really think you enjoy being babied and pampered." Noemi teases him and walks out of the room.

"And the sick thing is Noemi's right." Gibbs laughs and gets up from the desk. "I'll go see what's on the tube downstairs." Gibbs shrugs and walks out of the room.

Doctor Rachel Cranston's Office

1130 Hours

"Bottling up your emotions isn't any good for you Jenny; you need to let it out." Rachel lectures her stubborn patient.

"It's been bottled up for the past three years I don't know any other way." Jenny snaps and gets up from her chair.

"You just got engaged with Agent Gibbs." "Do you want the scars from your past life interfering with your relationship with him?"

"Gibbs can handle it."

"The question is can you handle it Jenny." "You're still having nightmares about your father."

"My father, the op I worked on for the CIA and giving up a life with Jethro on a vendetta against René Benoit thinking that he murdered my father, when all along my father was very much alive." Jenny chokes up.

"Had you considered being with Gibbs when the two of you were partners?"

"I was torn between it." "We would walk the streets of Paris and a little girl would walk past us with her mother and Jethro would glance down at her with a longing in his face." "At the time I hadn't known about his first wife and daughter."

"If you would have known about them would that had made a difference in you leaving him?"

"Yes!" Jenny answers and bursts into tears.

"I think a lot of your nightmares have to do with on the life that could have been with Gibbs instead of the mental abuse you suffered with your father." "You gave up on the possibility of having children with him."

"And it tears me up apart." Jenny sniffs.

"Could you and Gibbs have children now?" Rachel curiously asks.

"No, I'll be forty-nine in October and I had my tubes tied about two years ago, it's too risky." Jenny sadly answers. "Plus my job." Jenny sighs in defeat.

"You could always adopt?"

"Again it wouldn't be fair at this time to consider adoption." "My mind set is on a mission that will take about the next four to five years at NCIS." "When my mission is complete, I will resign as Director of NCIS and Jethro will retire." "We have plans of living abroad and a child would get in the way of that." Jenny answers with a hint of regret in her voice.

"Where do you plan on living at?"

"I have an apartment in Paris that I purchased two years ago." "My dad would give me a few weeks downtime after I would complete my assignments." "I would go to Paris and rediscover the places that Jethro and I would go together when we were stationed there." "And I also could be Jenny again, not CIA Operative Harriett Jones." Jenny smiles.

"Paris sounds wonderful." Rachel smiles.

"Paris in the spring and summer months and Gibbs' NCIS mentor Mike Franks had passed away about a year ago and left Gibbs his plot of land that Mike had lived on in Baja, Mexico." "Gibbs in 2006 had briefly retired after he was in a coma and live with Mike for four months."

"You said plot of land?" Rachel shrugs.

"Enemies of Gibbs burned Mike's house down two years ago." "Mike never got to chance to rebuild his house prior to his death."

"So Gibbs will rebuild it when he gets the time?" Rachel surmises.

"He purchased a modular home last fall." "We spent New Year's weekend in Baja, I didn't know anything about the house, Jethro wanted to surprise me with it." "It's on prime beach front property overlooking the Pacific Ocean."

"Sounds like the both of you have your future set." Rachel smiles and then gets on the subject at hand. "But before you can move on, you need to let go of your past Jenny." "You can't change the past."

"But I do have control over the outcome of my future." "And my future is spending the rest of my life as Mrs. Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Jenny smiles.

Lunch time, with Noemi out of the house, Gibbs patiently waits for Jenny to walk through front door. "You're not putting me off this time around woman." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny walks through the front door. "Where's Noemi?" Jenny curiously asks, closing the front door behind her.

"Food shopping for dinner, since I have an appetite."

Jenny noting the mischievous expression on his face. "And you have an appetite for something else other than lunch." Jenny seductively says to him.

"I'm not taking no for an answer this time around."

Jenny taking her coat off and tossing on the back of the chair. "Last one to get undressed gets to be on top." Jenny teases him and runs up the stairs.

"It ain't going to be me." Gibbs laughs and chases after her.

Ten minutes later in a quiet afterglow, Gibbs is leaning over Jenny on the bed, nipping along her neck and collar bone. "You've recovered quickly from the flu." Jenny teases him.

"I had incentive for a quick recovery and I'll have to thank Abby for the peppermint tea."

Jenny stroking the back of his hair as Gibbs works his way down to her breasts. "Keep in mind if it wasn't for me whispering in your ear last night we wouldn't be in bed right now."

"Never doubt me."

Jenny moans out as his tongue circles around her right nipple. "When it comes to your sexual appetite I never do."


	94. Pleasantries About Nursing Care

The next morning at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs walks into Abby's Lab, Caff-Pow in hand. "I gather that the peppermint tea worked on you." Abby sweetly says to him. Gibbs approaches Abby and kisses her on the cheek. "I take that as a yes." Abby smiles and takes her Caff-Pow from him.

"That and a thank you." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Abby noting the love bite on the right side of Gibbs' neck. "Glad I could help you out in the bedroom." Abby giggles.

"My temperature was back down to normal." Gibbs shrugs.

"I noted that mommy was in a good mood when she came into work after lunch yesterday." Abby winks.

"We both needed some TLC during lunch time."

"So now that you're operating at eighty percent." "I need to know an exact wedding date."

"We haven't made one yet."

"Gibbs!" Abby pouts.

"I'm serious, we'll start discussing a date after Palmer and Breena's wedding."

"The suspense is killing me." Abby sighs.

"If you're going to pester me about my wedding date, I'm going to leave the room."

"Ok, ok!" Abby groans and comes up with another segue way. "I guess you heard about future ex-wife number four's visit the other day."

"English Abby, I've had so many ex-girlfriends." Gibbs growls.

"Agent Mann popped in the other day unannounced."

"What did Agent Mann want?" Gibbs suspiciously asks.

"A copy of Wallace's hard drive from his laptop." "I told her that I didn't make a copy."

"Good!" Gibbs answers and notes that Abby is keeping something from him. "Did something else happen while she was in your lab?"

"Yes, she walked in and overheard Ducky and I talking about you taking care of Director Shepard last summer while she was recovering from her gunshot wound."

"Does the Director know about this?"

"Yes and she wasn't a happy camper when I told her about it." Abby mutters.

"I'm not going to be pissed off at Jenny from keeping this from me only because we're keeping the other thing from her."

"Right, Mann and her lab rat breaking into my lab the night of the power outage."

"Which they created, keep that in mind." Gibbs answers sharply.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing for the time being, let the Director handle it which I assume she already has."

"Agent Mann has to get permission by Director Shepard to enter the Navy Yard now." Abby giggles.

"Problem taken care of." Gibbs grins.

"What if she sticks her nose into what happened to the Director last summer?"

"There isn't any information around on what happened to the Director last summer." "All of our information is stored on flash drives and the paperwork is locked up in the safe in the Director's office, Fornell made sure of that when he took over as Acting Director."

"What about the CIA?"

"I doubt that they have anything on a CIA Operative Harriett Jones." "Harriett's mission was so secret that there wasn't a file on her back at CIA Headquarters in Langley." "Everything on Harriett Jones was kept on file on her father's computer back in Kalymnos."

"What about Harriett's laptop and Kosmo's laptop that was on his private plane?" Abby curiously asks.

"Unknown to the CIA, McGee planted a virus on both computers soon as they were turned on." Gibbs smirks.

"McGee never told me that." Abby wickedly answers.

"At the time it was need to know." Gibbs winks.

"Just like you engagement proposal." Abby smiles.

"I had my engagement planned out since before Christmas Abs."

"The fortune cookie proposal." Abby laughs.

"No, proposing to Jenny on Valentine's Day." "The fortune cookie was a last minute gimmick that I thought of." Gibbs laughs.

"I think it was sweet the way you proposed to her."

"She wasn't expecting it that's for sure." Gibbs chuckles.

"I have to run some tests on several rifles for another case."

"I'll let you get back to work." Gibbs answers and starts off for the door.

Abby's eyes immediately are drawn to the back of Gibbs' butt. "Hold it right there." She drools at the sight in front of her. Gibbs stops as he reaches the doorway and turns and suspiciously looks over at Abby. "It's a rarity to find Levi four pocket orange tab 506 jeans."

"I use to wear them all the time until Levi stopped making them." Gibbs shrugs and is about to walk away.

"And you're not wearing a belt with your jeans either."

"Abby don't you have a boyfriend." Gibbs asks and narrows his eyes over at her.

"Yes, but he insists on wearing baggy pants." Abby sighs.

"Not my problem." Gibbs laughs.

"Since you can't purchase vintage Levi Strauss four pocket orange tab 506 jeans in the store now days I assume that your fiancée purchased them for you." Abby teases him.

"That's need to know Abby." Gibbs grins and walks out of the room.

"You better not tease her today." Abby snickers and remembers that she has to go into the ballistics room. "Right I was busy drooling over Gibbs' butt that I lost my train of thought."

Jenny's Office

1215 Hours

Jenny and Gibbs have invited Palmer and Breena for lunch. "I hope Chinese take-out was ok with the two of you." Gibbs smiles and unpacks the cartons of food on top of the conference table.

"Fine, we were a bit surprised that you and Director Shepard had invited us up to the Director's office for lunch." Palmer smiles.

"There was a reason for inviting the two of you over for lunch." Jenny smiles at Palmer and Breena.

"The two of you running off and getting married before us?" Palmer shrugs.

"We wouldn't hear the end of it from Abby." Jenny laughs and gets on to the subject at hand. "I heard that you were going to go to Paris for your honeymoon."

"Yes we were, we haven't decided on our hotel yet, might draw a piece of paper out of a hat." Palmer smoothly answers.

"There's no need to, our wedding gift to the two of you will be the use of my apartment in Montmartre." Jenny announces to the stunned couple.

"We don't know what to say." Breena says with surprise.

"You don't need to say anything; the expression on both of your faces says it all." Jenny softly answers.

Squad Room

Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Abby are sitting around Tony's desk eating sandwiches. "Palmer and Breena are eating lunch with Gibbs and the Director." Tony openly says to his co-workers.

"So?" McGee shrugs and takes a bite into his turkey club sandwich.

"Since when do Gibbs and the Director hang out with Palmer and Breena?" Tony curiously raises the question to his friends.

"Who cares?" Ziva sighs in annoyance.

"Palmer and Breena are about to get married, Gibbs and the Director just got engaged, both couples have something in common to talk about." Abby smiles.

"Like Gibbs wants to discuss wedding plans, isn't this is fifth wedding." Tony laughs.

"If it were up to Gibbs, this would have been his fourth and final marriage." Ziva smiles.

"And they would have had a house full of Gibblets." Abby answers with a hint of regret in her voice at the prospects of Gibbs and Jenny having kids together.

Gibbs' House

2000 Hours

Gibbs comes up the basement steps. "Can't concentrate on working on my project." Gibbs sighs in frustration. "Wonder if Jenny is finished up with the case files in her study." Gibbs asks with a mischievous grin on his face. "There's one way to find out."

Upstairs in the bedroom, Jenny with a splitting migraine headache from reviewing a half a dozen case files is stripped down in her bra and panties. "Long hot bath should clear my head."

Gibbs walks into the bedroom. "I see your making my job easier." Gibbs smirks and walks over to Jenny from behind.

"I have about thirty more case files that I need to review before I got to bed, so sex is not on the agenda for tonight." Jenny advises him of her plans for the evening.

Gibbs unfastening Jenny's bra from behind. "You would actually prefer reading a case file in your study over having me having my way with your body."

"I would rather do neither, because I have a splitting headache." Jenny snaps and pulls away from him.

Gibbs closes the distance between them and begins to nibble on the back of Jenny's neck, his hands pull Jenny's bra away from her body. "Which part of no don't you understand?" Jenny sighs.

"When it comes to having sex with you none." Gibbs laughs, nipping along the back of Jenny's collar bone.

Jenny trying to distract him, guides Gibbs over to the bed, just as his knees hit the back of the bed, she pushes him down on to the bed. "You got two options Leroy, your hands or find something to do down in the basement." "I'm taking a long hot bath, and then afterwards I'm going to finish up the case files on my desk, and then I'm hitting the sack." "Depending if I still have my headache tomorrow morning, my body maybe a sex free zone once again." Jenny warns him and grabs her robe from the end of the bed.

"Can I join you in the tub?"

"No, I want to be alone." Jenny softly answers and walks out of the room.

"What's the fun in that?" Gibbs pouts.

Hungry and bored, Gibbs decides to go out for something to eat. "I haven't had cherry pie with vanilla ice cream in a while." Gibbs smiles and flashes back to a time when he was a child and his mother would treat him to cherry pie a la mode. "And I know just the place to get one."

Fifteen minutes later, Gibbs is sitting behind the counter of his favorite diner, Allie his waitress is standing in front of him talking away. "You have to bring Jenny over; I want to see her engagement ring." Allie implores him.

"Maybe sometime this weekend, week nights she's busy at home reviewing case files." Gibbs answers and takes a bite out of his pie. "This is good, but not as good as my mom's." Gibbs smiles.

"Nothing ever duplicates what mom made, I learned that the hard way when I tried to make her fried cabbage and bow noodles." Allie laughs.

"I had that at a Hungarian restaurant once." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Order up!" Al barks from in back of the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Allie mutters and walks away.

Hollis walks in with her boyfriend Marine Colonel Thomas Humphries. "Going to the men's room." Humphries nods and walks off for the bathroom.

Hollis spots her ex-lover sitting alone at the counter and walks up to him. "Ball in chain at work." Hollis sweetly says to him.

Gibbs turns and faces Hollis. "No, she has work to do at home." Gibbs growls in annoyance.

Hollis noting that Gibbs is trying to keep his cool. "I was surprised that you didn't pay me a visit the other day."

"Why would I when the Director handled it?" Gibbs shrugs… "Besides I wasn't at work when you came over to NCIS, I was home in bed with the flu."

Hollis pulling Gibbs' collar back on his polo shirt. "You recovered quickly enough." Hollis smirks and gestures towards his love bite.

"That's because I have an excellent nurse." Gibbs smirks right back at Hollis. "With an excellent bed side matter, something that you don't know anything about."

"Hum, if I was so lousy in bed, why was your ass in my bed for six months." Hollis sarcastically reminds him.

"Guy has needs and I wasn't up to hitting the bars at the time." "It's called a piece of ass Holli I guess you haven't heard of that expression before." Gibbs grins.

Before Hollis can answer him, her boyfriend Tom joins her at the counter. "Special Agent Gibbs!" Humphries smiles over at Gibbs and reaches for his hand.

Gibbs returning the gesture. "Colonel Humphries!" Gibbs smiles.

"You and Hollis working on a case together?" Humphries sheepishly asks.

"Nope, just exchanging pleasantries about nursing care." Gibbs answers with a Cheshire grin on his face, knowing full well that Hollis can't answer him back.

"That so!" Humphries asks and narrows his eyes at Hollis.

Hollis wanting to change the subject. "We were having a discussion on the nursing care at Walter Reed Hospital." "I had gone there for a procedure about five years ago and was lamenting its closure last summer." "Gibbs said it wasn't a total loss, since Bethesda's nursing care was better." Hollis lies.

"I wouldn't know." Humphries shrugs and spots a table in the corner. "I'm starving!"

"Jethro it was entertaining seeing you again." Hollis smirks at him and steps on Gibbs' ankle as she passes his stool.

"Ow!" Gibbs snarls in pain.

"Sorry wasn't watching where I was walking." Hollis innocently answers and walks off for her table.

"Agent Gibbs!" Humphries nods.

"Colonel Humphries!" Gibbs grimaces.

Allie who was standing around eavesdropping on them waits for Humphries to walk away. With Humphries and Hollis now seated at their table. "So you ex wasn't good in bed I gather?" Allie snickers.

"I only slept with her to make Jenny jealous."

"Did it work?"

"Hell know, she could read me like a book that Hollis wasn't cutting it in bed." Gibbs laughs.

The next morning at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs sitting around on the couch in Jenny's Office watches his fiancée doing paper work at the conference table. "Easter weekend can't get here soon enough." Gibbs groans in frustration.

"I know, I talked with Amira on the phone the other day, she's so excited to see the new house." Jenny softly answers.

"Leyla needs some downtime as well." "While she's shopping with Camilla in town, we'll take Amira horseback riding along the beach." Gibbs smiles.

"Good we can both try out our hats that Tony bought us." Jenny laughs.

"You think I can get you in the water this time around?"

"Hell no, not with fifty something degree water temperature and keep in mind you just got over the flu." Jenny mutters.

"And I quickly recovered due to your nursing techniques." Gibbs smirks.

"No Abby's peppermint tea, you wanted to get laid." Jenny sweetly reminds him.

"You wanted it just as bad as I did as I recall." "You scratched the hell out of my back during our lunch time quickie."

"Maybe if you had kept your finger from in-"

Before Jenny can finish, Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers…."We'll be right there." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Dead Lance Corporal in a bathroom at Dulles Airport." Gibbs informs her and gets up from the couch.

"Saved by dispatch." Jenny laughs.

"For now!" Gibbs mischievous grins and starts off for the door. "By the way I'm not taking no for an answer tonight." Gibbs growls and turns and faces her.

"Why do you think I'm reviewing case files in between MTAC ops?" Jenny purrs.

"Depending the outcome of this investigation, lights out by 2100 hours tonight and it won't be sleeping." Gibbs chuckles and walks out of the office.

"Well rested Jethro, he should be able to go for a good three hours." Jenny seductively says to herself.

Cynthia walks into the office. "Agent Gibbs was smiling from ear to ear." Cynthia giggles.

"That's because he has something to look forward to after work." Jenny laughs.

"That's need to know between the two of you." Cynthia laughs and takes the finished case files from on top of Jenny's desk. "You want a fresh carafe of coffee?"

"Nah, I've had my fill for the morning." Jenny smiles.

"I'll head over to MTAC and prep for your 0900 hour op with Special Agent Tasker." Cynthia nods and walks out of the office.

Jenny takes off her glasses and puts them on top of the table. "Easter weekend seems like an eternity." Jenny groans in anticipation.


	95. Semana Santa

April 5th 2012

Baja, Mexico

1800 Hours PDT

After taking an evening flight out to Mexico, Gibbs, Jenny, Leyla, and Amira arrive at the house with Camilla waiting for them. "Mi pequeño!" Camilla calls out to Amira who runs into her awaiting arms. "My you've grown so much the past year." Camilla smiles and affectionately hugs and kisses Amira on the face and forehead.

"Does Amira remember how to speak and understand Spanish?" Gibbs curiously asks Leyla.

"I still speak to her in Spanish and I'm also learning Spanish on line." Leyla softly answers.

Gibbs walks over to the front door with Jenny and Leyla following him from behind. "The front door is unlocked I just stocked up your frig for the weekend." Camilla smiles.

Gibbs opens up the front door. "I want to see Leyla and Amira's reaction." Gibbs answers and backs away from the door.

Leyla walks in, with Camilla holding Amira. "Jethro, I'm speechless!" Leyla says in awe.

"Grandpa Gringo would have been pleased with what your Uncle Jethro did." Camilla teases Amira and puts her down on the ground.

"Momma can I play out on the beach?" Amira inquires.

"I have to unpack our things first." Leyla softly says to her daughter.

"I'll take her out." Jenny smiles and takes Amira by the hand. "Remember the fun we had out on the beach swimming and building sand castles?"

"Do I ever, we had so much fun that week." Amira squeals with delight.

"It's a bit late to build a sand castle today, but sometime this weekend we'll build a bigger one." Jenny promises her and walks Amira off towards the kitchen.

"She has a way with children." Camilla smiles.

"I know!" Gibbs sighs from the doorway. "I'll go get our bags." Gibbs nods and steps outside.

"Senor Gibbs seems sad." Camilla frowns.

"Misses his daughter and I believe if Jenny were five years younger he would have had a child with her." Leyla sadly answers.

"I guess Amira makes up for it." Camilla smiles.

"That and Jethro's team at work." Leyla laughs.

"I know Senor Franks told me about them, especially Probie Junior as he would refer to him as." Camilla snickers.

"Tony!" Leyla giggles.

The next morning at sunrise, Gibbs and Jenny are a distance away from the house on the beach making love on top of a blanket. The rays of the sunlight mixing in with Jenny's green eyes and the feel of her lovers body sending her over the edge over and over again, at the height of his passion, Gibbs makes eye contact with Jenny. "I love you Jenny." He breathes out her name in ecstasy, his body shudders in a jarring, pulsing climax.

Jenny lies trembling underneath of him, her breathing shallow and fast. "Jethro!" She pants.

"Hum!" Gibbs answers, fighting for breath.

"Could you roll on to your back?"

Gibbs kisses Jenny on the mouth and rolls on to his back bringing her on top of him. Jenny fighting for air breaks away from his kiss. "I guess the beach will have to do once it gets dark out, since we won't be able to make love in the house with Amira and Leyla inside."

"And you're no clothes rule isn't in affect." Jenny teases him.

"Monday night it will be in affect again once we get home, I better not be feeling any articles of clothing up against your body again, unless you're sick or I'm sick." Gibbs growls.

"You have a way with words Jethro." Jenny giggles and leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth.

"It's not having a way with words, I like feeling your bare skin up against my body at night when I'm sleeping."

"No you like sleeping with your face buried against my pillows at night."

"Easy target since their big." Gibbs smirks.

"Like you should talk." Jenny smirks back at him and touches him below the waist.

Gibbs instantly gets aroused with the feel of her hands touching his arousal. "Only you can get me this aroused five minutes later after having sex with you."

"I need another five more minutes to recover from my orgasm, so you're going to have to wait."

Gibbs pulling Jenny's face within inches of his face. "There's always foreplay." He seductively says to her and passionately kisses her on the mouth.

After lunch Leyla and Gibbs head into town. "Amira should sleep well tonight." Leyla softly says to Gibbs as they walk along the store fronts.

"Ocean air always put Kelly to sleep." Gibbs smiles at the memory of his last camping trip with his family on the beach in Oceanside, California.

"I see the longing in your heart for a child Jethro." Leyla says and takes a hold of Gibbs' hand.

"I can long for it Leyla, but I don't want to risk losing Jenny in the process of having my child, I lost Shannon, thought I lost Jenny forever and by some miracle I got her back." "It's out of the question end of story."

"You can always adopt."

"I know, but we have plans after retirement." "A child would get in the way of that and besides, I'll be in my late seventies when I attend his or hers high school graduation."

"I never thought of that." Leyla giggles.

"I have!" Gibbs grimaces…"No Jenny and I have our future planned out after NCIS, it involves living here during the fall and winter and Paris during the spring and summer." "I would also like to travel to places over in Europe that we didn't go to together, experience new cities." "We're always open to trying food from other cultures." Gibbs smiles.

"Speaking of food, I'm looking to the _Semana Santa celebration tonight."_

_"Mike hated the week of Semana Santa because the cantina didn't serve meat in their meals." Gibbs chuckles._

_"He got it at home." Leyla giggles._

_"I would have no problem with eating fish for a few weeks." Gibbs smoothly answers._

_"It's the reason why you've kept in shape."_

_"Mike physically was in shape, the cigarettes were his doing and ultimately he took a bullet from Jonas Cobb as an easier death." Gibbs frowns._

_"It's been almost a year." Leyla sighs with tears streaming down her face._

_"I know I still miss him." "I don't miss his head slaps." Gibbs laughs trying to bring a smile on to Leyla's face._

_"You were the younger brother that Mike never had." Leyla smiles._

_"I saw him as my replacement dad." "I don't know what I would have done without him; Mike was there for me after my wife and daughters murders."_

_"Just like he was there for me after Liam had died." Leyla smiles._

_Camilla walks over to Gibbs and Leyla. "Senor Gibbs where's your beautiful fiancée at?" Camilla smiles at him._

_"At the house playing with Amira on the beach."_

_"Are the four of you coming to the Semana Santa celebration tonight?" Camilla curiously asks._

_"Wouldn't miss it for anything and I'm looking forward to Easter Dinner at your place on Sunday." Gibbs smiles._

_"I decided to go with pork this year instead of my traditional lamb."_

_"You did an excellent job on teaching Leyla your recipe; she cooked lamb for Christmas dinner."_

_"I believe you went for seconds." Leyla smiles._

_"I haven't had lamb for dinner in a while." Gibbs shrugs._

_"Leyla told me that you purchased a pink bicycle for Amira for Christmas." Camilla nods at Gibbs._

_"Mike promised Amira a pink bicycle for Christmas and I delivered on his promise."_

_"When the weather is nice outside I can't get her to come inside the house." Leyla laughs._

_"It beats staying inside of the house playing video games." Gibbs answers._

_"The kids in Mexico are either playing outside with their friends, rarely are they inside of the house and if they are, their doing chores for their parents." Camilla answers._

_"During my generation there were no video games, you used your imagination or played board games." "And I did my handful of chores for my parents in and outside of the house before I played with my friends."_

_"It explains the reason why so many American children are pampered or spoiled rotten." Leyla sighs._

_"Tell me about it." "DiNozzo, Ziva, Abby, and McGee whined for twenty-four hours when we were without power back in Washington a few years ago." "Couldn't function without modern technology." Gibbs growls at the memory of his teams childish bickering._

_"There are parts of Baja that do not have electricity." Camilla answers._

_"I was sort of surprised at Ziva's attitude about not having modern amenities since she's traveled to areas in Africa and the Middle East that are still living in the eighteenth century." Gibbs shrugs._

_Camilla noting that her sister Emmanuelle is waving at her in the distance. "I promised my sister Emmanuelle that I would help her out with the Semana Santa festivities." _

_"We'll see you tonight." Gibbs smiles._

_"Bye!" Camilla smiles at Gibbs and Leyla and walks away._

_"We better see how Jenny and Amira are making out." Gibbs laughs._

_Out on the beach, Jenny and Amira are finishing up with their sandcastle. "So how big is this Aunt Jenny?" Amira sweetly asks her._

_"Two feet by four feet, and its three feet high." Jenny smiles at her. _

_"It's a lot bigger than our first one." Amira smiles with pride._

_"That's because you were a bit smaller when we built the first one." Jenny affectionately teases her and rubs the back of Amira's head._

_"I can't wait for the festival tonight." Amira anxiously answers with a hint of excitement in her voice._

_"I can't wait either; I've been cooped up in my office for well over a month." "It feels so good to be out and about." _

_"Did you ever have a _frescas before?" Amira curiously asks.

"Yes I did with my father, when he took me on vacation to Cancún when I was sixteen years old." "We both drank _Agua de Sandía_." Jenny fondly answers.

"That's my favorite flavor." Amira says with surprise.

"Now you see we both have something in common besides building sandcastles." Jenny laughs.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs walks the length of beach. "Anybody storm the castle yet." Gibbs calls out to Amira.

"Yeah, you!" Jenny smirks up at her lover.

"Uncle Jethro, this is bigger and better than the last sandcastle Aunt Jenny and I built." Amira smiles.

"You know what they say about size Amira." Gibbs smiles.

"It keeps the bad guys out."

"Not always!" Jenny laughs, with her mind clearly on something else.

"Amira, bath time!" Leyla calls out from the deck.

"Rats, just when it was getting good." Amira sighs and gets up on to her feet.

"You need to get the sand off of you before we go out tonight." Gibbs nods and swats at Amira's butt.

"Coming!" Amira squeals and runs off towards the house.

"I managed to storm inside the castle in Marseille." Gibbs mischievously grins down at his fiancée.

"That's because we were at each other's throats." Jenny reminds him and gets up on to her feet.

"At each other's throats one minute, fighting to get our clothes off the next minute." "And once we were naked, foreplay was not on our minds." "I was inside of you within two minutes." Gibbs smirks.

"There's no need in getting the both of us sexually frustrated, we won't be able to make love until tomorrow morning on the beach."

"There's always tonight after the festival."

"I promised Amira that I would read to her before she went to bed."

"She'll fall asleep in the Jeep on her way home."

"Keep forgetting that kids can sleep anywhere." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs pulls Jenny over towards him. "We can sleep anywhere." "I still remember the first morning you woke up in my arms inside of the hull of my boat."

"Don't remind me of the hang over that I had." Jenny grimaces.

"It didn't stop me from having my way with your body."

"So I noticed and I got razzed by Pacci and Burley in work the next day from the hickey's that you put on my neck." Jenny hisses.

"If only Pacci knew that I put them on there." Gibbs chuckles.

"The money he lost on his pool." Jenny giggles.

"I don't know whose worse, Pacci or DiNozzo." Gibbs growls.

"Toss up!"

Gibbs starts to walk up to the house with Jenny beside him. "Are you up for horseback riding tomorrow afternoon?"

"I brought Tony's gift from Aspen and so did you."

"Camilla and Leyla are going to have a ladies day out together tomorrow." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Leyla needs some time to herself." Jenny smiles.

"And we get Amira to ourselves."

"I'm starving!" Jenny groans and rubs her belly.

"So am I but I'm trying to save room in my stomach for the festival tonight."

In town that night, the locals along with the tourists are celebrating the final days_ of __Semana Santa. Gibbs, Camilla, and Leyla are sitting at a table dining on meatless Mexican food. "Senor Franks could eat about five _Pescadilla's." Camilla mutters at the food that her later lover could consume.

Gibbs biting into his _Tortitas de Papa. "I'm surprised that Mike never had a gut on him." Gibbs says chewing his food._

_Jenny approaching the table with Amira. "Do you always have to talk with your mouth full?" Jenny baits her lover._

_"You do it all the time." Gibbs answers with smirk on his face._

_"Aunt Jenny what did you have-"_

_Jenny covers Amira's mouth before she could finish. "Never mind drink your _Agua de Sandía." Jenny instructs her and gives Gibbs a mock glare of warning for having dirty thoughts on his mind.

Camilla quickly changes the subject. "So how was the Ferris Wheel?"

"Fun, can I go again mama?"

"After you eat something." Leyla sternly instructs her daughter.

Amira grabs a tacos de pescado from on top of the table. "Grandpa use to take me up on the Ferris Wheel." Amira frowns.

"I'll take you, but you got to eat first." Gibbs promises her.

Two hours later, Gibbs pulls up in the driveway. Leyla sitting in the front passenger seat; turns and looks in the backseat and finds Jenny and Amira sleeping together. "Looks like I'll be carrying Amira inside." Leyla whispers.

Gibbs glances in the backseat. "Damn it!" He inwardly curses.

"You had romantic plans with Jenny?"

"Yes, I guess they'll have to wait until tomorrow." Gibbs answers with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Jethro I want to thank you for bringing us back to a place that Amira and I thought that we were going to call home for the rest of our lives." Leyla smiles at him.

"I had to bring the two of you back and show the new house." Gibbs smiles.

"At least it has a modern kitchen and bathroom." Leyla laughs.

"Beats the leaky roof." Gibbs chuckles.

A minute later, Gibbs is carrying Jenny into the bedroom. "This is not what I had in mind tonight Jen." Gibbs growls in sexual frustration. Gently he puts Jenny on top of the bed. "Crack of dawn I'm waking your ass up." Gibbs smirks and begins to take off Jenny's clothes.

Around midnight, Gibbs is sitting out on the back deck with a Corona in his hand. "And to think almost twenty years ago, Mike and I use to go fishing along the shoreline on this same beach." Gibbs fondly recalls with a smile on his face. Holding up his bottle of beer. "Here's to you boss."


	96. Sense Of Security

Saturday afternoon Gibbs, Jenny, and Amira are horseback riding along the beach, with Amira securely in Gibbs' arms. "Can we stay here; I don't want to go back to Washington?" Amira pouts.

"Sorry Amira, Jenny and I have responsibilities back home in Washington and your mom has a job that she needs to get back to also." "Besides the schools are better in the states."

"I hate school." Amira sighs.

"So did I!" Gibbs chuckles and pulls on to Poncho's reins to bring the brown and white painted stallion to a halt. "We'll eat lunch here." Gibbs smiles.

Jenny climbs down Miranda and gets in between the two horses. Gibbs gently hands Amira down to Jenny. "Are we going for a swim?" Amira curiously asks.

"Water's to cold." Jenny shivers and puts Amira down on the ground.

Gibbs dismounts his horse and smirks over at Jenny. "Chicken!"

"I'm not catching pneumonia." Jenny hisses.

"What's pneumonia?" Amira quizzes her godfather.

"You know how you get a cold."

"I hate colds." Amira protests.

"This is worse than a cold." "You lungs fill up with fluid to the point where you can barely breathe."

"Then I'm not going into that water." Amira answers and then looks up at Gibbs. "I have soccer practice on Tuesday."

"If I'm off from work during the weekend, I'll go to one of your games." Gibbs promises her.

"I have a game next Saturday."

"Sorry Aunt Jenny and I have a wedding that we have to go to." Gibbs apologizes.

"So when's your wedding?"

"We'll discuss a date after Palmer and Breena's wedding, the focus should be on them right now." Jenny smiles.

Gibbs removing a saddle pack from the back of Poncho's saddle. "You're going to be part of our wedding."

"How?"

"You're going to be our flower girl." Jenny softly answers.

"Oh boy!" Amira squeals and affectionately hugs Jenny. "Wait, what's a flower girl."

"Part of the Bridal Party and you get to walk down the aisle first." Jenny winks.

"Before you!"

"I walk down the aisle last, the bride's maid walks down second and the matron of honor walks down third, then me." Jenny smiles.

"I can't wait." Amira smiles.

Gibbs throws a blanket down on the ground. "I brought tuna fish sandwiches and lemonade to drink for lunch."

"No coffee!" Amira laughs.

"Not this time." Gibbs smiles.

Jenny stretches the blanket out on the beach. "Perfect day for a picnic."

"I know the weather in general has been perfect." "Beats the damp weather in Washington that we've been having of late."

"I wouldn't know I've been up in my office." Jenny shrugs and flops down on to the blanket.

"You need to get out more Aunt Jenny."

"Kind of hard when your job is twenty-four-seven sweetie."

"I think once the weather breaks and you do not have late MTAC ops to oversee, you should leave the office a bit early." Gibbs suggests.

"And do what exactly." Jenny sighs.

"I'll need some help out in the backyard."

"Me doing gardening." Jenny laughs.

"It's about time you got your hands dirty." Gibbs playfully growls at her and goes down on to the blanket with the saddle pack. "Amira, we'll toss a Frisbee around after lunch."

Amira sits in between Gibbs and Jenny. "Wonder what mama and Aunt Camilla are up to?"

"Having a day out on the town." Gibbs smiles at Amira as he unpacks their lunch from the saddle pack.

"Grandpa would call it two hens out on a shopping spree." Amira giggles.

"It's what women do best Amira, shopping." Gibbs smirks over at Jenny.

"I'm not that bad this time around." Jenny mutters.

"That's because you don't have the closet space to fill it up with." Gibbs snorts.

"True!" Jenny laughs.

"One of Aunt Jenny's shopping trips in Paris got me that dress I wore for my school photo." Amira reminds him.

"And you looked gorgeous in it." Jenny smiles.

"When I get married I want you to pick out my wedding dress."

"Deal!" Jenny answers and hands Amira her sandwich.

"Hopefully in about twenty years from now, keep your independence until you get out of college." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"I'm not sure what I want to be when I grow up." Amira shrugs.

"Sweetheart you have years to figure out what you want to be when you become a grown up." "Concentrate on being a child it's a lot easier." Jenny laughs at her.

Around three o'clock, Gibbs, Jenny, and Amira return to the house. Leyla is sitting on the living room couch reading a Spanish text book. "Still brushing up on your Spanish." Gibbs teases her.

"It's a book that Camilla gave me."

"Hum maybe Jethro can take a course up in French." Jenny smirks.

"Don't need to when I have you as my trusty translator." Gibbs grins and walks out into the kitchen.

"So how was your afternoon horseback riding with Uncle Jethro and Aunt Jenny?" Leyla nods at her daughter.

"We had fun." "We rode all the way down to the point."

"That's wonderful!" Leyla smiles.

Jenny tosses her hat on top of the coffee table. "I'm going to jump in the shower." Jenny grimaces.

"Sore from horseback riding."

"Yes from the waist down." Jenny groans and walks out of the room.

Fifteen minutes later after getting a shower, Jenny is in the bedroom changing into a plum colored Cami top and a white pair of Capri pants. "It's going to rain tonight." Gibbs grumbles as he walks into the bedroom.

"Jethro we can go a few days without sex, you're just as bad as Tony." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"I can only go without sex with you for twenty-four yours, forty-eight hours is pushing it." Gibbs growls.

"What am I going to do with you?" Jenny laughs.

"It will have to wait until we're alone." Gibbs smirks.

"Unfortunately that won't be until Monday night." Jenny sensuously answers.

Gibbs aroused quickly changes the subject. "What time to you want to work on Amira's Easter basket?"

"After she goes to bed." "Leyla and Camilla boiled half dozen eggs while we were out today and dyed them." "We brought the candy with us from DC, so Amira will be all set tomorrow morning when she wakes up to see that the Easter Bunny knows where you're at when you're not at home."

"She seems so happy to be back in Baja." Gibbs smiles.

"I know, but she is better off in the states, schooling is better."

"Mike set up a trust fund for her." "Amira is going to college after high school."

"She's a smart little kid; Amira will go far once she decides on what she wants to do with her life." "But for now she should just concentrate on being a kid and nothing else." Jenny softly answers.

Early the next morning Amira wakes up. "I bet the Easter Bunny stopped by mama's apartment back in Washington." Amira frowns and gets out of bed.

Over in Gibbs and Jenny's bedroom, Gibbs and Jenny are sleeping on their sides with their backs facing towards one another. Amira's squeals of happiness from the living room awaken them. "Too early!" Jenny groans in protest and pulls the pillow over her head.

"Christmas morning is worse." Gibbs snorts and throws the blankets back, glancing over his shoulder, Gibbs rolls his eyes at the sight of his fiancée wearing powder blue PJ bottoms with white clouds on them and one of Gibbs' white NIS t-shirts. "I better not see anything on your body Monday night."

With that Amira barges into their bedroom. "The Easter Bunny showed up." Amira shouts.

"I told you he would." Gibbs smiles.

With that Leyla walks into the bedroom. "Amira!" She chastises her daughter for waking up everybody in the house.

"It's ok Leyla, Easter only comes once a year and you should cherish every little moment of it." Gibbs tenderly says to her.

"Your right!" Leyla smiles.

"Can I have a piece of candy?"

"Only one and a little piece." Leyla answers and takes Amira by the hand.

"I wanted to eat my chocolate Easter Bunny." Amira protests.

"Maybe later on after we come home from Aunt Camilla's." Leyla reassures her and walks the both of them out of the bedroom.

"And we got her a white chocolate bunny which is sweeter." Gibbs smirks…When Jenny doesn't answer him, Gibbs looks over at her and realizes that Jenny has fallen back to sleep. "In two days you'll have to be behind your desk at the office again." Gibbs laments and decides to let Jenny sleep in. Quietly he gets off of the bed and walks out of the room closing the door behind him.

Camilla's House

1900 Hours

After eating dinner, Gibbs and Camilla's brothers and brother-in-law are sitting out on the beach drinking bottles of Pacífico beer. "Senor Franks splurged last year and brought over a case of Bohemia." Mateo grunts in between sips from his bottle of beer.

"I don't care for Bohemia beer." Vicente protests.

"Like you have the right to complain, you're just free loading the free beer that Senor Gibbs brought over." Marco baits his brother-in-law trying to get him into an argument.

"If I knew that my beer was going to get the three of you into argument I wouldn't have brought it over." Gibbs growls.

"We just like to make fun of Vicente, Senor Gibbs." Mateo laughs.

"Our sister Emmanuel could have married worse." Marco smirks.

Before Vicente can answer Marco, his daughters Gabriela and Maria approaches him from behind, breaking painted eggs filled with confetti over his head. "Lo sabía!" Vicente laughs; he turns and gathers his daughters into his arms. "You're Uncles distracted me into an argument so that I could sneak up behind me"

"What's up with the Easter Eggs filled up with confetti?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Mexican Easter tradition." Mateo shrugs.

"We paint our eggs after draining them and fill the eggs up with confetti." Marco informs Gibbs.

"Then you sneak up on someone-"

"And smash the egg over their head." Gibbs answers interrupting Vicente. "I know just the perfect person to sneak up on." Gibbs mischievously grins.

Inside the house, Jenny and Leyla are in the kitchen drying off the dishes. "Men get to lounge around like beached whales, while we do all of the work." Jenny laughs.

"They just get in the way." Leyla giggles.

"You mean Camilla's brothers and brother-in-law would get in the way, Jethro is useful in the kitchen." Jenny teases.

Unknown to Jenny, Gibbs is slithering around in the kitchen; he motions over to Leyla to not acknowledge his presence. "Jethro is a rare breed of men." Leyla smiles.

"A lot has to do with his upbringing back home in Stillwater, Pennsylvania." Jenny answers and neatly stacks a plate on top of the counter. Gibbs sneaks up from behind her and cracks two eggs filled with confetti over her head. "Jethro!" Jenny screams out. "You scared the crap out of me." She hisses.

"Good!" Gibbs laughs and pulls Jenny into his arms; passionately he kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Amira walks into the kitchen with Gabriela and Maria. "Yuck again!" Amira sighs at the sight of her godfather and Jenny locked into a passionate kiss.

"That's normal in our house." Maria giggles.

"I know it explains why mama is pregnant again." Gabriela snickers.

With that Gibbs and Jenny break away from their kiss embarrassed at Gabriela's comment. Amira raises a curious eyebrow over at Gibbs and Jenny. "Is Aunt Jenny going to have a baby?"

"No sweetheart!" Jenny sadly answers and walks out of the room.

Noting that Jenny was upset at what she had said. "Did I say something wrong?" Amira frowns with worry.

"No Amira!" Leyla tenderly reassures her daughter and picks Amira up in her arms.

"I better go check up on her." Gibbs sighs and walks out.

Out front Jenny is sitting alone on a glider bench. Gibbs walks over to her and sits next to Jenny on the bench. "If I was six or seven years younger I would have tried at bearing our child." Jenny chokes and buries her face up against Gibbs' chest.

"Jenny you have to let it go."

"I thought I did and then wham Amira innocently asks me that question." Jenny answers and bursts into tears.

Gibbs rubbing Jenny's lower back and shoulders. "Jen I don't have the answers for ya." Gibbs frowns and kisses the top of her head.

"I have an appointment with Dr. Cranston this week."

"Usually we have hot sex after your appointments." Gibbs laughs.

"Not this week, I have a lunch meeting with at the White House."

"Going from the shrink's office to lunch with the President." Gibbs shrugs.

"I'll make sure that I don't put my make up on until after my doctor's appointment."

Gibbs pulls Jenny's face up. "I don't know why you bother to put it on; you look great without it on." Gibbs smiles.

"I feel naked without it." "But thanks for the compliment."

"I'm saying it because it's true." "Before you came back as Director of NCIS, I loved coming home to you wearing my old flannel shirts, no make-up, sneakers and jeans." "Damn you looked sexy."

"Sexy at my age, are you kidding me." Jenny laughs.

"There are women twenty years younger than you that are not in the shape that you are in."

"Ziva is in better shape than I am." Jenny reminds him.

"That's because she gets up at four in the morning to go jogging."

"I didn't have the energy at her age to get up at the hour in the morning to go jogging." Jenny grimaces.

"In the Marine Corps they got you up earlier than that." "But then again I never did sleep-"

"Unless you were home in bed with your wife." Jenny interrupts him.

"I sleep now." Gibbs smiles looking into the depths of Jenny's green eyes. "You brought my sense of security back and I love you for it."

"And you brought mine back." Jenny softly answers and then suddenly remembers that he let her sleep in this morning. "Thank you for letting me sleep in for a few hours this morning."

"You needed it."

"I felt rested when I woke up and I haven't felt like that since we were in Paris."

"Our next vacation getaway will be on board 'The Shepard' during Memorial Day weekend. "We'll take the boat out into the Atlantic Ocean." "I'll fish, you'll read, and in between we'll swim and make love."

"Or do both!" Jenny seductively answers and captures his mouth. Gibbs grabs a hold of her face and deepens Jenny's kiss.

Monday morning, Gibbs, Jenny, Leyla, and Amira are taking in the view of the Pacific Ocean from the deck. "Can we come back here this summer?" Amira curiously asks.

"That's if I can get off from work, can't make any promises." Leyla softly says to her daughter.

"Will you come with us?" Amira nods up at Gibbs and Jenny.

"We have wedding plans of our own to make, hopefully by July and then we'll go away on our honeymoon for a week." "After that Jenny and I will take outings on my boat on our weekends off." "Maybe sometime next fall we'll come back down, not sure." Gibbs answers.

"Won't be the same." Amira pouts.

"I know, but you'll still have Camilla and her nieces to play with." Gibbs smiles.

"True but they don't know how to build sandcastles like Aunt Jenny and whose going to take me horseback riding."

"You can teach them how to build a sandcastle." "And you're welcome to ride one of the ponies anytime you want to."

"But it won't be Poncho or Miranda."

"Amira, Uncle Jethro and Aunt Jenny both have lives of their own." Leyla reminds her daughter.

"Amira there are stables around Washington." "When Uncle Jethro is working one weekend and I'm home alone I'll take you horseback riding."

"You mean it." Amira squeals with excitement.

"It will get Aunt Jenny out of the house." Jenny winks and rubs the back of Amira's head.

Gibbs' House

2200 Hours EST

Gibbs and Jenny are in bed sharing a large bowl filled up with spaghetti and watching TV at the same time. "Just the thoughts of listening to my team squawking tomorrow morning." Gibbs grumbles.

"Welcome home boss." Jenny teases him and takes a sip from her bottle of beer.

"I still preferred it when I was the boss." Gibbs smirks.

"It didn't matter I still told you off as a Probie." Jenny snickers.

"You got away with it because of your chest and those legs of yours." Gibbs growls.

"And I used them to my full advantage." Jenny sensuously answers.

"So I noticed!" Gibbs laughs.

Jenny wanting to change the channel tries to distract Gibbs by nipping along his neck, just as she reaches for the remote, Gibbs grabs her hand. "Jethro I'm tired of watching fishing." Jenny protests.

"You think I'm watching one of your chick flicks on TV you got another thing coming." Gibbs grumbles.

"We could do something else that's more constructive." Jenny purrs.

With that, Gibbs turns off the TV, tosses the remote on to the floor. He puts the large bowl that they were on top of the nightstand. "What did you have in mind?" Gibbs grins and shoves Jenny down on to her back.

Jenny glancing down at his blue sweatpants. "It will involve less clothing and me on top."

"Cool, works out for me."

With that Jenny's Blackberry begins to ring. Jenny reaches over and retrieves her phone from on top of the nightstand. "Shepard!" She answers…"Hi Abby!" Jenny smiles.

Gibbs knowing full well that Abby will be on the phone for a while gets out of bed and takes the bowl from the night stand. "I might as well finish watching my fishing program downstairs." Gibbs grumbles at the missed opportunity at getting laid.

Jenny watches a detected Gibbs walk out of the bedroom. "Yes daddy is being grumpy, keep in mind it's a long flight from Mexico."

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to my readers


	97. Derailment

April 10th 2012

NCIS Headquarters

0730 Hours

After getting briefed by Tony, Ziva, and McGee on their current investigation, Gibbs walks off for the elevator to head down to Autopsy. "Did you see the tan that Gibbs got while he was lounging on the beach in Mexico?" Tony openly says to his co-workers.

"Jealous much Tony." Ziva teases him and walks over to her desk.

"Um yeah, it was in the mid-sixties here and more than likely in the eighties down in Baja." Tony whines.

"I believe it was in the mid to upper seventies." McGee corrects him.

"Still warmer than here."

With that Jenny steps out of MTAC and walks off towards the direction of her office. "Jenny also has a tan." Ziva announces.

Tony cranes his neck up towards the stairs. "I wonder if she got any nude sunbathing in." Tony grins.

"Tony really, there was a child present." Ziva scolds him.

"Forgot about that." Tony shrugs.

"For once could you get your mind out of the gutter when it comes to Gibbs and the Director's sex lives?" Ziva sighs in annoyance.

"Kind of hard when the boss man was sporting her latest love bite this morning." Tony smirks.

"I find it so strange that a couple at their age act like love sick teenagers." McGee says with a hint of envy in his voice.

"It's called making up for lost time Probie."

Down in Autopsy Gibbs hands Ducky a flash drive with the photos that were taken on Saturday afternoon, while Gibbs, Jenny, and Amira went horseback riding on the beach. "What's this?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Our little outing on the beach with Amira." "We took her horseback riding on Saturday afternoon." Gibbs smiles.

Ducky inserts the flash drive into his computer, finding a folder with the photos from Mexico, Ducky clicks it open with his mouse and reviews each of the photos. "Jenny looks relaxed." Ducky muses.

"The four days off did her some good." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"And you as well." Ducky smiles.

"I can see us living down there full time in about four to five years."

"What about Paris?"

"We'll go there in the spring and summer, but for the most part I want to stay in one place."

"You picked a good place, that section of Mexico is becoming a tourist mecca."

"I know and keep in mind Mike picked a good place."

"What do you think Mike would have approved of the house you purchased?" Ducky inquires.

"To modernized for him." Gibbs laughs…"But he would have enjoyed the hot tub I had installed out on the back deck."

Abby walks in and finds Gibbs standing over at Ducky's desk. "Gibbs!" Abby cheerfully shouts out to him.

"Abigail, Gibbs has photos from Mexico."

"Cool!" Abby smiles and walks over to Ducky's desk. "Wow you look sexy in your cowboy hat that Tony got for you."

"You've seen me in my hat before." Gibbs shrugs.

"But you're on top of a horse with Amira."

"You do look like a cowboy." Ducky laughs.

"Mexico still has a western feel to it." Gibbs smiles.

"Besides going horseback riding what else did the four of you do?" Abby asks.

"Went to a Semana Santa festival on Friday night, Jenny and Amira built a sandcastle together and we had Easter dinner over at Camilla's." Gibbs answers.

"Seems like you had a busy weekend." Abby smiles.

"We did, Amira didn't want to leave."

"Must of brought up a lot of memories of her grandfather, I can see why." Abby sadly answers.

"It was funny, Friday night I was sitting out on the back deck drinking a bottle of Corona and I felt Mike's presence." "We use to sit out back until dawn getting drunk on Corona's and would sleep until three in the afternoon."

"I don't know if I could do that." "Seems boring after a while." Abby nods.

"It did after the first month, and then I started tearing Mike's house apart."

"And it was the reason why you left Mexico and came back to us."

"I believe the lovely Jennifer Shepard is the reason why Jethro left Mexico." Ducky winks over at Gibbs.

Back up in the Squad Room, Tony walks over to McGee's desk and finds McGee's exposed paycheck sitting on top of his desk. "Hey you make more money than me." Tony protests.

"Unlike you Tony, McGee doesn't sit around and do nothing at his desk all day long." Ziva baits her partner.

"I'm calling up accounting to see why a Junior Agent is making more money than me." Tony snaps and walks over to his desk.

"So you can purchase another three thousand dollar suit." Ziva smirks.

"Ha, ha David." Tony grumbles and flops down behind his desk.

Gibbs walks in over hearing Tony at his desk. "Just what I need on my first day back to work." Gibbs growls.

"He's just being grouchy because he saw my paycheck on top of my desk and for some reason I make more money than he does." McGee informs Gibbs.

"You do more work than he does."

"I'm offended by that remark." Tony whines.

"Until you learn your way around a computer and around forensic science DiNozzo, then I would shut up." Gibbs advises him.

With that Doctor Rachel Cranston walks into Gibbs' section. "Agent Gibbs!" She address' him and walks over to Gibbs' desk.

"Doctor Cranston!" Gibbs nods.

"Your team is investigating the death of Doctor Robert Banks?"

"You mean Doctor Blanks' suicide?" Gibbs answers…."NCIS doesn't investigate suicides."

"I beg to differ, Blanks was a patient of mine." "We spoke on the phone the night of Blanks' death."

"Patients can say things to make their shrinks believe that they're on the road to recovery." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Not Robert, one of the reasons why he was coming to me for therapy is he was working for the 'PsyOps' Division for the Department of Defense."

"Boss the PsyOps Division works on psychological warfare against our known enemies abroad." McGee informs him.

"He knows that McGeek, just before Kate had joined our team we had a joint op with the PsyOps Division." Tony grins and then glances over at Gibbs. "Boss isn't Doctor Samantha Ryan still the head of the PsyOps Division." Tony baits his boss, knowing full well that Gibbs had a romantic relationship with Doctor Ryan off the job.

"She still is as far as I know." Gibbs icily answers and glares over at his Senior Field Agent.

"I didn't know that you had a history with Doctor Ryan." Rachel says with surprise.

"Ancient history which I do not want to get into." Gibbs snaps and then gets back on to the subject at hand. "Unless you can prove otherwise, Doctor Mallard has ruled Robert Banks' death as a suicide."

"Since my patient is dead, the doctor patient privilege is thrown out the window." Rachel answers and hands Gibbs some tapes of her sessions with Banks.

"We'll look into it." Gibbs assures Rachel.

"Good, when I heard of Robert's death and it was ruled a suicide I had to come over here." "If anybody can get into the bottom of his death, you can." Rachel smiles and walks out of the room.

"Tony go down to Ducky's and ask him if it's possible that the gunshot wound on Banks' head isn't self-inflicted."

"On it!" Tony nods and gets up from his chair and walks away.

"Ziva, McGee, I want you to come with me into the conference room so that we can listen in on Doctor Cranston's sessions with Banks."

Two hours later, Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee walk out of the conference room. "Remind me not to get into psychological warfare." McGee grimaces.

"Unfortunately it's the way we get our upper hand on our enemies McGee." Gibbs answers and approaches Tony's desk. "What did Ducky have to say?"

"He's requested that Abby reconstruct the crime scene in the bedroom, before he can determine whether Banks was murdered or committed suicide."

"While Abby's doing that I want you to come with me, I want to interview Banks' former partner at the PsyOps Division Brian Mitchell to see what they were working on." Gibbs nods.

"So we're off to the Pentagon." Tony grins.

"No Mitchell's apartment." "Mitchell was fired two weeks ago."

"Maybe he had something to do with Banks' death." Tony sheepishly asks and gets up from his desk.

"Could be or maybe he has some answers."

Arlington, Virginia

Brian Mitchell's Apartment

In the living room, Brian Mitchell sits on his couch processing the news of the death of his co-worker and good friend Robert Banks. "Rob wouldn't have killed himself." Brian defiantly answers.

"So who did?" Gibbs asks.

"Somebody who had wanted the both of out of the PsyOps Division, we were both getting into classified information that other agencies didn't want us to see." Brian swallows.

"Foreign or domestic?" Tony curiously asks.

"Both!"

"What were you looking into before you got terminated from your position?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Somebody from the ATF had inquired about a joint CIA-Navy project, involving psychological warfare training."

"I bet I know who had inquired about it." Tony grumbles.

"I was looking into and was ordered by our Director to back off of it." Brian answers.

"Which you didn't?" Tony answers.

"I already had delved too deeply into it." Brian laments.

"Did Banks back out of it?" Gibbs sharply asks.

"Yes, but I did hand him a flash drive on my findings." "The training that the Seals had went through; Doctor Ryan had taken a leave of absence for about six months to work with the Seals." "Banks had obtained video footage of some of her training sessions." Brian cringes.

"So the Seals were being trained for assassination and for psychological warfare, great." Tony sarcastically answers.

"You seem to know a lot about this." Brian says with surprise.

"We had a case about a year ago involving one of the Seals." "Cobb had snapped and went on a killing spree; a close friend of mine was murdered by him." Gibbs sadly answers at the loss of his cherished mentor and father figure Mike Franks.

"Where's the flash drive?" Tony asks.

"I made a second copy I stored it at safety deposit box at my bank." Brian nods.

"Good you kept it at a safe place." Gibbs sighs with relief.

"My gut told me not to keep it in my apartment."

"We need to see that flash drive." Gibbs requests.

"The bank is about a mile away from my house?" Brian answers and gets up from the couch.

NCIS Headquarters

Doctor Samantha Ryan walks out of the elevator, knowing that her ex-lover's section is near the stairs, Sam walks over to the entranceway. "If you looking for Agent DiNozzo he's out of the building." McGee announces from his desk.

"Why would I be here to see Agent DiNozzo?" Sam innocently answers.

"You're from accounting?" McGee nods.

"No I'm from the Department of Defense." Sam corrects him.

Jenny spotting Sam from the catwalk. "Doctor Ryan!" Jenny calls down to her.

"Director Shepard!" Sam smiles at her.

"As in Doctor Ryan from the PsyOps Division?" McGee openly asks.

"Yes how did you know that?" Sam curiously asks McGee.

"That's because our current investigation has something to do with the death of one of your investigators, Doctor Robert Banks." Ziva informs her.

"Why would NCIS be investigation the murder of a civilian?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Doctor Banks was a Navy reservist." McGee answers.

"You're not up to date on Agent Gibbs' current investigation." Sam directly says to Jenny with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Doctor Ryan I've been away from my office for two and a half days and I have not had the chance to read into my team of agents current ongoing investigations." "Maybe you can fill me in on how this will play out with your department." Jenny requests.

"Your office?"

"Fine, I don't have any appointments." Jenny answers.

Sam walks off towards the direction of the stairs. "You two seem like you know one another?" McGee curiously asks.

"We met one another when Director Morrow sent me to Orlando, Florida back in 2002." Jenny answers.

"Warfare training." McGee nods…

"So you weren't in Europe the whole time." Ziva notes.

"I was only gone for about three months; this was after the Cairo Op."

"Right!" Ziva swallows and flashes back to the moment that she took a bullet for Jenny saving her life.

"Now that we've gotten to the pleasantries Director." Sam announces as she walks up the stairs and approaches Jenny.

"McGee, where's Gibbs?" Jenny asks.

"Out questioning a witness with DiNozzo."

"When he gets back into the building tell him I want him in my office ASAP."

"Yes ma'am!" McGee quickly answers and watches as Jenny and Sam walk the length of the catwalk and up the stairs.

Ziva waits for Jenny and Sam to walk inside of Cynthia's outer office. "I believe this is what Tony refers to as a train wreck." Ziva giggles.

"Talk about a major derailment, I can't wait for him to get back to the office." McGee laughs.

Arlington, Virginia

First Federal Bank

Gibbs, Tony, and Brian Mitchel step out of the bank. "No problem Agent Gibbs, I want to get to the bottom of Rob's death." Brian sighs.

"Someone went to great lengths to make it look he died from a suicide." Gibbs answers and pats Brian on the back of the shoulder. Brian shakes Gibbs and Tony's hand and walks over to his white Ford F-150 and is about to press in the button on his keychain to unlock his truck when Brian's left shoulder bursts open from a gunshot wound. Brian falls forward against the hood of his truck. Gibbs and Tony scramble over to Brian and safely drag him inside of the bank. "Call an ambulance!" Gibbs shouts.

Virginia Hospital Center Arlington

1500 Hours

Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are standing in the waiting room, when Doctor Ted Langston approaches Gibbs. "Agent Gibbs, I'm Doctor Langston." Langston nods and reaches for Gibbs' hand.

Gibbs returns the gesture. "How's Brian?"

"The bullet nicked the artery in his shoulder." Langston sighs with concern.

"Blood loss?" Gibbs sharply asks.

"Yes, I don't know when he's going to regain consciousness."

"Ziva and McGee I want the two of you to watch over his hospital room until some agents come over and relieve you." Gibbs instructs them. "I do not want anybody other than family going into his room."

"Brian's parents live out in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; it's going to take them a few hours to get here." Tony informs him.

"Hopefully by then Brian's vitals should improve." Gibbs smoothly answers. "In the meantime, we both have to change before we head back to headquarters." "I'll brief the Director on what's going on."

McGee remembering that Doctor Ryan is up in Jenny's Office. "Oh boss the Director wants to see you in her office."

"Must have caught up with her paper work." Gibbs grumbles and walks out of the waiting room with Langston following behind him.

Ziva grabs Tony by his sleeve. "Call me when you get back to your apartment." Ziva snickers.

"Ok what's going on?" Tony protests.

"Today DiNozzo!" Gibbs snarls out in the hallway.

"On your six boss." Tony shouts and starts off for the door. "The suspense is going to kill me." Tony grumbles.

"And we're going to miss out on the show at headquarters." McGee pouts.

Forty minutes later after changing their clothes, Gibbs and Tony return to NCIS Headquarters. "Start working on your reports." Gibbs barks at Tony and starts off for the stairs.

Tony watches from the entranceway as Gibbs ascends the length of the stairs, over the catwalk, and up the second flight of stairs. "Train wreck!" Tony smirks and flashes back to the first time that Gibbs and Sam had stormed out of Director Morrow's Office over at technicality.

NCIS Headquarters

June 3rd 2003

1800 Hours

Up on the balcony, Gibbs and Doctor Samantha Ryan have stormed out of Director Tom Morrow's Office in unison. "That's bullshit Doc and you know it." Gibbs snarls.

"You had no business being at my son's private school." "That was classified information." Sam hisses.

"My basement is my private haven and I don't need to find a bug that was planted by you in the hull of my boat." Gibbs barks.

"You're keeping secrets from me." Sam snaps.

"And your keeping secrets from me, it all evens out." Gibbs smirks.

"I work for the DOD Special Agent Gibbs; there are some things that I am not allowed to discuss with you." "Director Morrow possibly, because he has the security clearance level."

"Semantics!" Gibbs snorts and starts off for the stairs.

Down in the bullpen, Tony, Vivian, and Dobbs are listening in on their conversation. "To bad Doctor Ryan has light brown hair or I would be starting up a pool on their dating status." Tony smirks.

"Didn't Gibbs briefly date Faith Coleman from JAG?" Vivian reminds him.

"Yes and it was a brief fling, note she wasn't a red head." Tony grins.

"It's a good thing Blackadder and myself is getting transferred out to Naples next week, so that we don't have to listen to your nonstop betting pools and gossiping sessions." Dobbs mumbles.

"You just pissed Donny boy that you keep losing my pools."

"You're just pissed that Ducky keeps winning them." Vivian laughs.

"And how he keeps doing it is beyond me." Tony grumbles.

With that Gibbs walks past the entrance to his section. "I'm going for coffee." Gibbs shouts and starts off for the elevator with Sam on the back of his heels. "I know of a diner that makes the best coffee." Sam purrs.

"I don't believe this, you just got my ass reamed out by my boss and now you're playing nice with me." Gibbs growls, slapping at the button for the parking garage floor on the panel.

"It's called a peace offering Agent Gibbs." Sam sweetly says to him.

"No I believe your hinting on me."

"Why not you're an attractive man?" Sam smiles.

"Afterwards!" Gibbs grins at her.

"Afterwards what?"

"After the case, I'll take you out." "I never get involved with a female co-worker while I'm working on a case with her." "Emotions ruin everything."

"Sounds like you have some experience in that area."

Before Gibbs can answer her, the elevator door opens and Gibbs steps inside. "Damn it!" Tony groans as he cranes his neck over trying to listen in on their conversation.

"What?" Dobbs answers.

"Gibbs didn't quote rule number twelve to her."

"I wonder who the lucky lady was that the rule was made up for." Vivian asks out loud.

Present Time

Just as Gibbs steps inside of Cynthia's outer office. "Our future Director of NCIS, Vivian." Tony smirks.

Up in Cynthia's reception area, Cynthia is typing away at her keyboard. "Go right in she's been anxiously waiting for you."

"I've been tied up." Gibbs shrugs and walks into the office, where he finds Jenny sitting at the head of the conference table. "Director you wanted to see me?"

With that, Sam turns her chair and faces Gibbs. "Actually we both wanted to see you, hello Agent Gibbs it's been a long time." Sam smirks up at him.


	98. Hook Line And Sinker

Previously on NCIS

Gibbs and his team are investigating the death of Navy reservist Doctor Robert Banks, who works for the PsyOps Division. Prior to Kate and McGee joining Gibbs' team in 2003, Gibbs had worked a case with PsyOps Director Doctor Samantha Ryan. After a sparring with one another over technicalities on their joint investigation, Gibbs and Sam had a brief relationship for several months.

While Gibbs and Tony are off questioning Banks' partner at PsyOps Brian Mitchell, Doctor Samantha Ryan shows up at NCIS Headquarter wanting some answers into Banks' death, Jenny spotting Sam in the Squad Room is surprised at Sam's visit, since Jenny hasn't read into the Major Case Response Team's current case, after a short briefing with McGee and Sam. "Soon as Gibbs gets back into the building tell him I want to see up in my office ASAP." Jenny orders McGee and heads up to her office with Sam.

At Brian Mitchell's apartment in Arlington, Virginia, Mitchell informs Gibbs and Tony on what he and Banks had uncovered just before Mitchell was fired. Mitchell saving everything that he had worked on to a flash drive takes Gibbs and Tony to his bank where Mitchell has the flash drive safely hidden in a safety deposit box. After leaving the bank, Mitchell is shot by an unknown gunman; Gibbs and Tony drag Mitchell into the bank. "Call an ambulance!" Gibbs urgently shouts over at his Senior Field Agent.

Mitchell survives his gunshot wound and has round the clock NCIS Agents guarding his hospital room as he recovers from his gunshot wound. Back at headquarters, Gibbs after getting informed by McGee at the hospital that Jenny had requested for him to come up to her office the moment he steps into the building, Gibbs heads straight for Jenny's Office. Tony getting tipped off by Ziva on Ryan's status at headquarters flashes back to an encounter with Gibbs and Ryan when they worked a case together back in 2003.

Upstairs, Gibbs steps inside of Cynthia's reception area and is informed by Cynthia that the Director is anxiously waiting to see him. Gibbs walks into Jenny's Office where he finds Jenny sitting at the head of the conference table. "Director you wanted to see me?"

With that, Sam turns her chair and faces Gibbs. "Actually we both wanted to see you, hello Agent Gibbs it's been a long time." Sam smirks up at him.

Jenny noting the ashen facial expression on her fiancée. "Agent Gibbs are you alright?" Jenny asks with concern.

Gibbs getting his bearings. "What in the hell is she doing here?" Gibbs growls.

"And a hello to you." Sam sarcastically answers him back.

Jenny noting the hostility between them. "If the two of you cannot maintain a professional relationship during this investigation I'm going to have to ask one of you to step back from the case." Jenny angrily warns them.

"What do you mean by that?" Gibbs barks.

"Judging by your body language Agent Gibbs, the two of you had a romantic relationship?" Jenny asks and narrows her eyes over at him. Gibbs rolls his eyes and makes a face at her. "I rest my case." Jenny sighs in exasperation and gets up from her chair.

"And I thought I could handle him." Sam laughs.

"I've had a lot more years of practice Doctor Ryan, between being Gibbs' Probie Agent and being his boss off and on over the years." Jenny sweetly answers.

"Can we cut the bull crap on who can handle me the best." Gibbs impatiently answers. "We have a dead Navy Reservist and his partner Brian Mitchell just got shot at."

"When?" Sam asks with concern.

"Five hours ago, he took a bullet to his left shoulder while he was walking over to his truck outside of his bank in Arlington."

"So Banks was definitely murdered." Jenny answers.

"Whoever shot Mitchell was a pro, they used a silencer."

"I gather you do not know the point of origin of where Mitchell was shot at?" Jenny curiously asks.

"No!" Gibbs sighs in frustration.

"It seems that somebody is going to great lengths on taking out both Banks and Mitchell." Sam answers and gets up from her chair. "The question who is responsible?"

"Mitchell had mentioned that both he and Banks were looking into the failed CIA-Navy joint op involving the Navy Seals last year." Gibbs answers and raises an eyebrow over at Sam. "Something that you were involved with."

"You seem to know a lot about that." "Fill me in."

"It seems that the psychological warfare training that Lieutenant Jonas Cobb had gone under to make him the perfect assassin for the CIA made him into the perfect killing machine." "The problem with that innocent Navy and Marine personnel were his targets." "Director Vance had two sets of teams working together on what we believed was a serial killer randomly killing Sailors and Marines." "My mentor Mike Franks had paid me a visit and I had asked him for his help in the investigation." "Cobb took out Mike." Gibbs chokes up and flashes back to Mike's funeral at Arlington National Cemetery.

"I was told that the Navy had pulled the plug on the Seal assassination training program was due to budget cutbacks." Sam answers.

"No, SecNav Jarvis pulled the plug on it the minute he took office after Davenport resigned." Gibbs swallows.

"How did Mitchell and Banks find out about the project involving the Seals?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Inside tip from the ATF." Gibbs snaps.

"When?"

"Three weeks ago according to Mitchell, he was told to back off by Ryan, and according to Mitchell you terminated him."

"He disobeyed my direct order." "I had strict instructions from Deputy Secretary Ashton Carter that nobody was to be looking into the Seal program involving the Navy and CIA." "From what I understand Banks continued to look into it and I was about to call him into my office this morning to fire him as well." "I was in New York City during the Easter holiday weekend with my son; we caught a few shows and spent some quality time together."

"I want to speak to Acting Director Roberts and see who tipped off Mitchell about the Seals program." Jenny nods…"I have a sneaky suspicion on who it was." Jenny mutters inwardly.

"Do you know who it was?" Sam asks.

"No!" Jenny lies.

"Ziva and McGee should be back at headquarters by now."

"I'll have a briefing with you and your team at 1900 hours in the conference room after I speak to Roberts." Jenny answers.

"What about me?" Sam asks folding her arms over at Jenny.

"You're invited as well Doctor Ryan." Jenny answers glaring at Sam. "Now will the both you excuse me I have a phone call to make?"

Out on the balcony a minute later. "You always liked red heads." Sam baits Gibbs as they near the door for MTAC.

"Meaning!" Gibbs icily answers.

"I bumped into Director Shepard a few weeks ago at a breakfast meeting, I saw her engagement ring and she told me that you were her fiancée." "Do you keep secrets from future wife number five?" Sam smirks at Gibbs.

"Only nosey girlfriends that I share their beds for a few months." Gibbs answers with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Low blow Agent Gibbs." Sam hisses.

"You started it, so I finished it." Gibbs laughs and starts off for the stairs.

Downstairs, Ziva and McGee walk out of the elevator and find Gibbs and Sam battling it out on the catwalk. "This is good." Ziva giggles.

"Better than Diane a few months ago." McGee chuckles.

"I believe Diane referred to you as Macaulay Culkin." Ziva snickers.

"Shut up!" McGee protests.

Ziva and McGee meet up to Gibbs and Sam at the entranceway to Gibbs' section. "Doctor Ryan, you already have met Agent DiNozzo." Gibbs nods over at Tony.

"Still a Senior Field Agent." Sam affectionately teases Tony.

"Sometimes it's great being second, I guess you never watched 'The Streets of San Francisco." Tony grins.

"Yes I did and I had a huge crush on Michael Douglas back then." Sam smiles.

"I don't know I always preferred Karl Malden, was a big fan of his." Gibbs shrugs and then gets back to introducing the other members of his team. "Doctor Ryan these are my Junior Agents, Tim McGee and Ziva David." Gibbs answers.

"I met Agent McGee earlier." Sam smiles and then glances over at Ziva. "You're Israeli?"

"Yes, I was an agent with Mossad; my father is the head of Mossad, Director David."

"How did you become an NCIS Agent?" Sam curiously asks.

"Director Shepard and I ran 9|11 Anti-Terrorism Ops in the Middle East and Eastern Europe before she became the Director of NCIS in 2005." "The day that Director Shepard had been appointed as Director of NCIS I worked with Agent Gibbs and his team on the matter of my half-brother Ari Haswari who was the prime suspect in the murder of Special Agent Caitlin Todd." "I was Ari's control officer at Mossad and was trying to reason with Gibbs that Ari didn't kill Agent Todd."

"Reason with Gibbs." Sam laughs.

Gibbs rolls his eyes and walks over to his desk. "Unknown to me and my father, Ari was working for Hamas and became bitter enemies with Gibbs." "I had done a background check on every member of Gibbs and every member of his team including Director Shepard who was Gibbs' partner from '96' to '99' as well as Doctor Mallard and Forensic Scientist Abby Sciuto." "What I had obtained from Gibbs' background is that the deaths of his wife Shannon and daughter Kelly had caused him a great deal of grief and remorse to the point that he did not tell anyone about them." "Ari had decided to use this against Gibbs by killing members of his team, women first." "Agent Todd was murdered first, and then Ari took a shot at Abby down in her Forensics' Lab and the next night he had one of his Hamas operatives take a shot at Director Shepard while she was staking out the location of the house that Ari was hiding at." "When I had learned of this information, Gibbs and I lured Ari down to Gibbs' basement." "Just as Ari was about to kill Gibbs with his own rifle I shot and killed my half-brother." Ziva chokes up.

"To save Gibbs."

"Yes!" Ziva swallows…."About a month after Ari's death I had asked Director Shepard for a liaison position at NCIS." "I've been a member of Gibbs' team off and on since 2005." "I became a NCIS Agent in 2009 after I had went my separate ways with my father." "Since America was going to be my permanent home, I became a US citizen in May of 2010." Ziva smiles with pride.

"Now that you've officially met all of the members of my team can we discuss our joint investigation?" Gibbs impatiently growls.

"You always like to get to the point." Sam playfully admonishes Gibbs.

"Nothing's changed about me Doc, so get use to it."

"So I've noticed same old boring polo shirt with your standard Hanes t-shirt underneath of it." "Sports jacket with your usual casual dress pants for work, do you still wear powder blue Hanes boxer shorts." Sam smirks over at him.

Abby walks in and overhears part of what Sam had asked Gibbs. "Cool, now I know what type of underwear you wear Gibbs since you wouldn't answer me a few years ago." Abby giggles and then notices Sam standing in the entranceway of Gibbs section. "Doctor Ryan, I heard you're working with Gibbs again."

"Miss Sciuto!" Sam addresses her. "I see that you still wear your pigtails and platform boots."

"Nothing's changed about you other than your hair is all gray now, aren't you a bit young to be sporting gray hair." Abby sweetly asks her.

"It's not about my age Miss Sciuto, I don't see the need to be coloring my hair, just to impress today's society." "We should be appreciated for who we are and what we've accomplished instead of our outward appearance." Sam bitterly answers her.

"I never really thought about that much." Abby sadly answers.

"Nine years ago I caught Agent DiNozzo checking out my legs and butt, I highly doubt that he'll glance anywhere near by legs or butt now."

Tony red from embarrassment. "You were bending over picking up a candy wrapper on the floor in front of Dobbs' desk." Tony groans in protest.

"Which you deliberately had put on the floor so that I would bend over." Sam chastises him.

"It's not the first time Doctor Ryan." Ziva giggles.

Gibbs annoyed at their current conversation. "Abby why are you here?" Gibbs impatiently asks.

"McGee forgot to bring down the bullet that was taken from Brian Mitchell's body."

McGee opens up his backpack and hands Abby the evidence bag. "I was distracted."

Abby signs the evidence bag. "I'll get on this right away." Abby answers and walks off for the elevator.

"I thought that you were meeting Brian Mitchell at his apartment." Sam asks Gibbs and Tony.

"We did, there's a Starbucks that Brian had mentioned that was next to the location of his bank." "I was in desperate need of coffee, Tony wanted a latte." Gibbs lies and rubs his chin for Tony to go along with his story.

"So conveniently the three of you were outside at the time of the shooting?" Sam curiously notes.

"You could say that." Gibbs shrugs.

"I'm going to head back to my office to see what Banks was working on up until the time of his murder." "I'll be back for the meeting at 1900 hours."

"Looking forward to it Doc." Gibbs smirks.

"I bet you will." Sam icily answers and walks off for the elevator.

Tony waiting for Sam to get inside of the elevator. "Boss we didn't go into Starbucks."

"I know I don't want Ryan to know about the flash drive that Mitchell gave us at the bank."

"You wanted me to start working on that when I came back into the building." McGee reminds him.

Gibbs taking the flash drive from his jacket pocket and hands it over to McGee. "Uncover everything as quickly as you can." "In the meantime I'm ordering Chinese take-out for dinner; we'll meet up in the Director's Office and have a team meeting before Ryan returns at 1900 hours."

Half an hour later up in Jenny's Office, the team along with Gibbs and Jenny are sitting around the office, Gibbs and Jenny on the couch, Tony, Ziva, and McGee at the conference table. "So it wasn't Hollis who tipped off Banks and Mitchell." Tony says in between bites of his Chicken Chow Mein.

"No, it was Special Agent Patrick Evans." Jenny announces…"Hollis was out in Seattle on an investigation with Seattle FBI Office when Evans contacted Mitchell about the Seals training program."

"Why would Evans want to know about the Seals Training Program involving the CIA, NCIS and the PsyOps Division?" Tony curiously asks.

"I wasn't given a specific answer by Roberts, but I bet it had something to do with Paul Wallace." Jenny answers.

"Right, Evans Team was used when Julien Beniot's house was raided last September." Gibbs remembers.

"Evans was annoyed that the CIA wouldn't read him into the specifics of the op that they were working on together."

"But why would Wallace want to look into something that has nothing to do with him." Gibbs openly asks.

"Because his son a Navy Seal working liaison with the ATF was curious about it." Jenny reminds him.

"When we meet up with Ryan at 1900 hours remind me to ask her whether or not Lieutenant David Wallace had applied for the Navy Seal Assassin training program or not."

"Boss I still have a question?" McGee asks.

"What's that?"

"It still doesn't give us an answer into who shot and killed Doctor Banks and who shot at Brian Mitchell?"

"Somebody had a grudge against the both of them." Tony openly says.

"And that will be your job to prove it Tony." Jenny comments sharply.

1910 Hours

Gibbs and his team along with Jenny review on what they currently know about the murder of Navy Reservist Doctor Robert Banks and the attempted murder of Banks' partner Brian Mitchell with Sam sitting in with them. "Since Mitchell regain consciousness, Tony and Ziva I want the both of you questioning him tomorrow morning as soon as Doctor Langston gives you the word."

"I'll question him, since I have a gentle bed side manner." Tony grins over at Ziva.

"You already have established communication with Mitchell; obviously it would be better if you were to take the lead into asking him questions." Ziva mutters in annoyance.

Gibbs glancing over at Sam. "Doctor Ryan were their anymore recruits for the Navy Seals Assassin Training Program?" Gibbs bluntly asks her.

"Blanks was to work with the next set of trainees last September." "Then the Navy pulled the plug on the program."

"So that was the reason why Agent Evans contacted Mitchell who then contacted Blanks who was familiar with the Seals training program." Tony nods.

"Does Banks have a short list on the Navy Seals who were about to go into the program last September?"

"It should be on his computer back at his desk, I'll go make a phone call." Sam answers and gets up from her chair and leaves the room.

"Still doesn't give a reason into who murdered him." McGee sighs.

"We'll figure that out tomorrow, in the meantime I have to prepare for an op that I'm overseeing at 2200 hours, if anything else should come up call my desk phone." Jenny informs them and gets up from her chair and leaves the room.

"Boss lady seems a little cold with you boss." Tony smirks.

"Mind your own business DiNozzo." Gibbs grumbles.

Out in the bullpen, Sam is sitting behind Gibbs' desk talking to her assistant Ross on the phone. "I want Banks' computer checked and Mitchell's." Sam instructs him.

Gibbs approaches his desk and glares down at Sam. "There are empty desks at the end of the aisle." Gibbs growls at her in disbelief.

"Get back to me when Tyler comes up with something." Sam answers and hangs up. "You didn't seem to mind nine years ago." Sam sweetly reminds him.

Gibbs leans across his desk. "That's because I was sharing your bed for three months." Gibbs smirks.

"Right and now you're sharing the Director's bed." Sam sarcastically answers.

"No I wouldn't be caught in that woman's bed." Gibbs laughs.

"You share it every night."

"No, the woman I love shares my bed at my house." Gibbs grins.

"Don't tell me you try your lemon meringue pie seduction ploy on her."

"Nope, I don't need to use white sugary goo to turn on the woman I love."

Tony, Ziva, and McGee are standing in the middle of the aisle listening in on them. "Should we be hearing this boss." Tony innocently asks him.

Gibbs beat red turns and faces his team. "You heard what the Director said, go home." Gibbs barks at them. Tony, Ziva, and McGee run over to their desks and retrieve their backpacks and quickly rush off for the elevator. "Now what did your people come up with?"

"I won't find out until tomorrow." "I'm sending one of my investigators over Tyler Elliot to work with your team on this investigation."

"We don't need help from your department."

"Oh yes you do Agent Gibbs." Sam grins up at him and gets up from Gibbs' desk. "See you tomorrow morning." Sam purrs and walks away.

"Now I have some explaining to do." Gibbs grimaces and stares up towards the direction of Jenny's Office.

Up in Jenny's Office, Jenny is preparing for her late night op. Gibbs walks in and locks the door behind him. "We need to talk before I go home."

"Not now!"

"Yes now!" Gibbs answers and gestures towards the couch. Jenny takes off her glasses and walks over to her fiancée. Gibbs walks them over to the couch and brings them to a sitting position. "Sam and I dated for three months back in 2003, its ancient history Jen."

"She's acting like it was yesterday." Jenny snaps.

"We had a rocky start on a case that we worked together on." "The one thing that was for certain is that we were mutually attracted to one another, so we started dating after the case was over with." "I got comfortable seeing her to the point that I would spend my nights at her place." "On my weekends off, we would go sailing together with her son, fishing; I would also take them to an Orioles game up in Baltimore."

"So what happened?"

"She had secrets, wouldn't reveal who her son's father was." "I had mine, which she found out about and confronted me on it."

"Shannon and Kelly?"

"And our relationship over in Europe." Gibbs sighs and rubs his chin. "My secrets were out, but Sam refused to tell me about her ex-husband and what he had on her that she was overly protective of her son to the point that she had him in private school during the school year." "So we mutually agreed to go our separate ways." "Within a few weeks I was dating various red heads that I had met at Ducky's Country Club and I had a new member of my team to concentrate on, Kate."

"You moved on and Sam didn't."

"I did love Sam, but it wasn't the way I felt for Shannon and definitely she can't compare to you in the bedroom or my heart." Gibbs smirks.

"Nobody did after me." Jenny winks and is about to get up from the couch when Gibbs passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth. Jenny gives into him and wraps her arms around his neck deepening his kiss. Out of breath Gibbs pulls away. "You keep that up and I'll pull out the sofa bed." Gibbs pants.

"You'll have to keep it in your pants until tomorrow night." Jenny sensuously answers and gets up from the couch. "Remember I'm spending the night here."

"And you have a shrink session with Rachel tomorrow and then off to the White House for lunch." Gibbs grumbles and gets up from the couch. "Night Jen!" Gibbs pouts and walks off for the door.

"Night Leroy!" Jenny teases him.

"Do not call me Leroy around Sam." Gibbs protests and walks out the door.

"If you be a good boy I won't, but if naughty Agent Gibbs doesn't play nice I may throw it out." Jenny wickedly answers.

2200 Hours

Gibbs is in his basement working on a rocking chair for his father for Father's Day. Doctor Rachel Cranston walks down the stairs. "We need to talk." Rachel frowns.

"Shoot!" Gibbs answers and drops his plane on top of the table.

"Did you know that Doctor Ryan and Doctor Banks were sleeping together?"

"First I've heard of it." Gibbs answers.

"I thought I would let you know what you're getting into before you press on with your investigation."

"Thanks for the tip." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Who's the rocking chair for?"

"My dad, I'm building it for him for a Father's Day gift." Gibbs smiles.

"How thoughtful!"

"It will give him a place to sit at while he's reading his morning paper."

"I want to thank you for looking into Robert's death it means a lot to me." Rachael appreciatively says.

"I want to get to the bottom of it." "A man was killed for a reason and I'll find out the reason." Gibbs reassures her.

Sam Ryan's House

0400 Hours

Sam is fast asleep in her bed, when her cell phone begins to ring. "Who the hell has the nerve to call me at this hour in the morning?" Sam snaps and reaches for her phone under her pillow. "This better be good." Sam hisses in annoyance.

Gibbs' Living Room

"Want to go for breakfast?" Gibbs smirks reenacting their phone conversation from their first date together.

"Jethro this isn't funny." Sam angrily warns him.

"Who says I'm being funny, I got a tip on the investigation and I want to go over it with you over breakfast." "Our diner is still in business."

"What does your fiancée have to say about it?" Sam sarcastically asks.

"Beats me she's sleeping on her sofa bed couch back at headquarters." Gibbs shrugs.

"She isn't going to like this." Sam grins.

"She isn't insecure about me taking you out to breakfast Doc, when the investigation is over and done with, unlike the last time, we'll both be going our separate ways."

"I have to get changed; I'll meet you at the diner in about a half an hour."

"See you then." Gibbs grins and hangs up. "Hook line and sinker." Gibbs laughs and gets up from the couch.


	99. Great Balancing Act

Previously on NCIS

Gibbs walks into Jenny's Office and finds his ex-lover Doctor Samantha Ryan Director of the PsyOps Division sitting at the conference table with Jenny. Much to his chagrin, Gibbs has to work with Sam on a joint op between their two agencies. Sensing the body language and the hostility between Gibbs and Sam, Jenny chastises the two of them for letting their prior romantic relationship from interfering with their job at hand.

That evening, Gibbs, Jenny, and his team go over strategy with Sam in a conference room, Gibbs sensing that Jenny isn't happy with him about his previous romantic relationship with Sam, goes up to Jenny's Office to smooth things over with her before he goes home from work for the night. At home Rachel Cranston pays Gibbs a visit down in his basement and informs him of a romantic relationship between Ryan and Banks that Gibbs and his team was not informed about. Gibbs mentally decides to ruffle Sam's feathers with a reenactment of an early morning phone call to breakfast.

Sam Ryan's House

0400 Hours

Sam is fast asleep in her bed, when her cell phone begins to ring. "Who the hell has the nerve to call me at this hour in the morning?" Sam snaps and reaches for her phone under her pillow. "This better be good." Sam hisses in annoyance.

Gibbs' Living Room

"Want to go for breakfast?" Gibbs smirks reenacting their phone conversation from their first date together.

"Jethro this isn't funny." Sam angrily warns him.

"Who says I'm being funny, I got a tip on the investigation and I want to go over it with you over breakfast." "Our diner is still in business."

"What does your fiancée have to say about it?" Sam sarcastically asks.

"Beats me she's sleeping on her sofa bed couch back at headquarters." Gibbs shrugs.

"She isn't going to like this." Sam grins.

"She isn't insecure about me taking you out to breakfast Doc, when the investigation is over and done with, unlike the last time, we'll both be going our separate ways."

"I have to get changed; I'll meet you at the diner in about a half an hour."

"See you then." Gibbs grins and hangs up. "Hook line and sinker." Gibbs laughs and gets up from the couch.

Forty-five minutes later Gibbs and Sam are sitting at their favorite booth near the doorway. Sam noting that Gibbs has peaches on top of his pancakes. "No powdered sugar." Sam curiously asks.

"I decided to go with the peaches, since I have a fondness of their flavoring, particularly with cream." Gibbs smirks.

"I won't go into that since you got off on lemon meringue pie with me." Sam sweetly grins up at him.

"So how's your son?"

"Doing fine, he'll be finishing up ninth grade soon." Sam smiles and digs into her ham and cheese omelet.

"Still keep him hidden."

"Yes, for his safety." Sam apprehensively answers.

"One of these days you're going to have to let a guy in."

"Like you have room to talk Jethro." Sam chastises him.

"You weren't the only one I hid things from Sam." "My co-workers and friends over the years never knew about my first wife and daughter."

"You still carry the guilt over their deaths?"

"That will eat inside of me forever Sam, but for my sake I had to move on." "I should have moved on when Jenny and I were in way to deep." "It cost the both of us children."

"You wanted children with Jenny?"

"More than anything." Gibbs smiles and his face begins to light up. "The idea of having a little girl that looked like Jenny, minus her temper." Gibbs laughs.

"No son?"

"I would have wanted a son also, go fishing, hunting, teach him how to use hand tools, take him to ballgames at Nationals Park." "Stuff that my dad didn't have the money for." Gibbs sighs.

"I still can't believe you asked me out to breakfast." Sam says with surprise.

Gibbs deciding to drop the bombshell about knowing that Sam and Banks were lovers. "So you slept with Banks." Gibbs mischievous baits her.

Sam, who was smearing strawberry jam on her toast, drops the knife on top of the table. "How did you find out about that?"

"From Banks' shrink."

"Right, Rachel Cranston, we went to school together." "Yes Robert and I slept together, I had needs and so did he." "That was it." Sam sighs in exasperation. "You never slept with somebody before for plain sex to release tension?"

"Yeah and I was seeing her to make somebody else jealous." Gibbs laughs.

"Did it work?"

"No because she read me like a book just like you could." Gibbs chuckles.

"So when's the big day?"

"Hopefully in July, I want to go sailing away to an unknown destination for our honeymoon, I haven't decided on a place yet."

"Does Jenny have a say to where you go?"

"I'll give her a few places that we can mull over together." Gibbs shrugs.

"I can't believe the difference in you, you have a certain twinkle in your eye that I never seen before."

"That's because I feel safe and secure about my future, it's great to wake up every morning feeling loved and I equally love her in return."

"You use to make me feel safe Jethro, you had that ability."

"I never had that feeling when I was with you." "I did love you and besides Jenny, you were the only other woman that I loved after Shannon had died." "But there was no trust between us and you can't have a relationship when both sides don't have trust between them." Gibbs sadly answers.

"And you have that now?"

"Yes, that's the difference between Jenny and I now and thirteen years ago." "We're open with one another, no secrets, and so far we've managed to balance our home and work relationships."

"So what is the secret to the great balancing act between Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Jenny Shepard?"

"We leave home and home, and work at work, and when work is brought home, Jenny goes off to a room that I made up for her and keeps Madame Director in there until she cools down."

"Or when Agent Gibbs cools down." Sam teases him.

"So far it's been Madame Director and not me." Gibbs laughs.

"Which you probably start with her, am I right?"

"Yeah, but over technicalities." "In the end, Jenny lets it go and moves on."

Sam notices a love bite on Gibbs' neck. "Seducing the Ice Queen of the beltway works huh." Sam winks.

"It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it." Gibbs answers and takes a bite into his pancakes.

Jenny's Office

0600 Hours

Gibbs walks in carrying a brown paper bag and a coffee tray in his hand, hearing the shower running in Jenny's private bathroom. "Office is empty, Cynthia won't be in for another half an hour and I ain't keeping it in my pants when you're in the shower." Gibbs smirks and puts the bag and coffee tray on top of the table, grabbing the remote for the TV, Gibbs turns the volume up and walks over to the office door and closes the door and locks it.

Inside the shower Jenny is rinsing off her shampoo when Gibbs steps inside. "Jethro!" Jenny scolds him.

Gibbs ravishing the back of Jenny's neck. "Nobody's in the building."

"I don't care; we can't be having sex in my office." Jenny hisses and tries to rebuff his advances. Gibbs ignoring her protests, continues his assault on the back of her neck and shoulder, his hands go in between his lovers legs stroking on her centre. "Jethro come on!" Jenny moans out with pleasure.

"You're already there why fight it." Gibbs smirks, drawing out her arousal.

"You bastard!"

"I would get off a lot better having you thrown up against the wall with your legs wrapped around my waist."

Jenny battle weary turns over and captures his mouth, hot and steamy kisses are being exchanged by them. "Take me!" Jenny begs him in between kisses.

Gibbs picks Jenny up by the waist and presses her up against the wall, her legs wrap around his waist. "I slept like crap last night." He growls.

"Shut up and make love to me."

With that, Gibbs enters her with a deep driving thrust. "And you will pay for my lack of sleep."

"I slept like a baby because I didn't have your head on my chest."

"You won't be sleeping like a baby tonight." Gibbs impatiently warns her, delving deeper inside of her with each rhythmic push.

Jenny clutching on to the side of his arms moving with Gibbs in a frenzied fervor. "Yes!" She screams out.

Gibbs quickens the pace of their lovemaking moving his body harder and faster against her. Getting off at watching Jenny falling apart in front of him. "I would love to drag this out, but we don't want Cynthia hearing our screams of pleasure." Gibbs smirks.

"Jethro-" Before Jenny can answer him, Gibbs shudders against her in a fiery climax, his body convulses against her as his release shatters through him. Jenny buries her face up against Gibbs' shoulder as his body comes down from his orgasm.

"Damn!" Gibbs pants and gently puts Jenny down on to her feet.

"It's going to take me at least a half an hour to recover from that and I can't cuddle with you during my afterglow." Jenny sighs and looks up into the depths of his blue eyes.

"Tonight!" Gibbs smiles and reaches for the bar of soap. "So how far did you get with washing your body?"

"Just my hair." Jenny laughs.

0645 Hours

Cynthia walks into the office and finds Gibbs and Jenny sitting at the conference table. "So how did the op go last night?"

"Dragged on and on, I didn't get out of there until two-thirty this morning." Jenny yawns and takes a bite from her sticky bun.

"Somebody pampered you." Cynthia smiles.

"No, Gibbs took Doctor Ryan out to breakfast for strategy purposes."

"Did it work?"

"I ruffled up her feathers." Gibbs grins and gets up from the table. "I better head down to my desk, just in case she pops in early." Gibbs answers and walks out of the room.

"He's in a good mood today."

"The day is early Cynthia." Jenny groans.

Squad Room

0800 Hours

Sam and PsyOps Investigator Tyler Elliot are standing in the middle of the bullpen discussing the Banks investigation. "You look like that dude from 'The Lord of The Rings' trilogy." Tony teases Tyler.

"Tyler I better warn you, Agent DiNozzo is a movie and TV show encyclopedia." Sam snickers.

"Thanks for the tip." Tyler laughs.

"So, our theories of the day." Gibbs announces.

With that Amber Banks, Doctor Banks' daughter walks into the room. "If you're looking for a suspect I can give you one."

"Who are you?" Gibbs growls at Amber for interrupting him.

"Amber Banks, Doctor Banks' twenty-two year old daughter." Sam answers.

"Ok give us a suspect."

"My mom!"

"And the reason why your mom would want to kill your father?" Gibbs asks.

"Because my dad never changed his insurance policy around." "She's entitled to four million dollars."

"Tony, Ziva, bring in-" Gibbs stops and glances over at Amber for a name.

"Beth Banks!"

Gibbs takes out a notepad and pen from his inside jacket pocket. "Beth Banks, Amber give them an address so that they can pick her up." Gibbs instructs her and hands Amber his pen and notepad. Amber writes down her mother's address and hands Gibbs his notepad and pen back. Gibbs tears off the sheet of paper and hands it over to Tony. "When you bring her in, I want you and Ziva questioning her."

"You got it boss." Tony smiles and walks over to his desk to retrieve his sidearm and badge.

"Doc you and I will interview Miss Banks over in the conference room."

"Agent Gibbs and Doctor Ryan magic." Ryan seductively answers.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee narrow their eyes at one another on the way Sam is openly flirting with Gibbs in the middle of the bullpen. "Getting warmer in here." Tony grins and starts off for the elevator with Ziva following him from behind.

"Did I miss something?" Amber sheepishly asks.

"Not a thing." Gibbs sighs and walks off for the direction of the conference room.

"Is he always this grumpy?" Amber asks.

"Yes!" Sam answers…"And it's from lack of sex." She inwardly says to herself.

Five minutes later, Gibbs and Sam are questioning Amber. "So your parents were in a bitter divorce case." Gibbs nods.

"Something that Agent Gibbs is quite familiar with since he's been divorced three times." Sam smirks.

Amber noting the tension between the two of them. "Yes, my mom wasn't happy with the divorce settlement that she received six months ago." "She expected at least a thousand dollars a month in alimony money, but got five hundred instead." Amber answers.

"Do you know of the last time your parents spoke to one another?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"A bout a month ago and it was so bad that my mom's neighbor called the police." "She always started on my dad, so compulsive and manipulative." "It was the reason why I sided with my dad and not her, and I haven't spoken or seen my mother in over a month."

"How was your relationship with your father?" Sam asks.

"Wonderful, we communicated well." Amber smiles.

"And you still think that your mom killed your father?"

"I don't have a doubt in my mind." Amber answers emphatically.

An hour later in Interrogation Room Number 4, Tony and Ziva are questioning Beth Banks. "So you were in Miami Beach the entire weekend." Tony asks.

"Yes, I was visiting my sister Andrea." "I'm thinking about relocating down there with my job."

"Somebody had suggested that you were responsible for the death of your ex-husband?" Ziva informs her.

"I thought Rob committed suicide?" Beth says with surprise.

"No he was murdered and someone took a shot at his co-worker Brian Mitchell yesterday morning." Ziva answers.

"No I did not kill my ex-husband."

"We were told that you had a bitter divorce and that you had gotten into an argument about a month ago at your place and that the neighbor had called the police." Tony sharply says.

"Rob showed up at my house drunk, apparently his girlfriend-boss Doctor Ryan was gone for the weekend with her kid and thought that he could get something from me." Beth answers in disgust.

"We were told that you were the aggressor." Ziva asks.

"My boyfriend Darrell was over and saw the whole thing." "I don't know who you got your information from?"

Behind the window observing. "McGee why don't you and Tyler go down to the hospital and see how Brian is doing?"

"On it!" McGee answers and is about to walk off for the door, when Tyler holds his ground waiting for Sam to answer.

"Go with him." Sam nods.

"Something's not right, my gut is telling me that the real killer is playing head games with us." "I don't think Mitchell and Banks looking into the Seals Program have anything to do with Banks' murder." Gibbs answers and begins to pace around in the room.

"You're right; somebody is leading us into a wild goose chase."

"I don't like being played by."

"Neither do I." Sam answers and folds her arms. "So what's on the agenda for lunch today?"

"Going out alone." Gibbs answers and walks out of the room.

"Damn it I was in the mood for Chinese." Sam mutters.

Virginia Hospital Center Arlington

Brian Mitchell's Room

With Brian's parents out of his room, Brian picks up his cell phone and dials a phone number. "How did you make out?"…"Good, that's great news, everything is going to plan, I'll be out of the hospital in a few days, and hopefully my parents will go back home to Sioux Falls." Brian answers….

Two Minutes Later

McGee and Tyler walk through the door while Brian is on his cell phone. "Call me back when you got some good news." Brian answers and hangs up. "I don't believe we've met?"

"Special Agent Timothy McGee." McGee announces and shows Brian his ID and badge. "And PsyOps investigator Tyler Elliot.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, Amber walks out of the conference room and bumps into Gibbs and Sam. "Ladies Room!"

Gibbs points around the corner. "Over there!"

Amber walks off for the bathroom. "So who's telling the truth Amber or Beth?" Sam asks.

"Whoever that has the most to gain on Robert Banks death." Gibbs answers and looks off towards the direction of the ladies room door.


	100. Head Games

'The Shepard'

1215 Hours

Gibbs is sitting at the table in the galley eating a pastrami sandwich, on the table Gibbs has a map of the New England coast line stretched out. "Few days in Martha's Vineyard, then we'll sail off to Nantucket." Gibbs smiles with anticipation. "Now to spring my honeymoon idea on to Jenny."

Back at headquarters the Gibblets are eating lunch in Abby's backroom so that their away from the evil former future Mrs. Gibbs number five. "I never saw the chemistry between them the first time around." "Yuck, yuck and do you see Doctor Ryan now." Abby cringes.

"What's up with that hair?" "She looked so hot nine years ago." Tony drools.

"Why can't a woman age gracefully?" Ziva chastises them. "Gibbs had gray hair in his forties."

"Salt and pepper." Tony corrects her.

"But it was still gray, I don't understand it." Ziva sighs in exasperation at her partner.

"There's always a double standard when it comes to women Ziva and you never saw Doctor Ryan prior to her gray hair and wrinkles."

"Then there should be a double standard on men as well." Ziva protests.

"Here, here!" Abby applauds.

Palmer walks into the room. "I just thought of something Abby."

"What Jimmy?" Abby curiously asks.

"Since you're my Best Woman at my wedding shouldn't you be attending my bachelor party on Friday night?"

"Women can't go to a bachelor party." Tony whines.

"Yes and I don't want to be subjected to seeing strippers up against a pole all night long." Abby pouts.

"Yes, we were invited to Breena's bachelorette party." Ziva smirks.

"Why can't you ladies have your traditional bridal shower?" Tony grumbles.

"Hey what's good for the goose is good for the gander." Ziva winks.

"Wow I'm impressed she got one right." Abby teases her.

1300 Hours

Sam and Tyler return from lunch and find Gibbs sitting at his desk. "Stay for lunch?" Sam curiously asks.

"No I went out and where is none of your business." Gibbs growls.

Sam walks over to Gibbs' desk, she leans her body provocatively over his desk. "You need to get laid." Sam whispers low enough for him to hear.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee walk in and narrow their eyes at one another then over at Tyler. "So what did you come up with at Brian Mitchell's hospital room Probie?" Tony announces.

With that Sam quickly stands up and turns and faces Tony. "Did Gibbs teach you how to enter a room without being seen or heard?"

"Gibbs doesn't teach, we observe." Ziva mockingly says to Sam and walks off for her desk.

"Nothing Tony!" McGee answers and walks over to his desk and sits down.

"So you think Beth Banks tried to bump off her ex-husband?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Don't know she has a solid alibi, but she could have hired somebody." Gibbs answers.

"It also seems that her daughter was lying during our interview with her." Sam laments.

"Blamed everything on her mother." Gibbs nods and then glances over at Tony and Ziva. "DiNozzo, David check into Beth Banks finances and her background." Gibbs instructs them. "McGee, why don't you and Tyler go down to Abby's Lab and look into Amber Banks background."

"And what are we to do?" Sam sensuously asks.

"I'm going to the head." Gibbs smirks and gets up from his chair and walks off towards the direction of the men's room. Tony and Ziva grin at one another.

1430 Hours

Tony and Ziva are sitting in the lounge gossiping about Sam's flirtatious behavior towards Gibbs in the Squad Room. "I would have paid to have Jenny see Doctor Ryan's slouching over the top of Gibbs' desk with her chest in front of his face." Tony laughs.

"I wonder what she was whispering for his ears only to hear." Ziva giggles.

"Whatever it was Gibbs wasn't a happy camper about it." Tony laughs.

Unknown to them, Jenny was standing in the doorway and overheard their entire conversation. "Is that so Doctor Ryan, I'll fix that." Jenny inwardly fumes.

"We better get back to work." Tony grumbles and gets up from the table. Jenny quickly rushes away from of the doorway unseen.

"Gibbs is most likely down in Autopsy with Ducky and Doctor Ryan followed him down there." Ziva surmises and gets up from her chair.

"You never know where Gibbs maybe lurking Ziva." Tony nods and starts off for the doorway with Ziva following him from behind.

"What time does Jenny get back from the White House?" Ziva curiously asks.

"Beats me, that can go on and on." Tony answers as they make their way down the hallway, just as they round the corner Tony and Ziva bump into Jenny. "Director!" Tony answers, startled at Jenny's presence.

"Tony, where's Gibbs?"

"Ducky's!" Tony answers.

"I don't have the time to go down there." Jenny sighs and starts off for the stairs.

"Do you want us to tell him that you're looking for him?" Tony asks.

"No it will keep, I have a briefing with the SecNav up in MTAC." Jenny lies and walks up the stairs.

"We better see how McGeek and Gamgee are up to with Abby?" Tony chuckles.

"Who?" Ziva answers and raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"Sam Samwise Gamgee from 'The Lord of the Rings'." Tony answers.

"You and your illicit TV and movie references." Ziva sighs.

"You mean excessive not illicit." Tony corrects her.

"Whatever?" Ziva mutters.

Up in MTAC, Jenny takes a seat in the back row. "This should fix Doctor Ryan." Jenny smirks as she texts a dirty message to her lover.

Down in Autopsy Ducky is comparing the choice of weapons that were used on Doctor Banks and Brian Mitchell. "9 mm handgun was used to kill Doctor Banks and a 22 rifle was used on Brian Mitchell."

"I think a different shooter shot at Brian Mitchell." Gibbs answers….Suddenly his cell phone begins to ring for an incoming text message, noting Jenny's name on the display panel, Gibbs discreetly backs away from Ducky and Sam. He flips open his cell phone and pressing in accept for Jenny's message.

'I want you to make me fall apart over and over again tonight in bed. You're all I've thought about since our encounter in the shower this morning. The feel of your tongue inside of my mouth, I really wish, you had used your tongue instead of your fingers on my-'

Jenny's message stops in mid-sentence to tease her lover, aroused Gibbs drops his phone on the floor. "Is there a problem Jethro?" Ducky curiously asks.

"Yeah and I can't resolve it until later on." Gibbs grumbles and picks up his phone. "Damn it!" Gibbs growls in sexual frustration and walks off for the door.

"What's the matter with him?" Sam curiously asks.

Ducky having a suspicion from reading Gibbs' body language that Jenny was the culprit for Gibbs' quick departure. "I haven't the foggiest idea Doctor." Ducky lies.

Upstairs, Gibbs exits the elevator on Jenny's floor and storms the length of the balcony and into Jenny's Office, Jenny who was hiding down in the bullpen decides to go down to Ducky's to play head games with Doctor Ryan. "You're not the only who can play head games Doc." Jenny grins and runs over to the elevator.

Back down in Autopsy, Sam and Ducky continue to talk. "The years have treated you well Doctor Mallard." Sam smiles.

"Ducky!"

"Forgot!" Sam laughs.

"If you weren't one of Jethro's old conquests I would ask you out to dinner." Ducky smiles.

"Think it would make him jealous." Sam snickers.

"Doubtful, Jethro is engaged to our lovely Director."

With that Jenny walks into the room. "Doctor Mallard have you seen Agent Gibbs?" Jenny innocently answers.

"He was just here a minute ago?" Ducky answers.

"Hum, maybe he went up to Abby's." Jenny shrugs and walks out of the room.

"Nice talking to you Ducky." Sam smiles.

"And you!" Ducky nods over at Sam as she walks off for the door. "Jennifer what are you up to." Ducky snorts, knowing how his dysfunctional work daughter's mind works.

Up in Abby's Lab, Abby, McGee, and Tyler are sitting around the workstation reviewing Amber Banks' cellphone call log records. While Tony and Ziva are in the back room working on their end of the investigation by doing a background check into Amber's mother, Beth Banks. "How can anybody not use their cell phone?" Abby asks, noting that Amber has only received ten phone calls in the last month and made only five outgoing phone calls.

The bell for the elevator goes off; Jenny and Sam walk out together. "Better see how Tyler is making out." Sam says as the two women step into the room at the same time.

"Director Shepard, what can I do for you?" Abby smiles at her.

"Looking for Agent Gibbs."

"Haven't seen him since this morning." Abby answers.

"Ducky's!" McGee nods.

"He just left from there." Sam answers.

Tony and Ziva step out from the backroom. "It seems that Beth Banks' home and cell phone call logs check out so far." Tony informs them.

"I'm not up to speed on your current investigation." Jenny informs them.

The bell for the elevator goes off. Abby spotting Gibbs walking into the room. "Here comes the Silver Haired Fox now."

"Director can I have a moment with you in my conference room?" Gibbs barks.

"How many times have I told you guys, no fighting between mommy and daddy is allowed in my lab." Abby playfully scolds them.

"We'll take it into my conference room Abs." Gibbs growls and grabs Jenny by the elbow.

"Really Agent Gibbs!" Jenny mockingly berates her Senior Field Agent for showing her up in front of Sam.

"You're going to pay for that text message." Gibbs whispers against her ear, escorting Jenny out of the room.

"Mommy and daddy?" Tyler curiously asks McGee and Abby.

"Long story!" Abby giggles.

Inside the elevator Gibbs presses the button for his floor. "Tonight, you will be screaming in bed after dinner." Gibbs warns her. Just as the elevator gets to his floor, Gibbs flips the switch over and pulls Jenny's face up and passionately kisses her on the mouth. Jenny enslaved by his kiss wraps her left leg around the back of Gibbs right calf, as their kisses intensify; Jenny's Blackberry begins to ring.

Breaking away from Gibbs' kiss, Jenny reaches for her Blackberry on her waist. "Shepard!" She answers, flushed from Gibbs' kiss.

Cynthia's Reception Area

"Ma'am you have a meeting with Congresswoman Knox in about fifteen minutes." Cynthia reminds her.

"I didn't forget." Jenny answers, Gibbs continues his assault on her neck; his hands work open the front of Jenny's blouse, slowly his mouth methodically works its way down to the top of her breasts. "I'm on my way up." Jenny quivers with sexual excitement.

"You seem distracted ma'am."

Jenny shoving Gibbs off of her chest. "Got sidetracked with something." Jenny lies.

Down on Abby's floor, Sam, Tyler, and McGee are impatiently waiting by the elevator. "What is taking Gibbs so long?" Sam sighs in annoyance.

"He seemed angry at Director Shepard." Tyler noted.

"That's about normal." McGee laughs.

Back in the elevator, Jenny after fixing her blouse flips the switch over. "Jethro!" Jenny hisses as his hands glide across the back of her butt.

"I won't be able to touch your ass until tonight." Gibbs smirks.

The elevator stops on Gibbs floor, the door opens, Jenny playfully shoves him out. "And other parts of my body." Jenny purrs hitting the closed door button.

With the doors closing in Gibbs' face. "Damn it that's twice you've gotten me in almost an hour." Gibbs grumbles.

Squad Room

1830 Hours

Jenny is sitting at a desk writing a note to one of her other team leaders, next to Gibbs' section. "Tyler I'm heading back to my office at the Pentagon, I'll meet you at the diner tomorrow morning at 0615 hours."

"Same diner that you went to breakfast with Agent Gibbs this morning."

"I'm a creature of habit; call me if anything else comes up." Sam informs him and walks off towards the elevator.

"Looks like I'll have a sticky bun craving again tomorrow morning at the same time Doc and since I won't be Director Shepard I'll make sure that you won't be coming on to my fiancée again in front of my agents in the Squad Room." Jenny wickedly vows to her enemy.

Virginia Hospital Center Arlington

Brian Mitchell's Room

Gibbs and Ziva are about to walk into Mitchell's room, when they over hear him talking on the phone. "Everything is going to plan babe."

Gibbs and Ziva narrow their eyes at one another in curiosity. "Who's he talking to?" Ziva whispers.

"Got me!" Gibbs shrugs.

"Looking forward to hitting the beach with you in Aruba once we come into that cash payout that you and I had worked so hard at getting?"

"Does Mitchell have a settlement from the DOD?" Ziva whispers.

"Again I'm just as clueless as you are." Gibbs impatiently answers.

"Absolutely not, you can't visit me at the hospital." "We can't risk being seen together now." Brian shouts.

"Didn't we see Mitchell's parents sitting over at the waiting room?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"I believe so." Ziva answers.

"Time for some digging."

In the waiting room, Brian Mitchell's parents, Teddy and Thelma Mitchell are sitting on the couch watching TV. Gibbs and Ziva walk into the room. "Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell." Gibbs addresses them. "I'm Special Agent Gibbs and this is Special Agent David of NCIS."

"Agent Gibbs, Brian has told us about you." Thelma smiles.

"We were at the right place at the right time." Gibbs innocently answers.

"What can we do for you Agent Gibbs?" Teddy asks.

"Nothing just waiting to check up on Brian, but he was in the middle of a phone call conversation with his girlfriend." Gibbs answers.

"Brian doesn't have a girlfriend." Thelma answers…"Not that Teddy and I are aware of."

"Hum, must have been mistaken." Gibbs apologizes.

"He might have been flirting with one of the nurses." Teddy surmises.

"I did see that leggy brunette nurse walk in there just before we arrived." Ziva lies.

"She's been all over Brian; I don't like pushy women like that." Thelma sighs in annoyance.

"Either do I." Gibbs grimaces.

"Maybe the nurse is finished looking over Brian." Ziva nods.

"Yeah, want to see how he's doing before I go home for the day." "Nice meeting you Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell." Gibbs smiles.

"Same here Agent Gibbs and David." Thelma smiles.

Gibbs and Ziva walk out of the waiting room. "Brian Mitchell's parents aren't aware of his girlfriend." Ziva answers.

"He didn't tell them for a reason."

"We need to find out who he was talking to."

"I know!" "How I can't come up with an answer at this time."

"How much sleep did you get last night?" Ziva asks with concern.

"Three hours on the couch, I can't sleep up in the bedroom without Jenny." Gibbs frowns.

"As Abby would say, that is so sweet." Ziva winks at him.

Gibbs and Ziva walk into Mitchell's room. "Agent Gibbs!" Brian smiles at them.

"How's everything going?" Gibbs smiles.

"Fine until the stupid doctor informed me that I have to go for additional surgery tomorrow morning, apparently there's a tear in my rotator cuff that they want to fix before I get discharged." Brian groans in frustration.

"Better to get it fixed now than later." Gibbs reassures him.

"Your right!" Brian answers and gingerly sits up in bed. "So did you find out who shot Rob and I?"

"We have theories that we can not elaborate on at this time." Ziva answers bluntly.

"I want those SOB's caught." Brian snaps.

"Don't worry, we'll catch them, in the end we always do." Gibbs smirks.

On the way back to NCIS Headquarters. "While Brian is in surgery tomorrow, I want McGee to sneak into Mitchell's room-"

"So that he can look at Mitchell's cell phone." Ziva interrupts him.

"Something ain't adding up." Gibbs barks.

"It hasn't added up since the beginning of our investigation." "First somebody wanted to make Banks' death look like a suicide, and then our attention was drawn to the ATF to see who was looking into the CIA-Navy Seal Assassin Training Program." "Then the next thing we know Amber Banks claims that her mother is the prime suspect in her father's murder."

"Either way, I need a good night's sleep, before I look into anything else."

"Your brain and body is still in Mexico."

"I wish I was still there, fish all day; hang out the beach." "Life is perfect down there."

"Both Jenny and you had a glow when you came into work on Tuesday morning."

"And then our glow was put out, by this joint investigation with PsyOps, I would rather work with Borin or Hollis." Gibbs growls.

"You mean Hollis, not Borin, since Hollis is also an ex-lover."

"I highly doubt that Hollis will be flirting with me anymore after I put her in her place a month ago." Gibbs laughs.

That night in the bedroom, Jenny is about to put her pink silk robe on when Gibbs walks into the bedroom. "Perfect timing since you're naked." Gibbs grins and walks over to Jenny.

"I was about to take a bath."

"Oh no you're not; you're going to pay for that text message stunt." Gibbs smirks and shoves Jenny down on to the bed. "Prepare to scream." He warns her, pulling his polo shirt and t-shirt over his head at the same time.

Jenny wrapping her ankles around his butt pulls Gibbs on top of her. "You don't need to be naked for what I want you to do to me." Jenny purrs.

"I should have thrown you down on the elevator floor at work."

"I would have kneed you somewhere because I had a meeting with Congresswoman Knox."

"With my tongue in between your legs you wouldn't have been able to reach it." Gibbs laughs and begins to ravish Jenny's breasts with his mouth and tongue.

Jenny lies motionlessly on the bed and lets him have his way with her body, his mouth and tongue claims each of her breasts, slowly he works his way down to her flat stomach. "You really can be a tease at times." Jenny impatiently groans to herself.

Gibbs pulling Jenny's legs over his shoulders begins to touch her with his fingers in between her legs. "I get off doing this to you when the lights are on." "Knowing I have the power at watching your flesh turning into molten lava."

"Jethro!" Jenny hisses at him.

Gibbs begins to master all of his lover's secret places, sending her over the edge over and over again. Jenny in full orgasm clutches on to the side of the comforter of the bed, screaming out with pleasure. Gibbs satisfied with himself, gets up from the bed. "It should take you approximately fifteen minutes to recover from that."

"Try a half an hour." Jenny pants and rolls on to her stomach.

"You're pushing it." Gibbs laughs and walks out of the bedroom.

"Bastard!"

On cue, Gibbs returns to the bedroom fifteen minutes later. Jenny pretends to be asleep on the bed lying on her stomach. "I know you're awake."

"I'm still recovering for crying out loud." Jenny whines.

Gibbs dropping his boxers on the floor. "Too bad, you should have thought about that when you sent me that text message, knowing full well that I was with Sam down in Ducky's." Gibbs laughs and approaches the bed, shoving Jenny hanging over the edge of the bed facing forward.

"Jethro we're way too old for this position." Jenny protests, knowing full well that Gibbs is going to try and make love to her from behind, while she's dangling over the edge of the bed.

"You may be." Gibbs smirks and climbs into bed, crawling on top of Jenny from behind.

Jenny bracing her palms on to the floor moans out with pleasure as he enters her. "Oh god!" She cries out locking her ankles around his as he thrusts in and out of her.

"That's what you get for leaving one of your women's magazines around in our Paris apartment the first go around." Gibbs laughs feeling Jenny tightening around his length. "There were so many positions I learned from that one article."

Jenny in full orgasm. "Yes, yes!" She screams out with pleasure.

Gibbs getting off at watching his lover losing herself in his body, stroking her over and over again. "I won't stop until I hear an oh Jethro." Gibbs inwardly grins.

Jenny beside herself digs her nails into the hardwood floor. "Jethro!" She screams out in ecstasy, her muscles convulsing into a chain of spasms sending her over the edge.

With a final thrust, Gibbs climaxes inside of her, sending them down on the floor trembling from the after affects from their love making. "We're not that old." Gibbs pants and pulls Jenny into his arms.

Jenny shaking in her lovers protective arms. "Yes we are, the last time we made love in that position we made love all night long."

"Maybe when we go away on 'The Shepard' one weekend, we'll try an all-nighter." Gibbs smiles.

"Thank god the bed is a little too high for the position we just made love in." Jenny laughs and gets out of his arms and climbs into bed.

"Don't worry, I'll come up with some positions that we can perform on deck and in the galley." Gibbs laughs and gets up from the floor. "You said that you had to be in work at 0630 hours tomorrow morning." Gibbs asks and climbs into bed.

"Yes, could we stop at the diner before we go to work; I have a craving for one of those sticky buns."

"Good, I'll work it off of you during lunch time." Gibbs mischievously answers.

"We can't go home for lunch, Noemi remember."

"Jen, 'The Shepard'."

"Right, forgot about that." Jenny smiles, reaching over and turning off the light on the nightstand.

"I haven't it's all I've been thinking about since we came back from Mexico." "Lunch time with you, no interruptions and the two of us losing ourselves in one another for forty-five uninterrupted minutes."

"Sounds like a plan." Jenny purrs and buries her face up against his chest.

"Jen I was thinking about going to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket for our honeymoon." Gibbs suggests.

"Sail out?" Jenny yawns.

"Yeah!" "I've only taken 'The Shepard' out as far to Norfolk."

"So it means that we'll definitely have to get married sometime this summer?"

"I'm still shooting for July."

"We'll discuss our wedding date after Palmer and Breena's wedding, but I do love the idea of going to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket for our honeymoon." Jenny smiles and leans up and tenderly kisses Gibbs on the mouth.

Gibbs tenderly returns her kiss. "I got about three hours sleep last night so I'm turning in."

Jenny pulling the covers over them. "Want a rain check on the diner?"

"No, I'll take you in early." "Want to get a half an hour start on Ryan." Gibbs grumbles.

Jenny rolls on to her side and buries her face into the crook of Gibbs' arm. "Hopefully this investigation should be wrapped up by the end of the week."

"One could only hope." Gibbs yawns and closes his eyes.

0613 Hours

The next morning at the diner, Gibbs and Jenny are standing in front of the counter. "Jenny your engagement ring is gorgeous." Leann their waitress smiles.

"Jethro bought it at a jewelry store in Baja, Mexico." Jenny smiles.

Leann hands Gibbs a brown paper bag containing the sticky buns that Gibbs and Jenny will have for a quick breakfast up in her office. "Gibbs you're going to get your bride to be fat."

"She'll burn it off later on." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny slaps at Gibbs' forearm. "Jethro!" Jenny playfully scolds him. From the corner of her eye she spots Sam's car pulling into the parking lot.

"Jenny you should stop by more often, it's rare that I see a smile on your fiancée face." Leann sighs.

Jenny waiting for Sam to walk in through the door at the right moment. "I know a way to put a smile on his face?"

"How's that?" Leann curiously asks.

"This!" Jenny sensually answers and wraps her arms around Gibbs' neck; she leans up and passionately kisses Gibbs on the mouth.

Sam stands next to the front door with her jaw hanging in shock, Tyler walks in and nearly bangs into Sam. "Doctor Ryan!" Tyler calls out to her. When Sam doesn't answer him. "Doctor Ryan!"

Sam suddenly coming to her senses. "We'll take a seat over in the corner next to the window." Sam answers in embarrassment and starts off for their booth.

Tyler noting his boss was distracted at the sight of Gibbs and Jenny kissing in front of the counter. "I under estimated Director Shepard." Tyler laughs, figuring that Jenny had must have overheard his breakfast plans with Sam at NCIS Headquarters the day before.

Back over at the counter, Jenny breathlessly breaks away from her kiss. "See you tomorrow Leann." Gibbs smiles, putting his arm around Jenny's waist.

"Goodbye Gibbs, Jenny you need to stop by more often."

"I'll try depending on my work schedule." Jenny answers.

Gibbs with is coffee in one hand, his arm securely around Jenny's waist. "It's going to be an eternity until noon time." Gibbs whispers against her ear.

"Patients my little boy." Jenny purrs.

At the end of the diner, Sam glares over at Jenny as she walks out the restaurant with Gibbs leading Jenny over to his yellow and black Dodge Challenger. "I under estimated you Jenny." Sam mentally notes at her rival.


	101. Business Or Pleasure

Virginia Hospital Center Arlington

0830 Hours

Tony is positioned outside of Brian Mitchell's room, while McGee is downloading Mitchell's cellphone information on to his laptop. "Few more seconds and I'll be done." McGee calls out to Tony.

Tony scratches his nose to give Gibbs and Ziva who are standing against the wall across from the nurses' station a signal that McGee is almost finished downloading Mitchell's cellphone information on to his laptop. "Think it was wise to leave Doctor Ryan alone with Abby back at headquarters." Ziva laughs.

"Abby can handle her." Gibbs chuckles.

With that McGee emerges from Mitchell's room carrying his backpack. "The phone call Mitchell got yesterday afternoon came from a burn phone." McGee informs Tony.

"Great, it's going to be hard to find Mitchell's mystery girlfriend." Tony grumbles and they start down the hallway.

"Not if the burn phone stays at one location, we'll find out who she is." McGee answers.

Tony and McGee approach Gibbs and Ziva. "McGee I want you working on what you got off of Mitchell's cellphone as soon as you get back at headquarters." Gibbs instructs him.

"I'll start working on it as soon as we get inside of the car."

"Do you want us to continue checking on Beth Banks?" Tony curiously asks.

"Yes, you never know what might turn up on her." Gibbs answers sharply.

At NCIS Headquarters, Sam and Tyler are down in Abby's Lab. "So nothing has turned up on Beth or Amber Banks' cellphones yet?" Sam curiously asks Abby.

"Nothing yet?" Abby answers.

"Tyler continue to work alongside of Miss Sciuto." "I'm going to head back to my office at the Pentagon." Sam nods and walks away.

"Thank god!" Abby inwardly sighs with relief that Sam left her lab.

Sam is over at the elevator, the doors open and inside the elevator; Jenny is standing in the corner rolling her eyes in annoyance at Sam's presence. "Just the person I wanted to see." Sam sweetly says to Jenny and steps inside of the elevator, pushing in the button for Gibbs' floor.

"Business or pleasure Doctor Ryan." Jenny icily answers her rival.

The elevator door closes. "I don't know you tell me." Sam sarcastically answers.

Jenny folds her arms over at Sam. "I have no clue as to what you're talking about?"

The elevator begins to go up. "Please Director, or shall I refer to you as Jenny since you placed your tongue inside of Gibbs' mouth just as soon as I stepped through the diner door this morning." "You knew I was having breakfast with Tyler there this morning and deliberately marked your territory."

With that Jenny flips the switch over. "You damn right I did, since I can't do it while I'm in this building." "I do not particularly care for your unprofessional behavior towards Agent Gibbs in the Squad Room." Jenny angrily snaps.

"The banter between the two of us is nothing new." Sam laughs.

"One sided banter." "It's 2012 not 2003 Doctor Ryan."

"You're jealous!" Sam smirks.

"No it's the other way around from where I can see it." "The look on your face was priceless when I kissed Jethro this morning." Jenny grins.

"Does Jethro know you set me up?"

"No and in the end it got your attention."

"Attention at what?" Sam defiantly answers.

Jenny holding up her left hand in front of Sam's face. "This is an engagement ring that I'm wearing." "As Jethro's fiancée there better not be any more flirting or sexual banter with him." "I find it very tasteless Sam that you're doing it clearly under my nose." "You know damn well once I enter that building I have to maintain a sense of professionalism." "You are deliberately trying to cause a conflict of interest and I don't like it."

"Conflict of interest?" Sam shrugs.

"Yes, Director Shepard can't beat the crap out of you." Jenny fumes.

"You want too." Sam baits her.

"Don't push your luck, keep in mind Gibbs didn't teach me everything he knows, what he didn't teach me I had an excellent Israeli assassin train me in martial arts." Jenny warns her.

"Agent David!" Sam nods.

"From now on Doctor you better stick to getting this case solved and keeping your eyes off of Jethro and suggestive comments to yourself." Jenny advises her and flips the switch over.

"Advisement noted Director." Sam sarcastically answers.

The elevator stops at Gibbs' floor, the doors open and Ducky notices the tension between the two women. "I gather you're going up Director?"

"Yes!" Jenny answers.

Sam steps out of the elevator and rushes away. "She seems in a bit of a hurry." Ducky notes.

"Had to get back to the Pentagon?" Jenny answers and walks out. "I'll take the stairs." Jenny smiles and walks away.

"No, you finally put the good Doctor in her place." Ducky openly muses and steps inside of the elevator.

Half an hour later, Gibbs and his team are back at headquarters. "Soon as I brief the Director on what turns up on Mitchell's phone, Tony, Ziva, and I are heading over to Mitchell's apartment, maybe there's evidence of his mystery girlfriend." Gibbs informs his team.

"Photo of her." Ziva nods.

"Lingerie!" Tony smirks.

Gibbs shakes his head. "I'm heading down to Abby's." Gibbs sighs in annoyance and walks off for the elevator.

"Wonder if the good Doctor is downstairs." Tony snickers.

"I can't wait for this investigation to get over and done with, too much tension." Ziva answers, tired of the constant bickering between Gibbs and Sam.

"I kind of like it." Tony grins.

"You would!" McGee grumbles.

"A soap opera going on in our very own building."

"At the cost of making Gibbs extremely uncomfortable." Ziva answers surprised that Tony is actually enjoying that Gibbs is miserable with Sam's presence. "The woman was over top of Gibbs' desk yesterday with her sagging boobs exposed for his view." Ziva mutters in disgust.

"She did have a low cut blouse on yesterday." Tony shrugs.

"And a short skirt." McGee answers.

"She should give it up, Jenny is about five years younger than the good Doctor, what would Gibbs want with her anyway?" Ziva giggles.

"And Jenny is hotter." Tony drools.

"Tony!" Ziva chastises him and looks around the bullpen and balcony to make sure that Gibbs and Jenny are not around.

"Slip of the tongue." Tony innocently answers.

"And that slip of the tongue may get you to work every weekend for the rest of the year, remember the Director's warning Tony." McGee smirks.

"Maybe I should apply duct tape to my mouth." Tony ponders.

"I have a roll in the bottom of my desk drawer." Ziva grins.

"I won't ask the reason why?" Tony cringes.

With that Tyler walks in from the lounge. "Get anything off of Mitchell's phone?"

"Working on it?" McGee answers.

Down at Abby's Lab, Ducky and Abby are discussing Palmer's bachelor party. "I want you to stand in for me." Abby smiles.

"Isn't that a job for Tony?" Ducky laughs.

"Tony may get him into trouble." Abby cringes.

"McGee?"

"You know him better." Abby smiles.

"True!" Ducky snorts.

Gibbs walks into the room and notices that Sam and Tyler are not in the room. "I take it that our PsyOps team has left the building." Gibbs smirks.

"Doctor Ryan went back to her office." "Thank god!" Abby sighs with relief. "And Tyler went up to the lounge."

"Hope she stays there for the rest of the day." Gibbs laughs and approaches Abby's workstation. "Come up with anything on Beth and Amber Banks' cell phones.

"Beth Banks has talked with her boyfriend Earl Fisher, her sister Louann, and several friends with in the last eighteen hours, nothing unusual." "Amber Banks' cell phone hasn't been used since the day of her father's murder."

"Easter Sunday!" Gibbs smoothly answers.

"You figure that you would be on your cell phone all the time talking with family and friends over condolences and funeral arrangements." "And her home phone hasn't had an outgoing or incoming call since Monday afternoon."

"Something ain't adding up with her." "We should concentrate on Amber from here on out." Gibbs orders her.

"I had a sneaky suspicion that you would." Abby smiles.

"If anything comes up, call me on my cell phone, I'm about to brief the Director in a few minutes than head over to Mitchell's apartment with Tony and Ziva."

"Think Mitchell is involved with this?" Abby asks.

"My gut is telling me so." "I think him getting shot was a diversion to make him look like a possible target."

"A few inches more and he would have bled to death." Ducky answers trying to dismiss Gibbs' theory.

"I think his shooter was suppose to graze him in the arm or shoulder and missed."

"A pro would have grazed him." Abby answers.

"Either way they didn't think that we would catch on to them." Gibbs answers.

"But the Silver Haired Fox always does." Abby winks.

"I better see how Mr. Palmer is making out." Ducky muses and hops off the counter.

"Gibbs are you going to Jimmy's bachelor party?" Abby curiously asks.

"Hell no, DiNozzo will be heading to every strip club in Washington." "The only female I want to see with their clothes off is my fiancée." Gibbs mischievously grins.

"Jethro!" Ducky chuckles and shakes his head.

"Ducky is filling in for me at Jimmy's party."

"With DiNozzo present sooner or later strippers will be involved." Gibbs grumbles and away.

"Ducky keep Jimmy out of trouble." Abby scolds him.

"I'll do the best that I can Abigail." Ducky laughs..."Now let's see what my young assistant is up to."

Over at the elevator, Gibbs stands and waits for the elevator to stop at Abby's Floor. Ducky approaches him. "I'll ride down with you first so that you don't have to wait." Gibbs smiles.

"You said that you're heading up to the Director's Office."

"Yeah, after I see what McGee got off of Mitchell's cell phone?" Gibbs shrugs.

The bell to the elevator goes off, the doors open and Gibbs and Ducky step in. Ducky presses the button to his floor. "Early I was on your floor and I was about to take the elevator down to my floor." "The doors to the elevator opened and I found both Director Shepard and Doctor Ryan glaring at one another." "Put it mildly Jethro, if Jenny had been out of the building god knows what she would have done to Samantha." Ducky cringes.

The doors close and the elevator begins to move. "With Ziva's assassin training." Gibbs laughs and shakes his head. "I'll look into it."

Up in the bullpen, McGee has the location pin points on a map up on the plasma screen of both Brian Mitchell's cell phone and of the burn phone that Mitchell's mystery girlfriend is using. "Tony, both Brian Mitchell and his mystery girlfriend were at Doctor Banks' house the night he was murdered." McGee informs him.

Tony, Ziva, and Tyler approach the plasma screen next to McGee's desk. "Isn't that the location of Amber Banks' apartment?" Tony curiously asks.

"I believe it is." McGee answers and zooms in on the location. "Her apartment is off of the Little River Turnpike."

"What's off of the Little River Turnpike?" Gibbs asks returning to the bullpen.

"Amber Banks' apartment complex." "I have GPS pin point locations of Brian Mitchell's cell phone and the burn phone of his mystery girlfriend."

"So Amber Banks is Mitchell's mystery girlfriend." Gibbs surmises.

"And boss, on the night of the murder, both Brian Mitchell and the burn phones were at Doctor Banks' house." "Burn phone had called a take-out order to a local pizza parlor; Mitchell received an incoming text from a friend."

"How stupid can you be?" Tony laughs.

"It's not stupid when you don't think you're going to get caught." Gibbs grunts…"McGee see if you can get a warrant so that we can search Amber Banks' apartment."

"On it boss." McGee answers and picks up his desk phone.

"Tyler call your boss." Gibbs nods over at him.

"Shouldn't you be calling her up?" Tyler curiously asks.

"I can't brief my boss and talk to yours at the same time." Gibbs smirks and walks off towards the direction of the stairs.

Up in Jenny's Office, Jenny is sitting at the conference table reviewing case files. Gibbs walks in and closes the door behind him. Noting that she's ignoring his presence in the room, Gibbs walks over to the couch and flops down, he puts his feet up on top of the coffee table. "So I heard that you wanted to rip out the good Doctor's throat in the elevator this morning." Gibbs baits his fiancée with his trade mark little boy expression on his face.

"Ducky has a big mouth." Jenny hisses and tosses her glasses on top of the table; she turns her chair in the direction of Gibbs. "The diner was a set up this morning; I knew she was having breakfast with Tyler Elliot there this morning."

"Jen you have nothing to be jealous about." Gibbs reassures her.

"I'm not jealous over that wrinkled prune." "I want her to stop flirting with my fiancée is that too much for me to ask?" "I can't do it while we're in the building." Jenny angrily snaps.

"No, but how did you know she was flirting with me, when you were either up in your office or out of the building when she did it." Gibbs sheepishly asks her. Jenny rolls her eyes at him and gets up from her chair. "Our precious children."

"I overheard Tony and Ziva's gossiping session in the lounge yesterday." "I don't appreciate Sam crawling over top of your desk, showing off her pathetic sagging chest for you to see."

"Trust me Jen I'm only interested in your chest." Gibbs grins and then glances down at his watch. "Which in about two hours I'll have total access of."

"Since tomorrow is casual Friday and it's suppose to be warm out, I'll wear a low cut blouse and show the good Doctor a set of breasts that appeal to my man." Jenny smirks.

"Since Noemi washed my favorite Levi jeans the other day I can return the favor back to you."

"Those jeans show off just as much of your front as they do your ass." Jenny sensuously answers and then gets her Director Façade on. "Was there a reason why you came into my office Agent Gibbs besides fishing up information on my argument with Doctor Ryan?"

"Yes Director!" Gibbs playfully growls and gets up from the couch. "We got conformation that Mitchell's mystery girlfriend is Amber Banks." "GPS coordinates on the burn phone matched up to a location where Amber's apartment complex is."

"Are you getting a search-"

"McGee is working on the warrant now." Gibbs interrupts with a Cheshire grin on his face. "Soon as I get done talking to you, I'm heading over to Brian Mitchell's place and see what we can come up with there."

"Mitchell is in this also?"

"Yes, the night of the murder McGee has cell phone pin points on both Mitchell's and the burn phone at Doctor Banks' house."

"So it looks like originally they were trying to make it look like a suicide and then Mitchell decided to make it look like another agency was trying to kill him and Banks over looking into the CIA-Navy Seal Assassin Training program."

"I think originally Banks was suppose to get a graze wound, but an inexperience shooter shot him in the shoulder."

"Amber Banks!" Jenny answers.

"I guess a guilty conscious is what made Amber come to me about her mother being her father's murderer." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"If something turns up at either of their apartments I want the both of them arrested immediately." "The quicker this case gets resolved the faster Doctor Ryan gets her ass back to the Pentagon where she belongs." "And I hope that's the last that we see of her, tired of the constant side show lately with Borin, Hollis, and now Ryan, which conveniently the latter were your ex-girlfriends, Borin was a wanna be girlfriend."

"As I told McGee and DiNozzo I wouldn't go out a clone female version of me, I'd be bored out of my mind." Gibbs laughs.

Brian Mitchell's Apartment

Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva are searching Mitchell's apartment. "Tony I want Mitchell's desktop sent back to headquarters." Gibbs orders him.

"Good thing it's an all in one computer." Tony sighs with relief.

"You are such a wimp." Ziva sighs at her partner in exasperation.

Gibbs walks into a second bedroom, which Mitchell was using as an office. Under the window Gibbs finds a large safe. "I wonder what Mitchell has gotten hidden in his safe."

Tony walks in. "Did you say something boss?"

"Yeah, Mitchell has a safe and I'll have the combination cracked in under a minute." Gibbs grins.

"Took you longer than that to-" The back of Gibbs' hand comes across the back of Tony's head. "Ow!" Tony grimaces.

"That slap was a bit harder than usual, because the Director overheard you and David gossiping in the lounge yesterday about Sam flirting with me in the bullpen." Gibbs snarls.

"When?" Tony asks.

"How the hell should I know?" Gibbs growls.

"I know when, after you and Doctor Ryan had went down to Ducky's." "That was the reason why the Director wanted to know where you were at."

Ziva overhearing as she walks into the room. "What are we talking about?"

"Apparently the Director was listening in on us while we were in the lounge yesterday afternoon."

"And conveniently on our way back to the Squad Room she made it look like that she bumped into us." Ziva groans…

"And it explains why I got that obscene text message while I was down in Autopsy." Gibbs mentally notes.

Ziva spotting the safe. "I gather that Gibbs is going to break into the safe?"

"Yes since he's the only that's qualified in the room without destroying it." Tony answers.

A minute later, Gibbs has the safe open and empties the contents out. "Several gun clips with 9 mm bullets." Gibbs notes and puts the clips inside of an evidence bag.

Ziva glancing down on her digital camera screen panel notices a clear plastic box in the back of the safe. "Gibbs is that a box of bullets in the back of the safe?"

Gibbs leans inside of the safe and pulls out a box containing CCI Mini-Mag .22 Long Rifle 36 Grain Copper Plated Hollow Point bullets. "It is and I belief a similar bullet was used on Brian Mitchell." Gibbs answers.

"All we need to find is the rifle?" Tony answers and begins to go through Mitchell's desk drawer.

"That rifle is long gone by now Tony." Ziva sighs.

Tony opens one of the bottom drawers and finds a sales receipt for the hand gun and for the rifle. "How stupid can you be?" Tony laughs.

"What did you find?" Gibbs and Ziva ask.

Tony aims his camera and takes a picture of the receipt before taking it out of the drawer. "A receipt for the hand gun and rifle."

"It's not stupidity DiNozzo; they didn't think that they would get caught." Gibbs bitterly answers.

"So I guess we're just about done here." Tony asks.

Gibbs glances down at his watch and notices that it's 1115 hours. "We're finished with Mitchell's apartment, soon as the warrant comes in for Amber Banks' apartment; we'll head over there next."

'The Shepard'

1220 Hours

Jenny lies in with her face pressed up against her lover's ribcage, Gibbs noting the peaceful expression on her face. "I wish I could keep you this happy and content all the time." Gibbs smiles and runs his fingers through Jenny's long red hair, when Jenny doesn't answer him right away. "You falling asleep on me?" Gibbs laughs.

"No I'm listening to you."

"So what's going through that mind of yours that you're so quiet?"

"I'm counting the months until your all mine." Jenny smiles and looks up into the depths of Gibbs blue eyes.

"Correction your all mine." Gibbs growls.

"Chauvinist!" Jenny laughs.

"Even so!" Gibbs smiles.

Jenny playing with the hair on the top of Gibbs' chest. "I don't want to go back to my office." Jenny pouts.

"Neither do I but I have some dirt bags that I need to put behind bars." "In the mean time we better make the most of the time we have left."

Jenny goes on to her back and pulls Gibbs on top of her. "You make the most of the time we have left." Jenny seductively purrs and captures his mouth kissing him deeply. Gibbs grabs a hold of Jenny's face as their kiss intensifies. For the next fifteen minutes Gibbs methodically makes love to Jenny slowing the pace. Jenny lies motionless on the bed as he has his way with her body.

Just as Gibbs is about to have his release. "I love you." He cries out, his body shuddering with fulfillment.

Jenny stroking the back of his hair as Gibbs slowly comes down from his orgasm. "I love you Jethro."

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

1300 Hours

Team Gibbs are sitting at their desks finishing up eating their lunches and talking about their plans for Palmer and Breena's upcoming Bachelor and Bachelorette parties. "Palmer's will be better." Tony grins over at Ziva.

"Please, you'll be doing the same thing that we'll be doing." Ziva sighs.

At the other end of the aisle, Sam and Tyler are rolling their eyes at their adolescent behavior. "I'm so glad that none of my people act like that back at the Pentagon." Sam mutters in annoyance.

"They seem a little bit loose here at NCIS." Tyler notes.

"It wasn't like that when I visited here two years ago when Director Vance was in charge or back in 2003 when Director Morrow ran NCIS."

"Gibbs seemed that he was surprised to see you again."

"Gibbs wasn't here the last time I visited, NCIS." "Him and his team were out of the country." Sam answers.

"Director Vance is in prison for treason for what I understand." Tyler nods.

"Accepting bribes from arms and drug dealers." Sam corrects him.

Over at the elevator Gibbs and Jenny step out. "Jethro!" Jenny giggles.

"It's true!" Gibbs mischievously answers.

Over at Sam's desk, Sam takes in their body language. "I see Gibbs took my advice and got laid." Sam inwardly snickers.

"Something funny Doctor Ryan." Tyler asks.

"I see Agent Gibbs took some advice from the good Doctor is all." Sam laughs.

At the entrance to Gibbs' section. "If nothing comes up on my investigation I'll see you at home later on." Gibbs smiles.

"I'll make sure that Noemi leaves your dinner in the oven." Jenny softly answers and starts off for the stairs.

"Boss our warrant came in for Amber Banks' apartment." McGee calls out to him.

Gibbs who is still smirking at Jenny's butt as she makes her way over to the stairs. "Take the truck with the others; I'll drive over with Doctor Ryan."

"Professional my ass." Sam mumbles under her breath.

On the way over to Amber Banks' apartment. "I see you took my friendly advice." Sam baits Gibbs.

"And what would that be Doc?" Gibbs snorts.

"You got laid." Sam purrs and rubs the fresh love bite on the right side of Gibbs' neck. "A bit adolescent if you ask me."

"I don't know, you flashing your tits to get my attention while I was lying on my sofa eleven years ago, wasn't the maturest thing so I wouldn't talk Sam." Gibbs growls.

"It got us up to your bedroom as I recall." Sam seductively reminds him.

"I got you to shut up and I got a little so in the end it worked out for the both of us." Gibbs smirks.

"So you sleep with women to shut them up."

"That and to spy on them when I want to fish information off of."

"That might have worked about ten or fifteen years ago with you, not now." Sam laughs.

"That's what I have DiNozzo for." Gibbs grins.

"Which he conveniently doesn't mind."

"Especially if it's a hot blonde." Gibbs chuckles.

"Hum DiNozzo is into blondes, you're into red heads."

"They spice things up and there's never a dull moment when you're with them." Gibbs smiles.

"So I noted when I walked into the diner this morning." Sam icily answers.

"She already told me." Gibbs laughs.

"And the elevator also."

"That too, Sam I hate it when guys are all over Jenny, particularly politicians in Washington." "They know damn well that we've been living together since last October, we have been engaged for well over two months now and they continue to flirt with Jenny whenever she's up on the hill." "I don't blame Jenny for being pissed off with your unprofessional behavior towards me in the Squad Room." Gibbs snaps.

"And Jenny giggling like a love sick teenager when the two of you stepped out of the elevator wasn't unprofessional." "And when Jenny was walking off for the stairs I believe your eyes were located on her-"

"Can't be helped she had a short skirt on and gave me an extra wiggle just to tease me." Gibbs interrupts her.

"Just to advertise that the two of you were off having sex somewhere."

"We were on our lunch hour, off the Navy Base." "What Jenny and I do on our time is our business." "We're two mature adults we keep our sex life discreet."

"Call the love bite on your neck discreet."

"During the throes of passion she needs to bite down on something."

"I can't believe we're having this conversation." Sam sighs and rubs her temple.

"You brought it up." Gibbs laughs and pulls into Amber Banks' apartment complex.

"Apartment 203C!" Sam reads from the warrant.

"I've been here before, dated somebody who lived here."

Gibbs drives to the section of where Amber Banks' apartment located at. Tony pulls up alongside of Gibbs' car. "Third floor!" Tony groans out from his open window.

"Quit whining DiNozzo." Gibbs barks and gets out of his car.

"Do you think Amber is home?" Tony curiously asks.

"No she's at work and won't be home until seven." Gibbs answers.

"Perfect timing on going through her apartment." Tony nods.

"According to the GPS trace of her burn phone she's been spending the night at her father's house the past few nights." "She moved back in once we removed the crime scene tape." McGee informs him.

"Her father's body lies at the funeral home and she's already digging her claws into his estate." Sam answers in disgust.

Tony gets out of the truck. "They old saying is, what comes around goes around."

"And eventually Amber Banks will get what's coming to her." Gibbs vows.

Inside the apartment five minutes later, the team along with Sam and Tyler are looking around the apartment. Scattered on Amber's coffee table in the living room are car brochures from various car manufactures. "Hum she was looking into buying a Porsche." Tony openly announces.

"And a condo in Aruba." McGee informs them, showing several brochures on several condos' that are for sale in Aruba.

"Bag it and tag it." Gibbs orders them.

NCIS Headquarters

Squad Room

2045 Hours

"No rifle to be found anywhere." Ziva groans in frustration.

"She could have thrown it into a dumpster." McGee nods.

"And it's in a landfill by now." Tony grumbles.

"What about at her father's house?" Sam suggests.

"She wouldn't do that would she?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"As I've stated, people who don't think that their suspects in a murder investigation do stupid things." Gibbs once again reminds his team.

"Want us to go over to Doctor Banks' house tonight?" Tony shrugs.

"Tomorrow!" Gibbs answers and gets up from his desk.

"Going home?" Ziva asks, surprised that Gibbs wants to stop while their making excellent progress in their investigation.

"Home to a home cooked meal and maybe I'll finish up on my dad's rocking chair for Father's Day." Gibbs smiles…"Night!" Gibbs affectionately says to his team and walks off for the elevator.

"Rocking chair my ass, you want to take your tramp to bed." Sam inwardly fumes.


	102. What A Week

The next morning in the elevator on the way up to the Squad Room, Gibbs and Jenny are all over one another. Gibbs with his hands on the back of Jenny's butt. "You would wear low rise dress pants to work today." He growls in between kisses.

Jenny with her fingers tugging on to the lapel of his jacket. "Surprised that you're not complaining about my low cut Henley shirt that I chose to wear to show the good Doctor what my man's eyes should be focused on." Jenny purrs and sucks on Gibbs lower lip.

Just as Gibbs is about to answer her, the elevator stops on his floor. Separating themselves from one another. "Now I have a hard on from hell." Gibbs groans.

"I'll fix it later on." Jenny seductively answers.

The door opens; Gibbs and Jenny step out together. Sam returning from the lounge notices Jenny's casual attire to work. "Since when does the Director of NCIS dress casual to work?" Sam curiously asks.

"On Friday's I do." Jenny sharply answers.

Gibbs walks into his section. "Ok, Tony, Ziva, and McGee I want the three of you to head over to Doctor Banks' house, process every inch of that house for Brian Mitchell's rifle."

Tony gets up from his desk. "Not going with us?"

"Sitting this one out." Gibbs shrugs and walks over to his desk.

"Whether Mitchell's rifle is located or not I want the both of them arrested today." "We got enough evidence on them." Jenny orders Gibbs.

"Why the rush?" Sam sweetly asks her.

"Case is solved already Doctor Ryan." Jenny icily answers and starts off for the stairs.

"You heard her." Gibbs barks at his team. "But I feel more comfortable at retrieving Mitchell's rifle, find it."

"We won't let you down boss." Tony reassures him.

Three Hours Later

Jenny is standing on top of her familiar perch pretending to work, to prove a point to her rival below Jenny had taken off her grey Cass Stretch-Cotton Blazer that she had worn into the building. Strategically she positions herself in front of the balcony leaning over, so that she shows off enough cleavage from her rose colored low cut Henley blouse. Down in the bullpen below, Gibbs' full attention is on his fiancée chest. "You're making yourselves quite obvious." Sam chastises her ex-lover.

"You say something Doc?" Gibbs smirks.

"Yes, I was berating you for you lack of professionalism." Sam sighs.

"Let's see, it's ok for you to hang your chest in front of my face at my desk, but you get on Jenny who's innocently working up on the balcony minding her own business-"

"Wearing a low cut Henley shirt so that Director's fiancée full attention is on her chest and not on the job at hand." Sam angrily interrupts him.

"Same thing Doc?" Gibbs shrugs and gets up from his desk. "And at least she has something to show off unlike you." Gibbs grins.

Amber Banks storms in. "Is there a reason why your agents searched my apartment last night." Amber furiously screams at Gibbs.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee approach Amber from behind holding up a cardboard evidence box. "We were looking for this?" Tony shouts over at Amber.

Amber turns and faces Tony. "What's that?"

"The rifle you shot Brian Mitchell with." "I found it hidden in the trunk of your father's car." Tony informs her.

Ziva handcuffs Amber from behind. "Amber Banks you are under arrest for the murder of Doctor Robert Banks."

"I didn't kill my father, my mother did." Amber protests.

"You trying to set up your mother for killing your father is what tipped us up to you and your boyfriend." Gibbs grins.

"Boyfriend?"

"Yes, Brian Mitchell!" Ziva answers and continues to read Amber her Miranda Rights.

"Haul her ass over to Interrogation Room Three."

"My pleasure!" Ziva grins and drags Amber down the corridor with McGee following her from behind.

"I'll take this down to Abby's." Tony nods and walks off for the elevator.

"Once she hangs Mitchell in Interrogation, we'll arrest him next." Gibbs smoothly says.

Jenny satisfied that Gibbs and his team is halfway finished with their joint investigation with Sam, she approaches the eye scanner and scans herself into MTAC. "You look relieved." Sam asks Gibbs.

"I am, by 1800 hours tonight our joint investigation will be wrapped up."

"You never know Gibbs we may meet up again." Sam smirks over at him.

"Took nine years for us to meet up again." "Nine years from now I'll be wandering the streets of Paris with the woman I love retired." Gibbs smiles and walks off toward the direction of the interrogation rooms.

Inside Interrogation Room Number 3, Ziva is giving Amber the once over. "I want my lawyer." Amber demands.

Ziva flips open her cell phone and hands it over to Amber. "Since you're entitled to one phone call."

"I don't know my lawyer's number off hand." Amber sighs.

"No you wanted to call you lover to tip him off." Ziva answers.

Outside the room, McGee hands Gibbs a file. "Got the receipt for the rifle and handgun that Mitchell purchased in there?" Gibbs asks.

"Yes I did and I'll put the cell phone markers up on the plasma screen on the night from the night of the murder." "She won't know what hit her."

Gibbs walks into the Interrogation Room. "Did Miss. Banks request for her lawyer?"

"Yes she did and I gave her my cell phone." "Conveniently she didn't remember her lawyer's phone number."

"Got a name?" Gibbs nods over at Amber.

"Ginger Stevens!"

Gibbs makes a face. "Ziva, give Ginger a call." Gibbs grumbles at the prospects of working with Ginger.

"On it!" Ziva answers and walks out of the room.

Gibbs opens up the file and pulls a copy of the receipt that was found in Brian Mitchell's safe. "This is a copy of a receipt that was found in a safe at Brian Mitchell's apartment." Gibbs informs her and takes a seat at the table across from Amber.

"So?" Amber sarcastically answers.

"Mitchell purchased a hand gun and a rifle on August 22nd 2011 at 'Irv's Gun Emporium' in Arlington, Virginia." "On November 4th your father had the gun registered in his name."

"Brian sold it to my dad for protection; some of the cases that he was working on had him on the edge and with the situation with my mom." Amber shrugs.

"There is no situation going on with your mom, I've talked to family and friends of both of your parents." "And according to your mother the neighbor had called the police because your father came to her place drunk and wanted to spend the night."

"There was a situation, my mom wanted to collect on his insurance policy."

"No you and your boyfriend wanted to collect on your father's insurance policy." "You told us another lie about your father's insurance policy; he had removed your mother two weeks ago."

"I had nothing to do with my father's death."

Gibbs gets up from the table and nods over at the mirror for McGee to put up the map up on the plasma screen. "Draw your attention up to the plasma screen on the wall?" Gibbs instructs her.

Amber turns and glances at the monitor. "It's a map?"

"It's a map of where your father's house is located at." "You see those little location pins at your father's house?"

"Yeah, so?"

"It's a GPS location of Brian Mitchell's cell phone and of the burn phone that you've been using for the past six months."

"What does this have to do with my involvement in my father's death?"

"This was on the night of your father's murder." "Mitchell got a text message, and you called out for take-out at a local pizza parlor."

"Maybe the cell phone company made a mistake."

"A cell phone GPS coordinates cannot be made up." Gibbs growls and then glances over at McGee to put up another map. "The day that Brian Mitchell got shot, it took him several minutes to find his keys while Brian was inside of his bedroom." "Brian wasn't looking for his keys he was on his cell phone talking to you." "He changed the plan from, Banks committing suicide to his ex-wife killing him for the insurance, to a possible take out from another government agency." "You shot at Brian."

Amber defiantly folds her arms up at Gibbs. "I'm not saying a word until my lawyer gets here?"

"Good, because Ginger isn't going to get you out of this one sweetheart." Gibbs smirks.

Ziva walks into the room. "Ms. Stevens is on her way over."

"Good while you play head games with Miss. Banks; I'm heading over to the hospital and placing her boyfriend under arrest." Gibbs smirks.

Out in the hallway McGee is waiting for Gibbs as he exits the room. "Boss, Abby shot several rounds from Mitchell's rifle, they matched with the bullet that was removed from Brian Mitchell's shoulder."

"I better speak to Abby, before I head over to the hospital." Gibbs answers and walks off towards the direction of the Squad Room.

Out in the Squad Room, Sam and Tyler are standing in the middle of Gibbs' section, spotting Gibbs as he makes his way over for the elevator. "Did you break her?" Sam curiously asks.

"Amber requested her lawyer and won't say anything." Gibbs answers.

Sam chases after him. "Is she aware of the evidence that we have against her?"

"Yes and she's denying everything."

"Looks like this case isn't going to be wrapped up by this evening." Sam smiles.

Gibbs approaching the elevator door. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch Doc." Gibbs smirks.

Down in Abby's Lab, Abby is going over last minute details for Breena's bachelorette party. Gibbs and Sam walk in. "Gibbs!" Abby smiles and then makes a face at Sam's presence in the room. "And Doctor Ryan!"

"I want to see the bullets that you test fired from Mitchell's rifle compared to the bullet that was removed from Mitchell's shoulder."

"I have them up on my plasma screen." "Figured you would be down here after McGee gave you the news."

Gibbs walks behind Abby's workstation with Sam following him. "Perfect match!" Gibbs grins.

"I guess you're on your way over to Brian Mitchell's hospital room." Abby sheepishly asks.

"I've been looking forward to this all morning long." Gibbs smirks and then glances over at Sam. "Doctor Ryan could you handle Amber Banks' lawyer when she walks into the Squad Room."

Abby getting tipped off by McGee that Ginger Stevens was representing Amber Banks, chokes on her Caff-Pow. "Sorry I sucked up an ice cube chip." Abby coughs.

"Does she have a name?"

"Ginger Stevens!" Gibbs mischievously answers.

Fifteen minutes later Jenny and Cynthia walk out of MTAC just as Ginger steps out of the elevator with an irritated look on her face. "This should be interesting." Jenny giggles.

"What?" Cynthia curiously asks.

"Gibbs set Doctor Ryan up with Amber Banks' lawyer."

Cynthia spotting Ginger approaching the entranceway to Gibbs' section. "Where's the popcorn?" Cynthia laughs.

Down in the bullpen. "Ok Jethro, where are you hiding at, you know damn well I hate driving all the way over here from my office." Ginger hisses.

Sam gets up from her desk. "Agent Gibbs isn't here, Ms. Stevens." "By your tone of voice you're quite familiar with him." Sam sweetly answers.

"Yes I am, and who the hell are you." Ginger snaps at Sam's nosey line of questioning.

"Doctor Samantha Ryan, I'm the Director of the PsyOps Division for the Department of Defense."

"What does PsyOps have to do with NCIS?" Ginger asks in a snippy tone of voice.

"We're running a joint investigation since one of my investigators was murdered." Sam answers and folds her arms at Ginger. "Now answer my question."

"Yes I'm familiar with Agent Gibbs; we slept together after I got my client off on a technicality back in 2002." Ginger answers.

Sam glancing up at Jenny. "It seems that Gibbs sure did get around with his female counterparts back in the day." Sam smirks.

"Since Gibbs isn't here and I don't want to deal with his incompetent second in charge I'll take my business with up with Director Shepard, will you excuse me Doctor, I hate wasting my time." Ginger sarcastically says to her and brushes past Sam.

Up on the balcony, Jenny is desperately trying to keep a straight face. "Bravo Ginger!" Jenny laughs.

"Ms. Stevens made a total fool out of the Doctor." Cynthia snickers.

"She's an easy target." Jenny smirks.

Ginger walks the length of the catwalk. "Was I amusing you Director?"

"Entertained!" Jenny laughs, waiting for Ginger to approach her. "What can I do for you?"

"What the hell is going on with my client?" Ginger demands.

"She's a suspect in her father's murder."

"I thought he committed suicide."

"No he was murdered and we have evidence that your client and her boyfriend Brian Mitchell committed the murder." "Follow me to my office I have Agent Gibbs' preliminary report on top of my desk."

Back down in the Squad Room. "So what do we do now?" Tyler curiously asks his boss.

Sam pissed off at Gibbs for setting her up. "I want you to head back to the Pentagon." "I'm sticking this out."

Virginia Hospital Center Arlington

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee walk into Brian Mitchell's room. "Agent Gibbs, did you find out who shot me?" Brian curiously asks.

Gibbs handcuffing Brian's wrist to the rail of his bed. "Your girlfriend Amber Banks." Gibbs snaps.

"Come again?"

"You heard him Brian, and we've come here to arrest you for the murder of Doctor Robert Banks." Tony informs him.

"What?" Brian answers in disbelief.

"We have evidence linking you and Amber Banks to her father's murder." "And we also found your rifle." Gibbs says to a stunned Brian. "The rifle that your girlfriend Amber used to shoot you in the shoulder."

Brian sinks in his bed. "I want a lawyer."

"Funny Amber said the same thing back at NCIS Headquarters." McGee laughs.

Two hours later Gibbs, Tony, and McGee return to headquarters, Sam standing next to Gibbs' desk glares over at him as he makes his way into his section with Tony and McGee following him from behind. "Thanks a lot for setting me up." Sam chastises Gibbs.

"I take it Ginger put you in your place." Gibbs laughs.

"Oh yeah and she shares something similar with me and your fiancée upstairs." Sam smirks.

"Didn't you-" Gibbs glares over at McGee before he can finish. "I'm minding my own business." McGee quickly answers and walks over to his desk.

"So how did it go with Ginger?" Gibbs curiously asks with a smug look on his face.

"She wanted no part of me and went straight up to your boss' office."

"Great!" Gibbs groans and is about to walk off for the stairs.

"They're both down in Interrogation with Agent David."

"That should interesting." Tony laughs.

In the Interrogation Room, Jenny sits across the table from Amber Banks and Ginger Stevens. "Don't answer that." Ginger advises her client.

"You have to admit it Ms. Stevens that our evidence against your client is overwhelming." Ziva smirks over at Ginger from her position near the corner.

"You need proof that she actually pulled the trigger in her father's murder and on the shooting of Brian Mitchell."

Jenny, glancing over at Ziva. "Ziva see if Abby is ready for the little surprise that we have in store for her." Jenny instructs her.

"I'm looking forward to this Director." Ziva winks and walks over to the door. Just as Ziva is about to open the door, Gibbs walks in. "Just in time for the fun part Gibbs."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You'll see." Ziva cryptically answers and walks out of the room.

"Why did you stick Granny on me?" Ginger sarcastically asks Gibbs.

Inside the Observation Room, Tony, Ziva, and McGee double over in laughter. Sam walks into the room. "Did I miss something?"

Abby who was working over at the control table. "Not much Grandma." Abby giggles.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sam snaps.

"Not a thing." Abby laughs…"Ok I'm ready."

Ziva walks over to the window and bangs on the glass. On the other side of the glass, Jenny gets up from the table. "Draw your attention to the plasma screen up on the wall."

Amber and Ginger turn their heard in the direction of the plasma screen. A video begins to run from the day that Brian Mitchell got shot. Down the block from the bank a figure is clearly seen from a third floor window from across the street aiming a rife in the direction of the bank. Brian Mitchell exits the bank with Gibbs and Tony, they talk for a few minutes, and then Brian walks over towards his pick-up truck. Before Brian can unlock his truck, he slumps up against the hood of his car. "First I've seen this." Gibbs shrugs and continues to watch the video footage. An hour later Amber Banks is seen walking out of the building carrying a blue duffle bag in her hand. "That's the same duffle bag that was found in the trunk of her father's car."

"With the rifle still inside." Jenny answers and shakes her head at Amber's stupidity. "You had the brains to pull off the perfect murder; problem with it is that you and your boyfriend got too cocky and arrogant for your own good."

"I'll talk as long as the death penalty is taken off." Amber begs her.

"She'll talk now." Gibbs laughs and walks over to the table and takes a seat across from Amber and Ginger.

"A threat with a needle in the arm always seems to work Agent Gibbs." Jenny sweetly answers and sits on the corner of the table making eye contact with Amber. "You wanted your father dead; Brian Mitchell just went along with it for the four million dollar payout."

"It was all Brian's idea." Amber trembles.

"Brian said something different Amber." Gibbs smirks.

"You talked to Brian."

"Yeah, he said it was your idea."

"That no good lying bastard." Amber hisses… "I'm going to kill him."

"Funny how you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him, I read your diary entries that were printed out from your computer." Gibbs baits her.

"You read my private diary entries." Amber protests.

"There not so private after we got a search warrant for your apartment."

"Amber I'm warning you to keep your mouth shut." Ginger lectures her young client.

"There will be no deal for your client." "She's a manipulative scheming woman." "She killed her own father in cold blood." "I bet you anything that Amber pulled the trigger." Jenny snaps.

Inside the Observation Room. "This is worth seeing all the time." Tony smiles.

"What is Agent DiNozzo?" Sam curious.

"Gibbs and Shepard magic." Tony smirks over at Sam at her reference that she had the other day in the bullpen, just before Gibbs and Sam had questioned Amber Banks in the conference room.

That evening, Sam is packing up her things at her desk; suddenly she remembers seeing Gibbs and Tony walking out of the bank with Brian. "You lied to me." Sam fumes and storms off for the elevator. The elevator doors open and once again Jenny is standing in the back of the elevator. "I have a bone to pick with Agent Gibbs." Sam angrily informs her.

"So what else is new?" Jenny sighs in annoyance.

The doors close, Sam slaps at the button for Abby's floor. "What were Gibbs and Tony doing walking out of the bank with Mitchell?" "They told me that they had gone into the Starbucks a few buildings away from the bank."

"Come on, you've never heard of disinformation strategy Doctor." Jenny laughs.

"Not on me."

"Like you haven't done it before, give me a break."

Sam flips the switch over. "I'm going to take this up with my boss." Sam warns her.

"Go right ahead; see if I care, then I'll return the favor on your sleazy behavior towards Agent Gibbs in the Squad Room the other day." "A head of an agency should never act like that while their working in another agency's building during a joint investigation." "It showed you have zero class Sam."

"And like you do Jenny." Sam sweetly answers.

"I have it, can't say the same thing for you." Jenny smirks and flips the switch back over.

"I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a get up like that in my own office."

"You don't have the chest to pull it off." Jenny grins.

The elevator stops on Abby's floor. "And with that I will leave you with the last word in Director Shepard." "I'll try and be civil towards you from now on whenever we bump into one another up on the hill or at a government function."

"I'll act like I normally do towards you." "As I've said I have class where you do not."

Sam walks out of the elevator and storms into Abby's Lab. "Gibbs I have a major bone to pick with you." Sam scolds him.

"She's not a red head Jethro I don't get what you saw in her." Jenny cringes.

Inside the lab, Sam defiantly folds her arms over at her ex-lover. "I want some answers." Sam demands.

Gibbs tosses the flash drive that Brian gave him at the bank the day he got shot. "This belongs to you I believe."

"What is it?"

"A flash drive that Brian Mitchell had stored in his safety deposit box at his bank." "It has all the information about the CIA-Navy Seals Assassin program that you were working on last spring."

"Mitchell had this hidden at his bank." "For safe keeping."

"And the lie?"

"Why does it matter now Sam, it had nothing to do with the murder and it's not like you kept information in the past from me." Gibbs smirks and walks off for the elevator.

Sam hot on his heels. "I'm not finished with you."

"So long Granny don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out of the building." Abby snickers and walks into the backroom. Abby picks up her cordless phone and dials Ziva's extension number. "Ziva, ready for Breena's Bachelorette Party."

After a stressful week working a joint investigation with the PsyOps Division, the team is looking forward to a night out on the town with their respective Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties, Tony, McGee, and Ducky take Palmer to various strip clubs and the girls hit several strip clubs as well, while Palmer and Breena enjoy their last night of freedom, Gibbs and Jenny are relaxing at home down in Gibbs' basement enjoying some quiet time, Gibbs sands away on the arm of his father's rocking chair, Jenny sits over at the workbench reading away at her book. "What a week?" Gibbs groans and takes a gulp from his mason jar.

"And to think we started our week at our place in Mexico?" Jenny softly answers.

"Can't wait until the fall when it will be just the two of us?" Gibbs mischievously grins.

"I can't wait until our wedding night."

"When I finally get to make love to you as Mrs. Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Gibbs smiles with anticipation.


	103. Here And Now

April 14th 2012

Jimmy Palmer's Apartment

0800 Hours

Jimmy Palmer is sleeping on his bed, the sound of his apartment doorbell pierces through his eardrums. "Oh my head!" Palmer whines and tries to pick his head up from the bed.

Outside Palmer's door, Tony and Abby continue to ring Palmer's doorbell. "I bet you he's hung over." Tony laughs.

"Great the wedding is at noon and the groom is passed out drunk in bed." Abby sighs.

"The question is how do we get inside of his apartment?" Tony curiously asks.

Abby takes out a key from inside of her small clutch purse. "As his Best Woman, Jimmy gave me a key to his apartment the other day."

"Let's go see if the groom is semi-conscious yet." Tony snickers.

Inside the apartment Palmer has slowly made his way over to his living room couch when Tony and Abby walk in. Abby amused at Palmer's de-shelved appearance. "Wow cute boxers, did Breena pick them out for you." Abby teases him.

Tony glances down at Palmer's black boxer shorts with red flaming hearts on them and the words wild, hot, and sexy appear around the hearts. "They look like chick boxers that she would give to their man." Tony laughs.

Palmer holding his head. "It was a Valentine's Day gift from Breena do you mind Tony." Palmer grimaces.

Tony noting Palmer's sculpted abs. "I don't get it Jimmy, you work so hard at your abs and the rest of your body." Tony playfully baits him.

"And what's wrong with Jimmy's body." Abby protests.

"I don't know I get a Johnny Weissmuller vision in my head." Tony doubles over with laughter.

"Don't listen to him Jimmy, it beats having a hairy butt." Abby smirks.

"And how do you know that Tony has a hairy butt." Palmer groans holding his head.

"Ziva told me."

"And how does-"

"Don't go there Palmer." Tony interrupts him.

"I'm heading out to the store to buy some Rosemary tea." "While I'm doing that, Jimmy I want you to drink two glasses of water and then take a cold shower." Abby instructs him.

"That's if I can manage to make it over to the bathroom."

"You'll make it and after you drink my tea, you'll be as good as new." "I cured Gibbs from the flu by making him some Peppermint tea, I can cure your hangover and you'll be ready for your bride to be at the church." Abby promises him.

Two hours later over at Gibbs' house, Gibbs is up in the bedroom standing in front of the mirror losing patients with his bow tie. "I'm wearing a suit for our wearing." Gibbs impatiently snarls.

Jenny walks in wearing a short floral print lavender Kimono. "What are you whining about?" Jenny sighs.

"I hate tying bow ties and you know it." Gibbs growls.

Jenny walks over to him. "Jethro, it's not that difficult to tie a bow tie." She affectionately teases him.

"That's easy for you to say."

Jenny ties his black bow tie. "It's a shame that it's a rental tux or I would ask you to tie me up with it later on." Jenny sensuously purrs.

"Sorry you would be the one getting tied up not me." Gibbs smirks and is about to untie the sash to Jenny's Kimono, when Jenny pulls back on his suspenders. "Ow!" Gibbs grimaces.

"Later, I have to finish getting dressed and putting on my make up."

"How am I suppose to keep my hands off at you during the reception?"

"You will be well rewarded later on if you do."

"After the week that I've had in work you better be putting out tonight."

"We'll both be putting out." Jenny answers and walks out of the room.

Gibbs staring at his reflection in the mirror. "I'm ready, now I have to wait another half an hour before you're ready." Gibbs grumbles and shakes his head.

Back at Palmer's apartment in Palmer's bedroom, Palmer has made a full recovery from his hang over. "Abby I owe you." Palmer smiles.

Abby adjusting Palmer's red boutonnière on his lapel. "You're welcome!" Abby smiles.

Tony walks in wearing his tuxedo. Noting that Abby is wearing a tux. "Hey aren't you suppose to be wearing a dress." Tony curiously asks.

Abby placing her hands on her hips. "I'm Jimmy's Best Woman and as his Best Woman I chose to wear a tuxedo." Abby chastises Tony for downing her choice of attire.

With that the doorbell rings. Palmer walks out of his bedroom and approaches the door; he opens the door and finds McGee and Ducky standing in front of him. "Doctor Mallard, McGee, the limo should be here in about five minutes to pick us up." Palmer nods over at them.

McGee and Ducky walk in. "You look very handsome Mr. Palmer." Ducky smiles.

"And so do you Doctor Mallard in your tuxedo." Palmer smiles closing the door behind him.

Tony and Abby walk out of Palmer's bedroom. McGee is about to make a comment about Abby's tuxedo when Tony interrupts him. "Don't go there Probie." Tony laughs.

"Abigail, you look radiant in a tuxedo." Ducky smiles at her.

"Thank you Ducky!" Abby smiles and then glares over at Tony and McGee who obviously disapprove of Abby's choice of attire to wear as Palmer's Best Woman.

Noon, the guests have been seated in the church; Gibbs, Jenny, and Ziva are sitting on Palmer's side of the church. Standing at the alter is Palmer with his Best Woman Abby along with Palmer's ushers, Ducky, Tony, and McGee. "Did you get any tips from Gibbs?" Tony whispers and begins to laugh. The pastor raises a curious eyebrow over at Tony. "He's been married four times."

The music begins to play for the entrance of Breena's flower girl Zoey and her ring bearer, Ethan, following Zoey and Ethan, Breena's three Bridesmaids, Natalie, Jada, and Melinda, walk behind them, Breena's Matron of Honor, Tiffany follows down the aisle. Tiffany takes her place at the altar, the music changes to the traditional bride's entrance, the Bridal Chorus. The guests on both sides of the alter rise. Breena enters the room on the arm of her father Ed Slater. Over at the alter Palmer is taken back at his brides beauty and smiles at her.

Gibbs takes a hold of Jenny's hand just as Breena walks past their pew. "Two more months and it will be our turn." Gibbs inwardly smiles to himself.

Breena's father escorts his daughter up to her groom at the altar. Pastor McDevitt nods over at Breena and then over at Palmer. "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"I do!" Ed smiles and squeezes on to his daughters hands before walking off and sitting down with his family.

Forty minutes later, Mr. & Mrs. James Palmer walk out of the church as man and wife, their friends toss confetti and streamers at them as they make their way over towards their limo. The wedding party follows them behind and gets into a smaller limo. "So this is what we're going to expect from your wedding?" Ziva curiously asks Gibbs and Jenny who are standing beside her.

"Our wedding is going to have our immediate family and friends and that's it." Gibbs answers and then glances over at Jenny. "And no monkey suits."

"I gather Gibbs doesn't like tuxedos." Ziva giggles.

"No he can't tie a bow tie." Jenny laughs.

"Neither could my father." Ziva answers and flashes back to a memory when she observed her mother tying her father's bow tie for a formal dinner at the Israeli Minister's house.

Two hours later Palmer and Breena's family and friends are gathered in a banquet room at a four star restaurant for the wedding reception. The wedding party is introduced one at a time, Tony, escorting Natalie, Ducky escorting Jada, McGee escorting Melinda, Abby and Tiffany walk out with the ring bearer and the flower girl followed by the father of the bride Ed Slater escorting Breena's maternal grandmother, Ester into the room. "For the first time walking into the room, may I introduce for the first time the bride and groom, Mr. & Mrs. James Palmer." The Wedding coordinator announces.

Jimmy and Breena walk into the room with their family and friends applauding. "Beautiful couple" Ziva whispers into Jenny's ear at their table.

Five minutes later Gibbs is at the bar ordering two bourbon's. Tony walks over to Gibbs. "You look good in your tux boss." Tony smiles at him.

"I feel like a maître d." Gibbs growls.

"I'll have a scotch." Tony nods over at the bartender.

Ducky approaching the bar. "I thought you drank martinis." Ducky curiously asks Tony surprised at his choice of drink.

"I became a scotch man a few years ago for some reason." Tony shrugs and takes his drink from the bartender.

"I'll have a scotch." Ducky nods over at the bartender. "Jethro you look dashing in your tuxedo."

"He says that he feels like a maître d." Tony laughs.

"It's only for one day." Ducky answers and then glances back at the direction of Gibbs' table. "Jenny looks breath taking in her powder blue cocktail dress."

"She bought it in Paris a few months ago." Gibbs smiles and watches as Jenny talks with the guests in the table next to them.

"So your wedding is next." Tony answers.

"We'll start making plans for it this week, it's going to be immediate family and friends and that's it, we don't want a big wedding."

"That's the way it should be Jethro, you and Jenny are very private individuals." Ducky muses.

Gibbs noting that the gentleman in the next table over has his eyes focused on Jenny's chest. "Doesn't that jerk see the engagement ring on Jenny's finger?" Gibbs snaps in annoyance.

"He just figured, since you weren't around." Tony grins.

"I may not be around, but I do have a set of eyes." Gibbs barks and retrieves the two glasses of bourbon from on top of the bar.

"Mental note to keep my thoughts about Jenny's low cut V neck dress to myself." Tony inwardly gulps.

After dinner, Palmer and Breena dance for the first time to 'Just You and I' by Eddie Rabbit and Crystal Gayle'. Over at the head table Tony stares longingly over at Ziva from across the room. "He barely forgave me for breaking rule number twelve with EJ." Tony frowns.

Abby leans over and whispers into Ducky's ear. "Do you think that Gibbs and Jenny will get on the dance floor?"

"When a slow song comes on Abigail." Ducky whispers.

"Right Gibbs only knows five songs." Abby giggles.

Over at Gibbs' table, Gibbs notices the gentleman who was staring at Jenny's chest while he was at the bar, walking outside to get a cigarette. With Jenny's attention on Palmer and Breena, Gibbs gets up from the table and follows him outside. "Got a light?" The gentleman asks Gibbs.

Gibbs gets immediately gets into his face. "The redhead sitting at the table across from yours is wearing engagement ring on her left hand."

"Hey she's an easy target to look at with-" Gibbs quickly interrupts him by pulling back his left thumb. "Ow!" He screams in agony.

"I noticed you're wearing a wedding ring."

"Yeah so!" He screams.

"How would you feel if somebody were to look at your wife like that?" Gibbs snarls.

"Fat chance since she's fifty pounds overweight from having back to back sets of twins."

In disgust Gibbs shoves him down on the ground. "So because your wife isn't pleasing for you to look at anymore it gives you the excuse to look at another guy's woman." "If it wasn't for the fact that I was at a wedding reception I would beat the shit out of you." Gibbs angrily warns him.

Maggie walks outside. "Ralphie I thought I told you not-" Maggie stops in midsentence when she notices that her husband is lying on the ground. "What happened?"

"He tripped!" Gibbs lies and helps Ralphie up on to his feet.

Maggie spotting the pack of cigarette's on the ground. "I thought you promised me that you were going to quit." Maggie hisses at him.

"There his!" Ralphie lies.

"I don't smoke." Gibbs smirks and pats Ralphie on the back. "You're on your own." Gibbs laughs and walks back inside of the restaurant where the entire wedding party with the exception of Ducky is doing a group dance of the Electric Slide. "I need a slow one for me and Jenny." Gibbs smiles and walks over to the DJ's table, spotting a list of songs. "Wonder what slow songs that I'm familiar with that are on the list." Gibbs says to himself.

Back over at Jenny's table. "Jethro's been gone for a while." Jenny says out loud.

Ziva spotting Ralphie and Maggie walking back over to their table bickering back and forth. "Ut oh somebody is sleeping on the couch tonight." Ziva snickers.

"Good, since the pig had his eyes on my chest the entire time Jethro was over at the bar getting our drinks."

Gibbs returns to the table with two glasses of bourbon. "I needed some air." Gibbs lies and takes his seat beside Jenny.

"Ah huh!" Jenny answers knowing full well that he was up to something.

The song at the dance floor ends. "Let me see if Tony is up for another dance." Ziva smiles and gets up from her chair.

"Soon as a slow song comes on that I know I'll take you over to the dance floor."

Jenny listening to a familiar tune from the 80's, Gloria Estefan's 'Conga'. "And while you're waiting for a slow one to come on, I'm heading out on to the dance floor." Jenny smirks, kicking her heels under the table.

"You can dance to that crap."

"Watch and observe." Jenny seductively purrs and runs out on to the dance floor, joining, Tony, Ziva, Abby, Breena, and Palmer.

McGee walks over to Gibbs and sits beside him. "I don't know the moves to this song either boss." McGee laughs.

Gibbs smiling over at Jenny and the others. "I think Jenny has reverted back to her teens."

"She's just being herself for a change." "You figure the week we had in work."

"We all need some downtime after the week we just had."

After an hour of dancing, the groom and bride are standing in the middle of the dance floor with the bachelor's and bachelorette's gathering around in front of them waiting for the customary garter toss by the groom and traditional wedding bouquet toss by the bride. "Over here!" Abby squeals and waves her arms.

"Quit making yourself so obvious." Ziva laughs.

"First thing first, Palmer has to toss out Breena's garter, which I'm going to catch." Tony answers with a cocky grin on his face. Palmer gets down on his knee and pulls Breena's wedding dress above her knee. Several whistles are heard in the background, slowly Palmer pulls Breena's blue garter down her leg and over her foot. Palmer gets up and faces the over anxious group of bachelor's. Palmer already has a particular bachelor in mind and affectionately tosses Breena's garter over at Ducky. "Ducky no way." Tony protests.

"You were to desperate Tony." Jenny teases him in the background.

"Ok Breena, turn around!" Natalie playfully chastises her. Breena turns around; she tosses her bouquet over her shoulder. The women leap up and shove at one another, at the last second, Ester, Breena's maternal grandmother jumps in front of them; she shoves Ziva, Abby, Natalie, Tiffany, Jada, and Melinda down and catches her granddaughter's bouquet.

"Hey the relics beat us out." Tony grumbles.

"Speak for yourself, your catching up to us." Ester winks over at Tony and walks away.

Tony stands with his jaw dropped in disbelief. "I believe that's a first." Ziva laughs.

"I can't believe a seventy-five old lady just referred to me as a relic." Tony answers and glares over at the bar where Ester is having a drink with Ducky.

The bachelor's and bachelorette's return to their respective tables, Gibbs getting a signal by the head DJ that his song is about to be played, he loops his arm around Jenny's elbow and escorts her over to the middle of the dance floor. "Remember that song that came on the radio down in my basement after we had made love in my boat for the first time."

"Here and Now by Luther Vandross." Jenny softly answers.

On cue the DJ begins to play the song. Over at the head table, the wedding party takes in the sight of Gibbs and Jenny dancing alone on the dance floor. "I see Agent Gibbs finally got the courage to take Director Shepard out on to the dance floor." Palmer smiles.

"No he needed the right song to take her out on to the dance floor." Tony corrects him and smiles over at Gibbs and Jenny.

"I believe this is their first official dance together as a couple." Abby smiles in awe.

"No they danced several times at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball." McGee fondly answers.

"I hope you look at me like that when I'm Agent Gibbs' age." Palmer smiles and leans over and tenderly kisses Breena on the mouth.

"Kind hard not to Jimmy with Gibbs' hunky looks." Abby drools.

"Jenny ain't bad to look at either." Tony smirks.

"How old is Director Shepard?" Natalie curiously asks.

"Forty-eight, she'll be forty-nine in October." Tony answers.

"She looks about five years younger." Breena says with surprise.

"Jenny works out a lot."

Over on the dance floor the couple stares deeply into each other's eyes. "Here and now I promise to love faithfully." Gibbs sings for Jenny's ears to hear. "You're all I need." "Here and now I vow to be one with thee."

Jenny caught up with emotion wraps her arms around his neck and buries her face into his chest. "You're going to make me cry in front of everybody." Jenny trembles.

"Good, I want to show the woman I love that she's vulnerable in front of my family and friends." Gibbs smiles and kisses the top of her head.

Ducky returns to the head table wearing his garter on his left arm, watching Gibbs and Jenny on the dance floor. "Keep in mind Tony you'll have another chance at catching the garter soon."

"And the bouquet, I can't believe your grandmother beat us to it." Abby protests.

"She has a one track mind." Breena laughs.

"I believe I see tears of happiness streaming down Jenny's face." Tony snickers.

"The humor in that?" Breena curiously asks.

"We've never seen Jenny cry before she's usually is as stoic as Gibbs is, doesn't show much emotion." McGee answers.

"There was a time when Probationary Status Agent Shepard would frequently come down to Autopsy and cry on my shoulder." Ducky recalls.

"Gibbs got to his Probie." Tony shrugs.

"Out of all of Gibbs' Probie's, he was the hardest on Jenny."

"Why is that?" Breena asks.

"She was his first female trainee and had an answer for everything, Jethro threatened to duct tape her mouth in the Squad Room." Ducky laughs.

"I bumped into Stan Burley a few weeks ago, he told me about Probie Shepard's antics in the bullpen." Tony laughs.

"All I could say she gave Gibbs a run for his money." Ducky chuckles and continues to watch his cherished friends out on the dance floor.

Over on the dance floor just as the final verse of the song is being played, Gibbs pulls Jenny's face up and passionately kisses her on the mouth. "I love you." He whispers against her ear.

"I love you Jethro." Jenny answers with her voice quivering away with desire. "Soon as they cut the cake-"

"We're getting out of here." Gibbs interrupts her. "After slow dancing to this song, all I want to do is jump your ass." Gibbs impatiently growls.

The wedding cake is cut; Palmer and Breena affectionately place a piece of cake in each other's mouths. Gibbs and Jenny take a piece of cake to go. "The wedding was beautiful; I wish the both of you the best of luck." Jenny smiles at them.

"We want to thank you again for letting us have the use of your apartment in Paris for our honeymoon." Breena smiles.

"It saves you on spending your money on a hotel room."

With that Gibbs tugs on to Jenny's elbow. "Enjoy Paris." Gibbs nods over at them and escorts Jenny away.

At the door Abby stops them. "You're leaving early." Abby pouts at them.

"Abby it's after eight o'clock; Palmer and Breena have a midnight flight out to Paris." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Is there any particular reason why you want to leave now?" Abby mischievously asks them.

"That's need to know Abs." Gibbs smirks and walks out of the restaurant with Jenny in tow.

Tony who was standing behind Gibbs and Jenny unobserved. "Over anxious to get laid." Tony laughs.

"I'd say!" Abby giggles and spots Ziva staring over at Tony. "Somebody wants to dance with you."

Tony glances over at McGee, noting that his eyes are focused in the general direction of Abby. "I can say the same thing about you Abs." "Want to have a Tabby moment to make them jealous?"

"Why not since you're a better dancer?" Abby giggles.

"I have the moves where McGee does not." Tony grins.

Half an hour later at Gibbs' house, Gibbs and Jenny are down in the basement after fighting to get out of their respective wedding clothing Gibbs and Jenny fall down on top of the worktable. "You've been begging for it since this morning." Gibbs growls in sexual frustration and goes down on to his back.

Jenny nipping along Gibbs' jawline. "It's the other way around, you had your hand under my dress at the reception."

"It's a good thing that the table obstructed the view from under the table." Gibbs laughs.

Aggressively Jenny has her way with Gibbs' body on top of the worktable. "You going to lie there you bastard." Jenny chastises him.

"A woman's work is never done." Gibbs moans out.


	104. Rumor Has It

April 16th 2012

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

0900 Hours

Gibbs walks in. "Abs!" He shouts.

"I'm back here!" Abby hollers from the direction of her backroom.

Gibbs makes his way inside. "You said you had to show me something." Gibbs asks and approaches Abby who's sitting behind her desk.

"I snapped some photos at the reception the other day." Abby smiles and inserts a SD card into her computer. "This was my favorite picture that I took." Abby answers.

Gibbs smiles at a picture of him and Jenny on the dance floor, staring deeply into each other's eyes. "I finally get to see what everyone else see's." Gibbs says in awe.

"The both of you are in love, that's obvious from the picture." "What the picture tells me that it will last a lifetime's worth."

"After Shannon had died I didn't think I could find someone who completes me."

"Until you realized you had fallen in love with your partner." Abby smiles.

"I was beyond fallen Abs."

"So when's the big day?"

"We still haven't discussed it yet, sometime this week."

"The suspense is killing me." Abby pouts.

"Hey I've waited for thirteen years; you can wait a few more months." Gibbs snorts.

Down in Autopsy, Jenny walks in carrying a folder. Ducky sitting at his desk hears the familiar sounds of Jenny's heels clicking on the floor. "Director, what can I do for you?" Duck smiles.

"I have a question about Seaman Lester's autopsy report." Jenny answers.

"Go ahead!" Ducky answers and turns his chair in Jenny's direction.

"In your report you had stated that Seaman Lester had died from asphyxiation.

"Yes, someone clearly had their hands around the poor fellow's windpipe."

"Agent Caldwell found a vile of cyanide in Lester's trash can."

"Abby's running some tests on Lester's blood work; I'll have her check to see if there are any trances of cyanide in Seaman Lester's blood."

"I want to get the cause of death right." Jenny winces favoring her neck and right shoulder.

"You hurt yourself?" Ducky asks with concern.

"Slept on my neck the wrong way I guess." Jenny shrugs and is about to walk away.

"Let me take a look at it." Ducky asks and gets up from his chair.

"I'm fine!"

"I'll be the judge of that." Ducky sighs at his stubborn patient and shoves Jenny down on a nearby stool. "You looked beautiful at Palmer and Breena's wedding." Ducky smiles and begins to look over Jenny's neck and shoulder.

"You looked handsome in your tux."

"I heard that Jethro doesn't want to have a formal wedding." Ducky laughs.

"Small with immediate family and friends." "We don't want to make a big thing about it."

"Jenny it's your first marriage."

"And its Jethro's fifth." Jenny laughs.

"I attended all three of his weddings." Ducky chuckles.

"Including the wedding from hell." Jenny smirks.

"Diane wasn't too bad in the beginning." Ducky fondly recalls. "It's when the going got rough, Jethro hid down in his basement with his boat and Mason jar of bourbon."

"Either way Jethro would have gotten a headache, one from Diane one from a hangover." Jenny snickers.

"I believe last six months of his marriage to Diane Jethro hid at the office." "I believe Jethro had stated he had to keep an eye on the Probie."

"He was keeping his eye on the Probie's chest." Jenny laughs.

With that Gibbs walks into the room and notices Ducky examining Jenny. "You sick?" Gibbs frowns with worry and approaches his fiancée.

"I noticed that the Director was favoring her neck and shoulder."

"Some Icy Hot and a massage should do the trick later on tonight after she gets a hot bath." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"I'm fine; don't need the two of you ganging up on me." Jenny sighs in annoyance and gets up from her stool. "Soon as Abby gets in the results on Seaman Lester tell her to forward a copy up to my office." Jenny nods over at Ducky.

"As you wish Director." Ducky smiles at her and then draws his attention over towards Gibbs. "You wanted to see me?"

"Nah, I called Director's cell phone and got no answer." "Then I tried Cynthia's extension and she told me that the Director was down here with you."

"You wrapped up you murder investigation Friday night, what could you possibly want to talk to me about?"

"Do I need a reason to see you?"

"I don't have the time for this." Jenny sighs and starts off for the door.

Gibbs chases after her. "When do you have the time?"

"During lunch!" Jenny answers and steps out into the hallway with Gibbs following her from behind.

"Want to have lunch on 'The Shepard'?"

"I believe you don't have food in mind." Jenny seductively answers.

Gibbs with his hand on the small of Jenny's back escorts Jenny over to the elevator. "Hell no, my thoughts are on how I'm going to ravish your body all over." "And after I'm done that you are going to come undone underneath of me." Gibbs mischievously grins.

"No sex in the shower afterwards, my neck and shoulder aren't up for it."

"You keep forgetting about the bench seat that I have installed." Gibbs smirks.

Before Jenny can answer him the elevator doors open with Tony and Ziva standing in the back. "Going down?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"No we're going up." Gibbs answers.

"You need to come down with us; McGeek has uncovered something down in the Evidence Room."

"I can't go down, because I'm about to have a briefing with Jarvis up in MTAC in ten minutes." Jenny answers sharply.

Gibbs steps inside of the elevator and turns and glances over at Jenny. "Hold that thought until noon time." Gibbs baits her and presses the doors closed.

With the doors closing in her face. "Son of a bitch got the last word in." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

Down in the Evidence Room, McGee is looking over the bug that Gibbs had found in his basement. Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva step out of the elevator. "Talk to me?" Gibbs shouts over to his Junior Agent.

"You won't believe who bugged your basement." McGee nods up at Gibbs.

"Doctor Ryan!" Gibbs answers.

"How did you know that?"

"It's not the first time." Gibbs laughs.

"I wonder how long it's been there." Tony curiously asks.

"More than likely a week, the house stays unlocked during the day, Noemi could have been outside working in the garden while Ryan had sent in one of her technicians inside of the house."

"Do you think she heard anything important?" McGee asks.

Gibbs flashes back to Saturday night's love making session with Jenny on top of his worktable. "Oh yeah, top secret stuff that blew her mind." Gibbs answers with a Cheshire grin on his face.

An hour later at the diner, Gibbs is sitting at the booth by the door. Sam walks in. "I thought that you said that we wouldn't see one another for another nine years." Sam sweetly asks him and takes a seat across from him.

Gibbs tosses Sam's bug across the table. "I found this yesterday morning down in my basement."

"You were never that whipped in bed with me."

"Kind of easy, when I have a set of D-cups hanging in front of my face." Gibbs smirks.

"You seem to approve of them nine years ago." Sam sweetly reminds him.

"Nine years ago you kept yourself up."

"I believe women should age naturally." Sam bitterly answers.

"Age naturally when you hit sixty-five."

"So you called me over for coffee so you could personally attack me, how mature."

"No I called you over for coffee so that I would let you know that you were spying on me."

"If I would have known that I was listening into a four hour sex session between you and the Director of NCIS, I wouldn't have bothered installing the bug down in your basement."

"It was a three hour sex session down in the basement." Gibbs corrects her.

"It's good to know that you still have your stamina." Sam winks.

"You never could go all night with me Doc, within two hours you were sound to sleep in bed and I would go down in my basement and work on my boat."

"You never slept back then." Sam sadly answers.

"I had no reason too, sleep just wasted valuable time on things that I could be doing at home or at the office."

"I still get up at four in the morning and make breakfast for myself." Sam smiles.

"I'm sleeping at four in the morning."

"Now, back then it was a different story." Sam frowns.

"A long time ago you had said to me that I make people feel safe."

"You do!" Sam smiles.

"Well I need to feel safe as well, the only times in my life that I felt safe and secure at night when I slept in bed is when my mother was alive, when I was married to my first wife Shannon-"

"And with Jenny." Sam finishes.

"We both struggle through the same inner demons." "I'm there for Jenny when she wakes up from one of her nightmares and Jenny is there for me when I wake up from one of my nightmares."

"So the two of you complement one another."

"More than you know Doc." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Gwen their waitress walks over. "Can I take your order now?"

"Just coffee and I believe I see a lemon meringue pie in the cake and pie display?"

"And Doctor Ryan?" Gwen nods over at her.

"Coffee and lemon meringue pie." Sam smiles.

"Coming right up." Gwen nods and walks away.

"Jethro I wish you and Jenny luck, you of all people deserve to be happy." Sam softly says to him.

"No, Jenny is the lucky one and if anyone, she deserves to be happy with everything that she's went through in her life." Gibbs smiles.

While Gibbs and Sam are at the diner, Tony, Ziva, Abby, and McGee are down in Abby's Lab gossiping about their dysfunctional parents. "Rumor has it that there's going to be a July wedding." Tony informs his siblings with a smirk on his face.

"It's not a rumor Tony I told you about it Saturday night when I overheard Gibbs and Jenny talking at the table." Ziva answers and rolls her eyes at him.

"As much as I enjoyed Palmer and Breena's wedding this will be the wedding of the year." Abby smiles.

"Face it we've been looking forward to this moment for seven years." Tony affectionately answers.

"After Gibbs returned from Mexico I didn't think it was going to happen between them." McGee admits.

"I didn't I always believed." Abby playfully chastises McGee.

"You always believed until you heard the news of Jenny's death."

"That's ancient history McGee, Gibbs and Jenny have been given a second chance."

"Second chance on love." Ziva smiles.

'The Shepard'

1230 Hours

In bed in cuddling in each other's arms Gibbs and Jenny discuss a wedding date. "So we finally agree on July 6th as a wedding date." Gibbs smiles.

"The question is where will we hold the ceremony at?"

"I haven't gotten that far yet." Gibbs laughs.

"And will it be a pastor or a judge that officiates the wedding ceremony."

"I haven't gotten that far yet either."

"No you wanted to dump that responsibility on me."

"I know I don't want to get married in a church."

"With your track record." Jenny giggles.

"Cute!" Gibbs snorts.

"Which wedding from hell did you flashback to?" Jenny giggles.

"All of them in one shot." Gibbs laughs.

"Did you and Shannon marry in a church?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Yes we did, it was small and intimate with only Shannon's mother Joann present." Gibbs tenderly recalls.

"That's how I want our wedding small and intimate with our immediate family and friends."

"And afterwards we'll have our wedding reception at the diner."

Jenny sits up in bed. "I want it to be breakfast."

"We'll get married in the morning, go out to breakfast and then sail off on our honeymoon around noon."

"Hopefully we'll be in Martha's Vineyard by Saturday."

Gibbs affectionately rubs Jenny's calf. "A week sailing with the woman I love." Gibbs smiles.

"No, a week sailing with your wife." Jenny corrects him.

Gibbs pulls Jenny on top of him. "Finally!"

Jenny leans over and passionately kisses Gibbs on the mouth, just as things are beginning to heat up between them; Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Of all the times to get a phone call." Gibbs growls and gets out of bed. Jenny admiring the view in front of her. "Quit looking at my ass." Gibbs barks.

"It's in front of me Leroy." Jenny smirks.

Gibbs retrieves his cell phone from his pants pocket. "Yeah, Gibbs!" He answers….."We'll be right there."

Jenny climbs out of bed. "I take it it's a case."

"Yeah, dead Private was found in Rock Creek Park." "I don't have the time to take you back to the office."

"I guess I'll come with you."

"But keep in mind I'm the boss out on the field, you take my lead."

"Deal, but I won't be calling you boss." Jenny sweetly answers and walks away.

"You never did in the past." Gibbs laughs and shakes his head, pressing in the speed dial number to Tony's cell phone. "DiNozzo gear up dead Private was found in Rock Creek Park, the Director and I will meet the three of you-" Gibbs rolls his eyes when Tony interrupts him on the phone. "Yes I said the Director; it's a waste of time for me to drop her off at headquarters." Gibbs growls at his Senior Field Agent.

In the shower Jenny has finished rinsing off with Gibbs steps in. "Thank god for shower caps." Gibbs chuckles.

"Don't have the time to dry my hair." Jenny shrugs and hands Gibbs the soap and wash cloth. "I'll get dressed so that I don't distract you at the task at hand." Jenny purrs and steps out of the shower.

"Keep in mind I could easily distract you as well." Gibbs mischievously answers.

"Yes but it involves using the shower nozzle in between my legs."

"There isn't a shower sprayer nozzle in the shower at your office."

Jenny rolls her eyes at him. "I'll meet you out in the galley." Jenny mutters and walks out of the bathroom.

"That's twice that I've gotten the last word in on her today." Gibbs laughs.


	105. American Idioms

Rock Creek Park

1315 Hours

Tony, Ziva, and McGee get out of the truck. "I can't believe Gibbs brought the Director to a crime scene." Tony says with surprise.

"Um didn't Vance frequently show up at crime scenes?" McGee reminds him.

"Too many times and Gibbs let him get away with it." Tony grumbles.

Ziva spotting Gibbs and Jenny near a picnic table. "There's Gibbs and the Director." Ziva nods.

Ducky pulls up alongside of their truck. "I thought I would have beaten you here." Ducky chuckles and gets out of the truck.

"We were eating lunch at headquarters when Gibbs called me to meet them here." Tony answers.

"Them?" Ducky answers in confusion.

"Ducky, Gibbs and the Director were both out of the building during lunch time."

Ducky glances off towards the picnic area and notices Gibbs and Jenny processing the crime scene together. "Seems like old times." Ducky fondly answers.

Over at the crime scene, Gibbs and Jenny are looking for clues. "I found a shell casing." Jenny shouts.

Gibbs spotting his team off in the distance standing around talking with Ducky. "We have a dead Marine people move your asses." Gibbs angrily snarls at them to get moving.

Jenny laughs as she watches Tony, Ziva, and McGee scurry to the back of the truck to unload the crime scene equipment. "It's amazing how you can get people to move their asses."

"I never had to growl at you to get moving."

"That's because I didn't stand around and gossip all the time like your current team does."

Tony, Ziva, and McGee approach Gibbs and Jenny. "What do we have?" Tony curiously asks.

"Private Barry Sizemore, looks like he took several gunshot wounds to the chest." Gibbs informs his team.

Ziva spotting a book on top of the picnic table and a bottle of water and an uneaten container of yogurt. "Seems that he was planning on meeting someone for breakfast or an early lunch." Ziva surmises.

"Jogger found Sizemore about an hour and a half ago." Jenny answers.

"Where's the jogger at?" Tony asks.

"The Director questioned him already." Gibbs answers and points to a shell casing on the ground. "I want that marked and photographed."

"On it!" McGee nods and takes out a yellow crime scene marker from his bag.

Jenny takes in her surroundings. "Our suspect could have left the scene from anywhere." Jenny sighs in frustration.

"There's a popular bike and joggers trail nearby." McGee answers.

Ducky approaches with his medical bag. "Jethro, Director!" Ducky addresses his two bosses. He sadly stares down at the young deceased Marine. "He can't be more than nineteen years old."

"Eighteen, he just finished SOI at Camp Geiger." Gibbs frowns.

"Where was he stationed at?" Tony inquires.

"Quantico for eight weeks, then Sizemore and his unit were going to get sent over to Afghanistan." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Ducky gets down on his knee. "I'll give you the time of death in a minute."

Off in the distance hidden up in a tree, unknown to Gibbs and his team, Sizemore's killer is watching their every move. "NCIS ruined my brother Jake's service career in the Navy, he was all set to be promoted to Commander when he got arrested for raping a female Lieutenant on his aircraft carrier that he was stationed on. "Time to pay up."

Just as the killer is about to take a shot at Gibbs and his team, a group of school students on a picnic gather around at the bottom of the tree. "Mrs. O'Malley what's going on over there?" A young female student curiously asks her teacher.

"Something bad happened it looks like and the police are handling it." O'Malley softly answers.

NCIS Headquarters

1600 Hours

Gibbs and his team are looking at the crime scene photos on plasma screen next to McGee's desk. "I still don't understand why we don't have a touch screen monitor yet, we're still in the dark ages while the OSP Team out in LA has all the latest gadgets." McGee protests.

"That's because I do not want the latest gadgets, it took me ten years to learn what we have here." Gibbs growls and gets on to the subject at hand. "Tony, Ziva, and McGee I want the three of you to go over to Sizemore's barracks over at Quantico and talk to his CO and members of his unit to see if he had any enemies."

"You think it was someone from his unit that might have a grudge against him." McGee curiously asks.

"Or someone that Sizemore knew from his hometown." Gibbs answers.

"Sizemore is from Mayfield, Kentucky." Ziva says as she glances down at a copy of Sizemore's service record.

Tony looking over Ziva's shoulder. "It says he graduated from Mayfield High School last June."

"Are we going to take a road trip to Mayfield?" McGee asks.

"Depends on what we find out on from Sizemore's unit." Gibbs answers.

Marine Corps Base Quantico

Marine Corps Combat Development Command

Lieutenant Colonel William Brock Office

Tony, Ziva, McGee are questioning Private Sizemore's Commanding Officer. "So you're saying that Private Sizemore didn't have any enemies." Tony asks.

"None, he was popular with his unit." Brock sharply answers.

"We need to speak to his unit." Ziva prompts him.

"They should be in the chow hall eating."

Ziva narrows her eyes over at Tony. "Chow hall!"

"Marine slang used for a place to eat and socialize at." Tony answers.

"I learn something new every day." Ziva shrugs.

Few minutes later Tony, Ziva, and McGee are out on the base heading over to the Chow Hall. "I can't believe you didn't know what a chow hall was." Tony laughs.

"Shoot me; there are thousands of American idioms that I still have to learn DiNozzo." Ziva hisses.

"And I'll bust up on you every time for not knowing there meaning." Tony smirks.

"I have a bad feeling about this investigation that we're working on." McGee sighs.

"What's to worry about?" "Marine was found dead in a park, we'll have it figured out in no time." Tony answers with cocky grin on his face.

Back at headquarters, Gibbs is down at Autopsy standing beside Private Sizemore's body on the autopsy table. "Jethro the poor lad had no chance at all." "The first bullet shredded his heart." "Death was instantaneous." Ducky frowns.

"And the second bullet?"

"That was lodged in his lung." Ducky answers and hands Gibbs the evidence jar. "It's relatively intact and Abby should be able to determine what weapon it was fired from."

"5.56 millimeter slug!" Gibbs answers and rolls his eyes. "We're looking at a damn assault rifle that was used to kill Sizemore."

"And he was shot at close range." "A bit over kill."

"No somebody wanted to send a message." Gibbs snaps and hands Ducky the evidence jar back. "Tell Abby I want her to get on that ASAP."

"Do you think we may have a sniper on the loose?"

"I hope not!" Gibbs answers and starts off for the door.

Few minutes later up in Jenny's Office. "Hopefully Tony, Ziva, and McGee came up with something with Sizemore's unit." Jenny says while reading Ducky's preliminary autopsy report on Sizemore.

"The person that shot him is obviously skilled and knows there way around an assault rifle."

"I'll make a phone call to Sizemore's CO and see if I can get his unit restricted to base until further notice." "It may have been a random shooting-"

"Or it could be someone who has a grudge against his unit." Gibbs interrupts.

1800 Hours

The team, along with Jenny and Abby are eating Chinese take-out in the Squad Room. Jenny sitting at Gibbs' desk, Ziva sitting with Tony at his desk, and Abby sitting with McGee at his desk. "Sizemore had no enemies and was extremely popular with his unit and when he went through boot camp at Parris Island." Tony says to them in between bites of his Shrimp Chow Mein.

"Something isn't adding up." Gibbs answers between bites of his Kung Pao Chicken.

"I told you I had a bad feeling about this case." McGee grumbles over at Tony.

"And it won't be easy for us to solve either Tony." Ziva answers in a snippy tone of voice.

"If it were easy Agent David, NCIS wouldn't need a Major Case Response Team unit." Jenny says to her finishing up the contents of her Wonton soup.

"So where do we go from here, fly out to Kentucky and interview Sizemore's family and friends." Tony suggests.

"We might have to." Gibbs answers.

"I've never been to Kentucky." Ziva smiles.

"I have several times." Tony mumbles.

"Ohio State and Kentucky games." Abby announces.

"Which Kentucky won most of the time?" Tony sighs.

"If nothing comes up by tomorrow afternoon I want you and your team on a flight out to Kentucky." Jenny orders them.

"Great I'm wondering what our hotel accommodations are going to be?" Tony whines.

"Agent DiNozzo your hotel accommodations should be the least of your worries at this time." "The focus should be on bringing Private Sizemore's killer to justice." Jenny chastises him.

"As usual you stuck your foot in your mouth." Ziva sighs in exasperation.

"I don't understand the younger agent's mentality these days Jethro." "Their more worried about modern convenience over the task at hand." "You and I had worse sleeping arrangements back in the day."

"DiNozzo wouldn't have made it through the first night on that stake out in Marseille." Gibbs smirks.

"Why is that boss?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"It was August, the temperature outside was a hundred degree's and Jenny and I were up in an attic with no air conditioning."

"No breeze coming from the window." Jenny laughs and shakes her head.

"No air!" Tony gulps.

"Nope!" Gibbs snorts.

"How did you keep your mind off of the heat?" McGee curious asks.

"By concentrating on our job, which was to photograph everything that came on and off a Lebanese trawler that was out in the harbor." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"How long where you there?" Tony shrugs.

"Three days, and two nights." Jenny answers.

"I don't think I could survive after the first night." Tony cringes.

"You wouldn't have survived the first four hours." Gibbs growls.

"Did you get any sleep?" McGee nods.

"A little on the first night, the second night it became unbearable."

"I believe it was a hundred and four outside and the attic must have been ten degrees hotter." Jenny sighs.

Gibbs getting aroused at the conversation that's about to take place quickly changes the subject. "Abby you figure out what weapon fired those 5.56mm bullets?"

"Gibbs do you know how many assault rifles use that ammo." Abby protests.

"Yes I do and it's your job to narrow down which rifle was used."

Jenny's Blackberry begins to ring, she takes her phone from her waist band and glances down at the caller ID. "Sizemore's CO!" Jenny openly says. "Director Shepard!" Jenny answers and gets up from her chair.

"Wonder what Lieutenant Colonel Brock wants?" Tony asks.

"Maybe something came up after we left." Ziva answers.

"No problem!" Jenny answers and hangs up. "It's not about the case; he wanted to know when Private Sizemore's body will be released to his family." "I told him that our ME should be finished up by tomorrow morning the earliest."

"Parents biggest worry when their son or daughter joins one of the branches of the armed services is losing them in combat." Gibbs frowns.

"Not to a callous cold blooded killer." Jenny answers and picks up her pint of pork and broccoli. "I'll finish this up in my office; I have some preliminary reports that I have to review." Jenny nods and walks away.

"I guess we're going to be burning the midnight oil tonight." Tony answers and tosses his empty container into the trash can.

"Until we get the job done." Gibbs answers.

An hour later down in Abby's Lab, Abby has several assault rifles line up on racks in the ballistics chamber. Tony, Ziva, and McGee walk in. "Come up with an answer yet?" Tony curiously asks.

"I haven't started yet." Abby sighs in annoyance. "Here are several assault rifles that I'm using in comparison, the Robinson Armament XCR, M4 Carbine, M-16, and Bushmaster AR-15 Rifle." Abby answers.

"The Bushmaster was the Beltway Sniper's choice of weapon." Tony sadly reminisces.

"That's a time period I do not want to relive again." Abby frowns at the memory of being in fear of being the DC Sniper's next victim.

"District of Columbia and the states Virginia and Maryland people stayed in their homes at night." Tony nods.

"I had just started as a case agent at Norfolk." McGee answers sharply.

"I hope we don't have a copycat killer." Tony announces with Ziva narrowing her eyes at him in confusion. "A similar killer Ziva."

"The Beltway Sniper shot and killed people at random, because he was trying to take out his ex-wife so that he could gain custody of his children." "I don't think Sizemore's killer is out to murder his ex-wife." McGee answers.

"I think Sizemore's killer has an agenda." Ziva nods.

"Whatever it is, hopefully we'll be able to stop the killer before another he or she claims another victim." Tony announces.

Outside near the Squad Room windows, Gibbs is walking off his dinner. Taking in the view of the harbor. "Best time to view the harbor is at sunrise or sunset." Gibbs smiles and walks over river. "Jenny and I use to sit out here at first light, whenever we worked a case over night." "Nobody would be in the office to catch the two of us having a romantic breakfast as we watched the sunrise off in the distance." Gibbs fondly recalls. Suddenly he gets an idea and takes his cell phone from his pocket.

Jenny's Office

Jenny pouring herself a glass of ginger ale at her mini bar. "Something I ate isn't agreeing with me." She groans and is about to walk over to her desk when her Black Berry begins to ring. "It better not be Jarvis calling me back." Jenny sighs in annoyance. Retrieving her phone from her waistline. "Jethro and I hope this isn't an obscene phone call." Jenny giggles… "Yes Jethro!"

"Walk over to your window?"

"Why?" Jenny shrugs.

"Do it!"

"Jethro I'm not in the mood to play games." Jenny grumbles and walks over to the window and spots Gibbs looking up at her from the fence along the river. "Shouldn't you be working?"

"I just found our wedding location." Gibbs smirks up at her. Before Jenny can answer him a gunshot is fired against her office window. Gibbs drops down on to the ground below the fence. "Get down!" He frantically screams.

To Be Continued


	106. Vengence From A Sniper

Previously On NCIS

Team Gibbs along with Jenny and Ducky are at Rock Creek Park investigating the murder of Private Barry Sizemore. While they look over the crime scene, Sizemore's killer is several feet away positioning himself up in a tree with an assault rifle pointing towards Gibbs and his team. "NCIS ruined my brother Jake's service career in the Navy, he was all set to be promoted to Commander when he got arrested for raping a female Lieutenant on his aircraft carrier that he was stationed on. "Time to pay up."

Just as the killer is about to take a shot, a group of school students on a picnic gather around at the bottom of the tree.

Later that afternoon down in Autopsy, Gibbs learns that Sizemore was shot with a 5.56mm bullet. "We're looking at a damn assault rifle that was used to kill Sizemore." Gibbs announces to Ducky who admits that Sizemore's killer had shot him at close range.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee head to Quantico and question Sizemore's CO and fellow Marines on his unit; find that he was extremely popular with his unit and had no enemies. "I have a bad feeling about this investigation that we're working on." McGee sighs.

"What's to worry about?" "A Marine was found dead in a park, we'll have it figured out in no time." Tony answers with cocky grin on his face.

Later that evening after eating Chinese take-out Gibbs is outside walking off his dinner near the Squad Room window. Taking in the view of the harbor. "Best time to view the harbor is at sunrise or sunset." Gibbs smiles and walks over river. "Jenny and I use to sit out here at first light, whenever we worked a case over night." "Nobody would be in the office to catch the two of us having a romantic breakfast as we watched the sunrise off in the distance." Gibbs fondly recalls. Suddenly he gets an idea and takes his cell phone from his pocket.

While Gibbs is making his phone call to Jenny, across the river in Anacostia Park, Sizemore's killer has his Bushmaster AR-15 Rifle pointed at him. "Open season on NCIS Special Agents, I doubt that anyone would miss you old man." He laughs and is about to pull the trigger when he notices Jenny up in the window talking on her Black Berry. "This is even better, I'll take out the Director of NCIS and this washed up old man at the same time." The sniper gloats and aims his rifle in the direction of Jenny's window. "Bye, bye Director Shepard." The sniper menacingly snickers and pulls the trigger. The bullet hits the window and deflecting off of it leaving a crack at the base. "Damn it!" He angrily seethes and is about to take aim at Gibbs, who ducked under the base of the fence. "This place is going to be crawling with Metro PD and Navy cops soon." The sniper sighs and jumps into his nearby red 1975 Scout Traveler.

Down in Abby's Lab, Tony, Ziva, Abby, and McGee are down in the ballistics' chamber when the alarm goes off. "Wonder what's going on?" They ask out loud and run out of the room and over to Abby's desk, where McGee notices a message up on the monitor. "Director's Office has taken on gunfire." McGee reads…With that, Tony, Ziva, and McGee rush out of the lab.

"Oh my god!" Abby screams and picks up her cordless phone, dialing Ducky's extension number. "Ducky, I guess you saw the message up on your computer?"

Upstairs in MTAC Jenny is safely sitting in the front row talking on her Blackberry with SecNav Jarvis. "I don't know whose responsible sir." "Soon as Metro PD has Anacostia Park closed off Gibbs and his team will be heading over to process the crime scene. "In the meantime I'm ordering my agents over to NCIS Headquarters over at Quantico." "I'm not taking any chances at any of my people getting shot." "I'll work out of MTAC for the time being and I'm having cots set up down in the Evidence Room for the few agents that will be staying behind."

While Jenny is talking with Jarvis on the phone, Gibbs is pacing back in forth under the plasma screen growling at Tony on his cell phone. "Yes the Director took on gunfire; luckily the bullet resistance glass deflected the bullet." Gibbs frantically snaps. "We're both in MTAC; I want a briefing with the three of you." Gibbs orders him and hangs up.

A minute later, Tony, Ziva, and McGee rush down the ramp. "Soon as Metro PD closes off Anacostia Park, we'll be heading over to process the crime scene." Gibbs instructs them.

"Do you think it was somebody out to get the Director?" Tony curiously asks.

"Don't know, maybe something leaked out about her working as a CIA Operative, I don't know." Gibbs shrugs.

"Soon as I find out something sir, I'll get back to you." Jenny answers and hangs up. "Until further notice I've ordered all NCIS Agents that work at the Navy Base to work out of our main headquarters at Quantico." Jenny announces.

"Including us!" Tony protests.

"Major Case Response Team and my protection detail are to stay at the Navy Yard along with Ducky and Abby." "Abby will have to work down in the Evidence Room until further notice."

"Jen, Abby needs to run some tests on the rifle that was used to kill Sizemore."

"Then I'll have some concrete barriers positioned in front of her window." Jenny relents.

"How long do you think we'll have to remain in the building?" Tony asks.

"For the duration, I want all of you kept safe."

Anacostia Park

With the flood lights on the crime scene, Tony finds a shell casing from the snipers rifle. "Boss this looks similar to the shell casing that we found in Rock Creek Park."

"I found tire impressions." McGee shouts.

"I want the entire area photographed and the park on lock down until further notice." "Once we're done here, I want the three of you out with a metal detector under the Director's window looking for that bullet."

"Boss its dark outside." Tony grumbles.

"That's what a flash light is for." Gibbs barks.

Up in MTAC Jenny is on the phone with Cynthia. "If you come over to the Navy Yard, you'll won't be allowed to leave the building Cynthia."

Cynthia's Apartment

"Ma'am I fully aware of that." Cynthia softly answers and takes out a carry-on bag from her closet. "I'll bring a change of clothes for about a week."

"Cynthia you don't know what you're getting yourself into." Jenny frowns.

"It's part of the package deal when you work for the Director of NCIS." Cynthia smiles.

"I have one more phone call that I have to make; I don't want Noemi coming over to Jethro's house until further notice."

"You want me to stop by the house to pick up a change of clothing?" Cynthia curiously asks.

"That's too risky."

"What if Melvin picks me up at my apartment and drives me over?"

"I didn't think of that." "I'll call Melvin first than Noemi."

"I'll see you within the hour." Cynthia answers and hangs up.

Jenny hangs up her phone than pushes in the speed dial button for Melvin's cell phone. "Melvin, I need you to pick Cynthia up at her apartment." "She is going to stop by Gibbs' house to pick up a change of clothes for me on the way over to the Navy Yard."

While Jenny is on the phone with Melvin, Gibbs and his team are across the river. "McGee I want you checking every video camera in a ten mile square radius after the three of you are done looking for bullet that hit the Director's window."

McGee down on his knee near the tire skid marks. "Boss we're looking at a truck or SUV looks like thirty-six inch tires."

"At least it narrows down the vehicle that you'll be looking for."

Back over at the Navy Yard, with the concrete barriers in front of the windows of Abby's Lab, Abby has finished up test firing the assault rifles and begins to compare the bullets that were used at her workstation. "I can't seem to focus." Abby frowns with worry. "I need to do something to help out." Abby sighs and runs her fingers through the edges of her pigtails. Suddenly she remembers that after Mikel had sneaked into the Navy Yard, the camera's that were installed out in the courtyard above her lab. "I suddenly feel useful." Abby smiles and walks over to her keyboard. "Let's see if I can see who our mystery shooter is."

Ducky walks in. "Did you hear from Gibbs or the Director?" Ducky curiously asks.

"No not yet, I'm checking to see if I can make out the Director's shooter from the video cameras that were installed around the building after Mikel Mawher sneaked on to the base."

Ducky walks over to her. "Hopefully Gibbs will catch the bastard." Ducky angrily scoffs.

The video footage appears onscreen. "It's a bit grainy across the river; I definitely can make out the vehicle make."

"What is it?"

"International Harvest Scout Traveler, my boyfriend drove one back home." Abby smiles and tries to clean up the video footage. "I can't get the Director's shooter in to good, but it's definitely a Scout."

"Red!"

"And between the color and the vehicle being rare, it should be easily found on some of the surveillance cameras."

Anacostia Park

"Good work Abby, now we know what we're looking for; while we're wrapping up with the crime scene I want you checking all the surveillance cameras up and down Anacostia Drive." Gibbs orders her.

"I'm looking into it as we speak." Abby smiles.

"Soon as this is wrapped up the Caff-Pow's are on me for the next month."

"And I'll keep you to your word, Silver Haired Fox." Abby giggles and hangs up.

Two Hours Later, Jenny and Cynthia are watching the video footage of the Scout driving along Anacostia Drive. "Scout was stolen this morning." Jenny sighs.

"And conveniently he wore black and green camouflage to cover up his face." Cynthia frowns.

"Sunglasses and a hat to shield his head and face, and wore gloves and a long sleeve shirt so that he wouldn't leave a trace of his DNA."

"What are we dealing with ma'am?"

"Somebody who has a grudge against NCIS." "I think Private Sizemore was the bait that lured us into it."

"The question is who?"

"Hopefully somebody who's not out to get me because of my past as a CIA Operative."

Squad Room

"We'll be right over." Tony answers and hangs up. "Boss, Metro Police found the Scout Traveler over in the Hillside section of the city on Jansen Avenue." Tony shouts from his desk.

"I want you and McGee go get the tow truck."

"Tow truck?" Tony questions.

"Evidence Tech's are not in the building." Gibbs grumbles at Tony's sudden stupidity.

"Right!"

"Take some photos of the surrounding area and tow the Scout in front of the Evidence Room." "I'll have Abby go over it first thing in the morning."

An hour later, Tony and McGee are in front of the garage door outside of the Evidence Room. "I wonder why Gibbs didn't want us to bring the Scout inside of the Evidence Room." Tony asks.

"How should I know?" McGee shrugs and presses in the code to open up the garage door.

Inside the Evidence Room, Jenny, Ziva, Abby, and Cynthia are sitting around a table playing poker dressed in sweats. "Again!" Abby whines in protest.

"Abby nobody can beat Jenny at poker." Ziva laughs.

With that the garage door opens. Tony and McGee step inside. "A pajama party down in the Evidence Room." Tony grins and walks over to them.

"Jealous because you weren't invited Tony." Ziva smirks.

McGee closes the door. "Does Gibbs know you're down here Ziva?"

"No and I don't know where he's at?"

"Besides why does it matter?" "I'll just over rule him." Jenny laughs and begins to shuffle the deck of cards.

"Anybody interested in strip poker?" Tony mischievously asks.

"And scare the Director, Abby, and Cynthia with your furry butt." Ziva snickers.

Cynthia raises a curious eyebrow over at Tony. "She saw me naked when I stepped out of the shower in our hotel suite the time we posed as married assassins." Tony quickly lies.

McGee remembering how the sheets were messed up on the bed. "A huh!" He mumbles.

"What was that Probie?"

"Nothing!" McGee answers and notices the cots. "So we're sleeping down here?"

"Until further notice and I want you, Tony and Gibbs to pack up all essentials from your desks and move it down here." Jenny instructs them.

"Doesn't Metro PD have Anacostia Park sealed off?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"Nothing is lock tight McGee." "I want my remaining people at the Navy Yard to be kept safe."

Down in Autopsy, Gibbs and Ducky are sharing a cup of tea together. "This is the correct way to brew tea Jethro."

"You brew your tea your way; I'll brew mine my way." Gibbs playfully growls.

"Looks like Jenny won't be getting that hot bath and rub down tonight."

"I completely forgot about that."

"Jethro you have more important things on your mind at the moment."

"Bringing in that son of a bitch before he takes out one of my people or an innocent military personnel or civilian." Gibbs icily answers.

"I haven't seen you like this since you went after Jonas Cobb."

"Bullet resistance glass is the reason why Jenny didn't get shot at." Gibbs snaps.

Ducky noting the time on the wall. "It's almost 2300 hours, soon as I'm finished with this cup of tea I'll be heading downstairs to get some sleep."

"Tony and McGee should be back by now, I'll see if anything turned up at the area where the Scout was parked at."

Ducky's thoughts go to Palmer and Breena, who are in Paris on their honeymoon. "Mr. Palmer sent me some photos from Paris."

"At least Palmer's safe on his honeymoon with his wife."

"Jethro you will catch the sniper." Ducky reassures him.

"It better be soon, just the idea of sleeping in separate beds." Gibbs groans.

"You'll survive!" Ducky snorts and takes a sip of his cup of tea.

"My lower anatomy won't survive." Gibbs snarls in sexual frustration.

Howard Johnson Express Inn

New York Avenue

In room number twenty-four, the NCIS Sniper is in the shower cleaning up. "So close!" He sighs in disappointment. "Jake, I promise you I won't fail the next time." "They are going to pay for what they did to you." The Sniper vows.

Back at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs walks into the bullpen and finds Tony and McGee gathering up some of the belongings from their desk. "What are you doing?"

"By orders of Director Shepard, we're to work out of the Evidence Room, starting tomorrow." "She wants you to gather some of your belongings as well." McGee smoothly says to him.

Gibbs glances over at Ziva's empty desk. "Where's David?"

"Having a PJ Party down in Evidence Lock Up with the Director, Abby, and Cynthia." Tony tattles.

"Who told her to stop working?" Gibbs barks.

"The Director!" Tony and McGee answer at the same time.

With that Gibbs storms off towards the direction of the elevator. "I just love it when mommy over rules him." McGee laughs.

Evidence Room

Cynthia tosses her cards down on the table. "I'm out and I'm heading to bed, once I go to the bathroom." Cynthia laughs and gets up from the chair and walks off for the bathroom.

Ducky settled into his cot. "Director how's your neck and shoulder?"

"Fine I'll live Doctor." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"What did you do to your neck and shoulder?" Abby frowns with worry.

"Slept on it wrong, it's nothing Abby."

Gibbs stalks out of the elevator. "Ut oh, daddy doesn't look like he's happy with you Ziva." Abby giggles.

Gibbs storms over to the table. "Shouldn't you be working?" Gibbs growls.

"Tomorrow morning Agent Gibbs."

"The sniper is on the loose and may go after someone else." Gibbs angrily says to Jenny. "I can't believe you're taking this lightly."

"I'm not taking this lightly." "We don't have any evidence on who he is." "Tony, Ziva, McGee, Abby, Ducky, and Cynthia are tired." "I'm beat!" "A decent night's sleep and we'll regroup in the morning."

"Decent night's sleep." Gibbs mumbles under his breath.

Cynthia returns from the bathroom. "Somebody looks grumpy." Cynthia teases Gibbs.

"Just a wounded little boy who won't get his way." Jenny smirks.

Half an hour later, everybody is laying in their cots, girls on one side of the room, boys on the other. "This reminds me of nursery school when they would put us down during nap time." Tony laughs.

Gibbs who's sexually frustrated cobalt blue eyes are focused in on his fiancée from across the room. "I never took naps."

"Neither did I, my mother would say that I was too nosey and was too interested in seeing what the grown-ups were doing." Jenny snickers.

"Ok, I want everybody to go to sleep." Gibbs orders them and closes his eyes.

"Goodnight Tony!" Abby cheerfully calls out to him.

"Good night Abby!" Tony answers back. "Good night McGeek." Tony calls over to him.

"Good night Tony." McGee answers back. "Good night Ziva!" McGee calls over to her.

"Good night McGee." Ziva answers back. "Good night Ducky!" Ziva calls over to him.

"Good night Ziva!" Ducky mumbles half asleep.

Before the Gibblets can finish saying their goodnights to their dysfunctional parents. "Enough go to sleep!" Gibbs shouts at them.

"Aw boss your ruining our Walton's group goodnight." Tony playfully baits him. Gibbs who's cot is next to Tony's leans over and head slaps Tony on the back of the head. "Ow!" Tony grimaces.

"Good night Madame Director." Gibbs teases his lover.

"Good night Leroy!"

With that the entire group bursts out laughing. "I hate it when she calls me by my first name." Gibbs inwardly groans and closes his eyes.

*Author's Note*

Had some new reviews on the last chapter, I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and thank you for the compliments. And no Jenny isn't pregnant and will not be having kids in this story.


	107. Open Season

The next morning down in the Evidence Room, Abby and McGee have the seats pulled out of the Scout Traveler. "Nothing, it's obvious our sniper knew what he was doing." Abby sighs in frustration.

"After he ditched the Scout, it looked like he vanished into thin air." McGee grumbles.

"We should be getting some video sent over by WMTA on the various bus routes that run in that area." Abby informs him.

"Should be easy to spot him with the camouflage on his face."

"McGee nothing has been easy about this case so far." Abby frowns.

"Tell me about, and I don't think I could spend another night down in the Evidence Room listening to Ziva's snoring." McGee groans.

"Tony was just as bad." Abby cringes.

"Ziva is worse."

"There's always earplugs I guess."

"Then how do we wake up?"

"Gibbs!" Abby giggles.

With that Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva step out of the elevator. "Find anything?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"No, we pulled the seats out and came up with nothing." Abby sadly informs him.

"So where do we go from here?" Ziva asks.

"Video from WMTA should be here soon." "In the meantime go over our prior case files and see who has a grudge against one of us, or Director Shepard, Vance, or Morrow." Gibbs orders them.

"Boss that's a lot of back checking." Tony protests.

"Unless the sniper strikes again, we have nothing to go on." Gibbs snaps in exasperation.

"What if he doesn't strike again, are we going to sit in here forever?" Tony curiously asks.

"He'll strike again or will slip up, and when he does, we'll be there to take him down." Gibbs vows.

0930 Hours

Across the street from the Navy Yard main gate, the sniper sits on a nearby bus bench. "Looks like its Fort Knox over there." He triumphantly gloats.

Over at the traffic light Fornell is talking on the phone with Gibbs. "I'm not taking no for an answer Jethro." Fornell snarls at him and notices a man the bus stop bench wearing a blue tie dye shirt. "That's a sight you don't see." Fornell chuckles.

Gibbs in between floors in his conference room. "What?"

"A young man in his mid-twenties, with a buzz cut, wearing a blue tie dye shirt, jeans with holes in the knees, and black leather laced up motorcycle boots; they have silver eagles on the ankles." "Weirder the instep is black and orange."

"Sounds like somebody Abby would date." Gibbs laughs.

"Light just changed, I'll meet you inside in a few minutes." Fornell smoothly says.

"I'll be waiting in the lounge."

"See you then." Fornell answers and takes in one last look at the strange looking man sitting on the bench.

Sniper taking in Fornell's facial expression. "What the fuck were you looking at old man?" He angrily snaps.

Few minutes later Gibbs and Fornell are sitting in the lounge. "Jethro quit being stubborn." Fornell sighs.

"I'm not being stubborn, the fewer people I involve this with the better I'll feel."

"Sniper won't know that the FBI is on him."

"If it gets to that point I'll let you know." Gibbs smiles.

"So you're stuck inside of headquarters until further notice."

"Just my team and Jen's protection detail, all the other agents and technicians were reassigned to Quantico."

With that Jenny walks into the room with Cynthia. "Agent Fornell!" Jenny nods over at him.

"Director!" Fornell nods back. "I offered Gibbs some help in tracking down the sniper that took a shot at your office window yesterday evening?"

"We'll handle it in house." Jenny answers and walks over to the vending machine.

"That's what I told him." Gibbs answers.

"Stubborn!" Fornell laughs and shakes his head.

"No, it's called we're playing it safe." "Until we know what we're up against I want fewer people involved with this." Jenny answers sharply.

"Isn't Metro PD involved with this?"

"Only with sealing off Anacostia Park." Gibbs nods.

Jenny selecting a bag of pretzels from the machine. "I just got off the phone with Jarvis." "I have to be in Los Angeles for an Anti-Terrorism Conference next week." Jenny sighs.

"Actually that's the best news that I've heard all day." "You'll be safer out in LA."

"He wants OPS on my protection detail while I'm out there."

"With Callen, Sam, and Kensi you should be safe." Gibbs smiles.

"Jarvis wants me to work out of the LA Office until the shooter is captured."

Gibbs swallowing hard before answering. "I hate the two of us being apart, but I have to agree with him."

"I'll go with you ma'am." Cynthia smiles at her.

"I don't know how long we'll be out there."

"Director as I said to you on the phone last night, it's part of the package deal working with you."

Fornell's House

1230 Hours

Fornell gets out of his car. "Left that damn file on the kitchen table this morning." Fornell grumbles and storms over to his front door.

The sniper riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle slowly approaches the curb in front of Fornell's house. "One less fossil to be collecting Medicare benefits that I will have to be paying for out of my taxpayer's money."

Fornell enters the house. "Now I'm late for my lunch meeting."

The sniper turns off the engine and gets off of the motorcycle. He slowly makes his way over to the front door. Fornell walks out of the front door and is stunned to find the man with the blue tie dyed shirt standing in front of him. "I don't like people staring at me."

"Excuse me!" Fornell sarcastically answers. "Listen, I don't have time for this crap I'm late for a meeting." Fornell snarls and closes his front door behind him. The sniper pulls out a Smith & Wesson 629 Revolver and points it at Fornell. "Who the hell are you?"

Firing several rounds into Fornell's chest, stomach, and shoulder. "Your worst nightmare old man." The sniper laughs. "Somehow if you manage to survive this." "Tell Director Shepard I won't miss the next time." He smirks and tosses several 5.56mm bullets on the ground next to Fornell. "Looks like I need to change my getaway vehicle again." "Yours will have to do."

In horror Fornell watches as the sniper runs over to his black 2012 Chevy Tahoe. "Of all the times for me to leave the keys inside." Fornell chokes with blood coming out of his mouth. With his remaining strength, Fornell reaches inside of his coat pocket and grabs his cell phone. Flipping it up he presses in 911.

"911 Operator how may I assist you?"

"FBI Special Agent Fornell, I've been shot at outside of my front door of my house." "I live at-"

Meanwhile at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs is inside the elevator heading up for the Squad Room. The elevator stops on Abby's floor. "Agent Gibbs!" Jenny warmly calls out to her fiancée and steps inside of the elevator.

"Director!" Gibbs nods over at her as the doors begin to close.

Feeling her lover's hungry eyes on her body. "Jethro!" Jenny warns him. Just as the elevator reaches the Squad Room floor Gibbs flips the switch over and corners Jenny up against the back of the wall. "Jethro, Jarvis will have a fit?" Jenny hisses.

"The hell with Jarvis!" Gibbs growls and begins to ravish the side of Jenny's neck. His hands begin to pull Jenny's blouse from her waistline.

"Are you insane?" Jenny protests.

"No horny as hell." Gibbs mischievously answers and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth. Jenny quickly gives in and wraps her arms around his neck. "We have got to come up with something for alternative sleeping arrangements before your flight out to LA." Gibbs groans in between kisses.

Down in Abby's Lab, Abby and McGee are trying a new photo enhancing program so that they can get a clearer photo of the NCIS Sniper. "Damn it!" McGee groans in frustration.

"We tried Timmy!" Abby frowns.

Up on the plasma screen Abby had muted out the lunch time news. McGee glances up and notices the breaking news icon at the bottom of the screen. "Abby turn up the volume on the TV."

Abby presses the mute button in to put the sound back on. "FBI Agent was shot outside of his house." Abby says out loud.

McGee recalling a time when Gibbs, Fornell, and him had worked an undercover sting together, recognizes Fornell's house. "That's Fornell's house."

"Wasn't Fornell with Gibbs and the Director this morning?"

McGee takes his cell phone from his jacket pocket. "Remember Gibbs doesn't believe in coincidences."

Inside the elevator, Gibbs with his pants and boxers lowered to the floor is all set to be orally satisfied by Jenny when his cell phone begins to ring. "Damn it!" Gibbs snarls at the timing of the phone call.

Jenny retrieving Gibbs' phone from his jacket pocket hands Gibbs his phone; she gets up on her feet. "Don't worry I'm sure it will be fully erect when you're done with your phone call." Jenny giggles.

"Soon as we get out of here you're going to be screaming." Gibbs warns her and flips open his cell phone. "Gibbs, yeah!" He impatiently answers.

"Did I interrupt something boss?" McGee curiously answers.

Gibbs staring down at his erection. "Ya think McGee!" Gibbs barks.

"Boss Abby has Channel 9 on in her lab; it broke in to a FBI Agent getting shot outside of his home." "Boss its Fornell!"

With that Gibbs quickly pulls up his boxers and pants and flips over the switch. "We're heading down now." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"What happened?"

"Fornell was shot outside of his house." Gibbs answers and pulls up his zipper, fastens his pants, and adjusts his belt buckle.

"Damn it!" Jenny snaps.

Five minutes later, the entire team along with Ducky and Jenny are gathered in Abby's back room. "Tony and I are heading over to the Virginia Hospital Center Arlington." "I bet you this is the same bastard that killed Sizemore and shot at the Director's Office window." Gibbs angrily vents.

"While Gibbs and Tony are out of the building I'm going to see if the FBI will send us some of their findings at the crime scene." Jenny informs them.

"So maybe this is a guy who has it out for the feds?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"Could be?" Gibbs shrugs and then glances over at Tony. "DiNozzo with me." He nods and walks off for the elevator with Tony following him from behind.

Arlington, Virginia

Virginia Hospital Center Arlington

While Fornell is in surgery, Gibbs, Tony, and Agent Sacks are going over the details of the crime scene at Fornell's house. "Looks like Fornell was ambushed as he walked out his front door." "He took three rounds, to the shoulder, chest, and stomach." "His shooter left his calling card, there were three 5.56mm bullets lying on the ground next to Fornell's body."

"Boss how did the sniper know that you and Fornell were associates?" Tony curiously asks.

"How the hell should I know DiNozzo?" Gibbs snarls in frustration.

"The shooter also took Fornell's Chevy Tahoe and left his motorcycle behind, which was reported stolen this morning." Sacks informs them.

"Naturally!" Tony grumbles.

"My Director has put in a request for the FBI to share their findings from the crime scene outside of Fornell's house." Gibbs nods over at Sacks.

"You can send Miss Scuito over to Quantico."

"I'll send McGee over would rather keep Abby back at headquarters for her safety."

Sack's cell phone begins to ring. "Agent Sacks!" He answers….Pulling the phone away from his ear. "Mrs. Sterling I would advise that you and your daughter stay at home at this time."

Home of Victor Sterling

"You can't advise me on anything you pompous son of a bitch." "I'll do what I feel like doing." Diane hisses.

"For the safety of your daughter it would be better if you stayed away from the hospital." Sacks reiterates.

Gibbs takes the phone away from Sacks. "Just what we need." Gibbs answers sucking in his teeth. "Diane!"

"Figures you would be there Leroy."

"You are putting Emily's life along with yourself in danger." "We don't know what we're dealing with here."

"You can't tell me what to do." Diane fumes.

"No I can't, but I can make a phone call to your husband and tell him the danger that the three of you are in."

"You wouldn't dare." Diane shouts.

"Try me Diane!" Gibbs smirks and hands the phone back over to Sacks.

"Mrs. Sterling we've sent over several FBI Agents to watch over your house until the shooter is apprehended."

"Great I'll be on lock down for twenty-four hours a day." Diane mutters.

"It's for your own good." "I'll call you back when Fornell gets out of surgery." Sacks answers and quickly hangs up. "I can't believe that both you and Fornell were married to that diva." Sacks chuckles.

"There was no excuse for Fornell marrying her, I warned him." Gibbs laughs.

Three Hours Later

Doctor Francesca Alberghetti walks into the waiting room. "I'm Doctor Francesca Alberghetti, Chief Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgeon." "I performed the surgery on Special Agent Tobias Fornell."

"How is Agent Fornell?" Sacks grimly asks.

"Critical, his first twenty-four hours are crucial to his recovery."

"When will he come to?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Depends, could be tomorrow?" Alberghetti shrugs and sternly looks into the depths of Gibbs' cobalt blue eyes. "And I do not want my patient questioned until I think he's up to it."

"What?" Gibbs growls.

"Agent Gibbs will not be questioning Agent Fornell, since this is a matter of the FBI Doctor Alberghetti."

"Agent Gibbs is not an FBI Agent?"

"I'm an NCIS Agent!"

"What's that?" Alberghetti mockingly asks. "Another government agency to waste my taxpayer's money on."

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service Doctor Alberghetti." "We've been a government agency dating back to turn of the twentieth century so I do not see the humor in it." "Agent Fornell is a close associate of mine, we've worked together for well over twenty years and we even share an ex-wife between us."

"Shocking!" Alberghetti snickers.

"There's been a sniper on the loose, he's killed one person already and took a shot at the Director of NCIS's office window yesterday." "There may be more victims if we don't stop him." Gibbs angrily chastises Alberghetti for her unprofessional behavior.

"I apologize Agent Gibbs, but I do not like law enforcement personnel demanding things from one of my patients after I busted my ass on saving their life." "My patient's recovery is most important to me first." "Agent Fornell if he comes around tomorrow won't be up to questions until Thursday morning or afternoon the latest."

Howard Johnson Express Inn

New York Avenue

Room 24

Before ditching Fornell's Chevy Tahoe under a highway overpass, the NCIS Sniper had retrieved a backpack containing Fornell's field laptop. "Only a moron would use their license plate number as their username password." He menacing snickers at Fornell's stupidity. "Tobias Fornell!" He says out loud and clicks on the 'My Photo's' icon. Noting the photos of Emily. "You have a beautiful little girl Agent Fornell; it's a pity that she might be my next intended victim." The Sniper menacing laughs and continues to look over the photos. At the very end of the photos, he notices several close up's of Gibbs pushing Emily on a swing set in Gibbs' backyard. "So you have a connection with that relic that was processing Sizemore's crime scene." The Sniper angrily snaps and zooms into the photo staring at Gibbs' face. "It's open season on all federal agents from this moment on." "Starting with you."

Quantico, Virginia

Marine Corps Base Quantico

FBI Headquarters

1900 Hours

In the forensics lab, McGee and Forensics Scientist Anna Harrison are reviewing the evidence that was found outside of Fornell's house. "They are the same bullets that the shooter used to kill Private Barry Sizemore and the bullet that were fired at Director Shepard's office window." McGee smoothly says to her.

"Besides the bullets left at the scene, we found several foot prints next to the walking pavers that Agent Fornell had put in next to a dogwood tree he recently had planted."

"Did you run a boot print comparison yet?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"Yes I did, the boots prints are Xelement Men's Advance Black Lace up Motorcycle Boots." Anna answers and brings up a photo of a similar pair of boots up on her plasma screen.

McGee noting the silver eagles on the side of the ankles. "Something that one of Abby Scuito's boyfriends would wear." McGee chuckles.

"Those boots are not cheap."

"So our sniper is a biker." McGee openly says to his colleague.

"He stole a classic 1965 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide from an apartment complex not too far from where the Scout Traveler was found at."

"The only common thing about the Harley and Scout is that they were both red." "Our sniper is into the color red for some reason."

"That and he's shooting at federal agents at random." Anna sighs.

"I better call my boss and tell him what we've found out so far." McGee nods and picks up his cell phone.

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

"No I haven't heard from McGee yet." Abby answers and takes a much needed Caff-Pow from Gibbs.

"I was hoping that he and the FBI Forensics' nerd would have come up with something by now." Gibbs growls.

"Anna isn't a nerd Gibbs." Abby protests.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

"Boss, the only other piece of evidence that was found at the crime scene was a set of boot prints." "Anna has identified them as Xelement Men's Advance Black Lace up Motorcycle Boots."

"So our sniper is a biker?" Gibbs roughly asks.

Abby takes Gibbs' cell phone from him and pushes in the speakerphone button. "So what do you have for us?"

"Xelement Men's Advance Black Lace up Motorcycle Boot prints at the crime scene."

Abby walks over to her keyboard and types in the boots that McGee had mentioned in a Google search. Suddenly several photos of the boots appear on screen. "I have them up on screen now Timmy." Abby shouts back.

"One of your boyfriends owns a pair of those." McGee grins.

"No, but I may buy a pair for myself." Abby giggles.

Gibbs leans over Abby's shoulder from behind, noting the high ankle boots with the silver eagles on the sides of the ankles. Suddenly he flashes back to a conversation that he had with Fornell that morning on his cell phone.

Gibbs' Conference Room

0930 Hours

Gibbs is in between floors, talking with Fornell on his cell phone, who's in his car and is about to turn into the Navy Yard. "That's a sight you don't see." Fornell chuckles.

"What?"

"A young man in his mid-twenties, with a buzz cut, wearing a blue tie dye shirt, jeans with holes in the knees, and black leather laced up motorcycle boots; they have silver eagles on the ankles." "Weirder the instep is black and orange."

"Sounds like somebody Abby would date." Gibbs laughs.

"Light just changed, I'll meet you inside in a few minutes." Fornell smoothly says.

"I'll be waiting in the lounge."

"See you then." Fornell answers and takes in one last look at the strange looking man sitting on the bench.

Present Time

When Gibbs doesn't answer her right away, Abby turns and looks over at him noting the intense facial expression on his face. "Gibbs is there something wrong?"

"Yes, that no good bastard had followed Fornell when he left the Navy Yard."

"Boss what are you talking about?" McGee asks over hearing him from his cell phone.

"Fornell had described a similar pair of boots worn from a guy in his mid-twenties this morning." "He was sitting on the bus bench across the street from the main gate."

Abby frantically begins to type into her computer to see if there are any video cameras that could have recorded the Sniper. "Damn!" Abby snaps out in frustration. "The Director the next time when she goes up to the hill to kiss butt, needs to request for funding that we have state of the art video surveillance cameras."

Gibbs staring at the grainy video images of his nemesis on the bus bench. "First you kill an innocent Marine, then you take a shot at the woman I love, and then you critically wound a good friend and colleague of mine for over twenty years." "You better pray that Sacks takes you in and not me." Gibbs snarls at his enemy.

"Boss by the tone of your voice, you've taken this personal."

"It is personal McGee; the son of a bitch is going down." Gibbs angrily vows.

*Author's Note*

I had to enter into the story one of Mark's co-star from his previous series 'Chicago Hope', Doctor Francesca Alberghetti played by the talented Barbara Hershey during Season 6.


	108. Pushy Females

Leavenworth, Kansas

United States Disciplinary Barracks

Fort Leavenworth

1000 Hours

Convicted former Navy Captain Jacob Johnson is in the prison phone room talking on the phone with his younger brother Alec. "I haven't heard from you in about a month." Jake sighs with concern for his younger brother's well being

"I left town after mom's funeral." Alec answers, with his voice choking up with emotion. "She died from a broken heart."

"All because of that whore Lieutenant Dana Stillwell." Jake angrily snaps.

"She'll get what's coming to her in the end mark my words."

"Alec don't do something stupid."

"I can't do anything to the bitch at the moment because she's stationed on the USS Seahawk."

"I want you to return to medical school in the fall, make something of yourself."

"That was dad's dream not mine." Alec fumes.

"Then do something with your life, you've been sulking for the past nine months since I've been in prison." "Are you going to live the next twenty-five years like this while I rot away in prison?"

Howard Johnson Express Inn

New York Avenue

Room 24

Johnson staring at an enlarged photo of Gibbs on the screen of Fornell's laptop. "No I plan on doing some hunting." Johnson smirks.

At NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs and Jenny are bickering in the front row in MTAC. "My flight out to LA is on Friday morning and that's our final discussion about it Special Agent Gibbs." Jenny angrily chastises him.

"I'd feel-"

"The answer is no." Jenny firmly interrupts him. "Now on to the business at hand." "Did Fornell come around yet?"

"No, he's still unconscious and when he regains consciousness his barracuda of a doctor won't let me question him for at least twenty-four hours." Gibbs answers sucking in his teeth.

"Woman doctor getting under your skin." Jenny snickers.

"Everything about her gets under my skin including her name." "Doctor Francesca Alberghetti, what in the hell kind of a name is that?" Gibbs barks.

"Italian and people can say the same thing about your name." Jenny giggles.

"I'm not responsible for it, my dad named me after his business partner." Gibbs growls.

"Part of your name is you; you do look like a Jethro." Jenny smiles.

Gibbs spotting Cynthia sitting at the computer console. "I hate this." He groans in protest over their nonexistent sex life since the sniper began his reign of terror.

"I don't like it either Jethro."

"I'm going to come up with a solution tonight."

Jenny leaning closer to his right ear. "Not in the building." Jenny whispers.

"You keep forgetting about the-"

Before Gibbs can finish Jenny puts her hand across his mouth. "Shut up!"

"I better head over to the hospital to see how Fornell is doing." Gibbs smiles and gets up from his seat. "Need anything while I'm out."

"Caramel Macchiato and a blueberry scone." Jenny smiles up at him.

"You got it." Gibbs smiles and walks up the length of the ramp.

Jenny restless from being cooped in the building for nearly three days. "Cynthia I'm heading down to the gun range."

"Your gun is in your office." Cynthia reminds her.

"I'll be in and out of there within two minutes."

"Agent Gibbs isn't going to like it."

Jenny getting up from her chair. "At this point I don't give a rat's ass what Agent Gibbs likes and doesn't like, he's free to leave the building where I'm not." Jenny sighs in frustration.

"Once your plane lands in LA on Friday morning, you'll be able to come and go as you please."

"Doubtful Cynthia!"

"Why is that?"

"The last time I was in LA, I broke my Protection Detail." Jenny swallows and starts up for the ramp.

Cynthia waiting for Jenny to exit the room. "The memory of that day that I will always remember is Abby's overwhelming scream of grief." Cynthia frowns on the memory of sitting at her desk outside of Jenny's Office and hearing Abby's gutting wrenching scream from the Squad Room.

Arlington, Virginia

Virginia Hospital Center Arlington

ICU

Gibbs is standing outside of Fornell's room. Staring at his longtime friend and colleague as Fornell lies unconscious on the bed. "Tobias I'll catch the bastard that did this to you." Gibbs vows.

Doctor Francesca Alberghetti approaches Gibbs from behind. "I didn't expect to see you here this early Agent Gibbs." Alberghetti sweetly says to him.

"I needed to see how Fornell was doing."

"I expect him to regain consciousness this afternoon." "And no he will not be questioned today." "Tomorrow morning the earliest, but I'm still leaning on tomorrow afternoon and Agent Sacks will do the questioning." "You're emotionally involved with Agent Fornell and I do not want my patient getting stressed out."

"Me cause somebody stress?" Gibbs shrugs.

"You're a one man wrecking crew at the moment Agent Gibbs; I would rather have someone who isn't personally involved with Agent Fornell questioning him."

"Sacks is one of Fornell's Senior Field Agents."

"But he can keep his emotions in check, unlike you." Alberghetti nods and walks into Fornell's room.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers and starts down the hallway towards the waiting room.

Five minutes later, Alberghetti walks inside of waiting room and finds Gibbs on his cell phone. "I'll be back at headquarters in another hour Abs." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Something wrong Doctor Alberghetti?"

"We need to have a truce; I'll buy you a cup of coffee."

Gibbs glancing down at his watch. "I have a few minutes."

Few minutes later down in the cafeteria. "Sure you don't want any breakfast." Alberghetti asks in between bites of her egg sandwich.

"I'm picking up breakfast on my way back to headquarters." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"You remind me of somebody who I use to work with." Alberghetti giggles.

"Good or bad?" Gibbs laughs.

"I don't know yet." "Not sure if you think the female species should orbit around you." Alberghetti snickers.

"No that's my Senior Field Agent DiNozzo, you met him yesterday." Gibbs answers and shakes his head.

"A player?"

"Big time, DiNozzo will never settle down, and marriage would be a waste of money for him."

"Why is that?"

"The alimony he'll have to pay out." Gibbs chuckles.

"Jack finally settled down about ten years ago and has three kids of his own." "Two boys and a girl."

"I guess Jack met his match."

"Boy did he ever, I was surprised that Jeremy married him, since she was a free spirit like Jack." Alberghetti smiles.

"Given the chance a wild mustang can be broken, especially the free roaming fillies." Gibbs smirks.

"You've had experience there." Alberghetti curiously asks.

"Yeah you could say that." Gibbs shrugs and takes a sip from his cup of coffee and makes a face. "Remind me not to drink this crap again." Gibbs growls.

"What's the matter, I drink this coffee every day?" Alberghetti protests.

"Doc I live on Starbucks coffee or from my favorite diner." "And this is not from my favorite diner." Gibbs grimaces.

"Maybe I could take you out to dinner-"

Before Alberghetti can finish Gibbs quickly interrupts her. "I'm engaged to the Director of NCIS."

Alberghetti taken back at his announcement. "You don't look like the marrying type." Alberghetti says with surprise.

"I've been married four times." "My first wife and only child were murdered by a drug lord out in Oceanside, California when I was off in Kuwait fighting the Iraqi's in Desert Storm."

Alberghetti noting Gibbs' cropped hair. "Soldier, Marine, or Airman."

"Marine, Master Gunnery Sergeant." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"So you remarried after your wife died?"

"Unsuccessfully three times and ex-wife number two is also Fornell's ex-wife."

"Small world!" Alberghetti laughs.

"She went after Fornell to make me jealous while we were still married." "By then I could care less on who Diane was sleeping with." Gibbs snorts.

"Then you moved in on wife number three."

"No I moved in on my attractive redheaded Probationary Status Agent."

"Caved in like most of your other conquests."

"No that one took about six months after I divorced Diane." "Face it when I want to seduce a woman, sooner or later she'll give in, and trust me Jenny did."

"Isn't that Director Shepard's first name?"

"Yes, I trained Jenny when she was a Probationary Status Agent." "We were partners for three years, two in the other sense."

"I thought that law enforcement officers were not allowed to be partners if they were having a relationship together."

"We kept our relationship hidden; only a few people knew about it and the last year and a half of our partnership Jenny and I were stationed in Europe." "We had to pose as husband and wife."

"So to the eye your boss thought that the two of you were acting a part." Alberghetti shrugs.

"You can't act out on something you feel Doctor, I've been in love four times in my life, two I've lost tragically, one I had to get out of the relationship because of trust issues." "They say the third time is the charm, and Jenny Shepard as my third love took me to a place I didn't think I could go after my wife Shannon had died." "I thought I lost her forever four years ago and just got her back by a miracle."

"I saw the news about Director Shepard being in the witness protection program for three years." Alberghetti nods.

"July 6th 2012, Jennifer Shepard will finally be mine."

"Wedding date?"

"We were working on arrangements before the sniper put everything on hold." Gibbs sighs in disappointment.

"You'll capture him." Alberghetti reassures him.

"It better be me." "Nobody threatens the people I care about."

NCIS Headquarters

The Lounge

1030 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are having a romantic breakfast. "I haven't had a blueberry scone in ages." Jenny smiles.

"Fornell should be coming around sometime this afternoon." Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

"What flavor are you drinking?" Jenny asks in between bites of her scone.

"Indonesia Blue Java!"

Jenny making a face. "Another blend that I can't stand."

"Like I care for that Caramel thingy you're drinking." Gibbs growls.

"I haven't had one in a while." Jenny playfully protests.

"I slept like crap last night." Gibbs grumbles.

"I slept like a baby."

"I know I watched you." Gibbs smiles.

"Sometimes you can be a bit clingy at night in bed and I do need my space from time to time."

"Not going to happen Jen get use to it."

"I'm not going anywhere Jethro."

"I don't care." "I thought I lost you forever on when I read your Dear John letter on the plane in Paris." "You reenter my life again and as a double whammy not only are you my boss, but you put up your no off the job rule." "I retired and went to Mexico." "I get a phone call from Ziva out of the blue one day asking me to collect on a favor that I owed her."

"Then your big mistake was seeing me up in my office." Jenny sadly answers.

"I walked in and saw you standing at your office window with your back facing me." "Since I was no longer Special Agent Gibbs I could get a cheap shot in that I was checking out your ass." Gibbs smirks.

"And then I brought up Serbia." "A week with nothing to do but-"

"Make love and at the time I had no memory of it." "The next morning, while Ziva was upstairs making breakfast I came across some photos of our time together in Europe down in my basement." "Paris, London, Naples, and lastly Serbia." "I took a picture of you sleeping in a meadow after we had made love." "The peaceful expression on your face."

"And that's when our memories together over whelmed you." Jenny softly answers.

"Jen I was so confused."

"I know Jethro; you do not have to apologize." Jenny tenderly reassures him and squeezes his hand.

Gibbs' cell phone rings. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers

Under a US Highway 50 near the railroad tracks. "Agent Gibbs, Fornell's SUV has been found." Sacks informs him.

"Where?" Gibbs asks and takes out his pen and notepad from his jacket pocket.

"Under Route 50 near the railroad tracks at the Metropolitan Branch."

"We'll be right there." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Fornell's Chevy Tahoe was found."

"Be careful!" Jenny warns him.

Gibbs leans over the table and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. "We will!" He smiles and gets up from the table and leaves the room.

"I hope the bastard isn't lurking somewhere in the shadows." Jenny frowns.

Ten minutes, Gibbs and his team and along with two teams of FBI agents are going over the crime scene. "Same boot prints from the crime scene at Fornell's house." McGee shouts.

Sacks leaning inside of Fornell's SUV. "Fornell's field backpack is missing."

"Did Fornell have his laptop inside of his backpack?" Tony curiously asks.

"Standard in all field backpacks Agent DiNozzo." Sacks sarcastically answers.

"McGee call Anna and have her do a GPS-"

"Agent Gibbs you are not in charge of the FBI end of this investigation." Sacks snarls.

"But I'm in charge of the NCIS end of this investigation." "A Marine has been murdered and a shot has been fired at my Director's Office window." "It seems to me that somebody needs to take charge here." Gibbs barks.

Sacks knowing that Gibbs is over his head in this investigation. "Maybe you need to step away old man."

"Listen Sacks the only way you're going to get me to step away from this investigation is by throwing me in jail." Gibbs angrily warns him. "McGee call Anna and have her do a GPS trace on Fornell's laptop."

Unknown to Gibbs, Johnson had one of Fornell's COM's hidden under the driver's seat and was listening in to their entire conversation back at his motel room. "Looks like I need to ditch my lodgings." Johnson answers and gets up from his bed. He takes out his Smith & Wesson 629 Revolver from the back of his waist. "First thing first, I have to make sure that there are no witness' left behind."

Back at underpass, McGee hangs up his cell phone. "I left a voice mail message." McGee smoothly says.

"Must be in the back room testing something." Sacks shrugs.

"I hope the sniper left some evidence behind in Fornell's SUV, this is getting frustrating not knowing who he is." Tony grumbles.

"We'll find out who he is." Sacks confidently answers.

Forty minutes later, Anna returns McGee's phone call. "You got to be kidding me." McGee answers in disbelief.

Quantico, Virginia

Marine Corps Base Quantico

FBI Headquarters

Forensics Lab

"I'm not; he's a few miles down the road at the Howard Johnson Express Inn." Anna informs him.

"Boss, you're not going to believe this?" McGee shouts over.

"Try me McGee." Gibbs grunts.

"Anna did a GPS coordinates to the Howard Johnson Express Inn on New York Ave."

"I want Fornell's car towed to Quantico." Sacks instructs team two. "Team one, you're with me." Sacks orders and is about to say something to Gibbs, he notices that Gibbs and his team are in their Blue Dodge Charger. "Damn it!" He snaps out. "They're going to beat us to the Ho Jo's." Sacks groans.

Howard Johnson Express Inn

Gibbs pulls up a block from the motel and notices that the motel is engulfed in flames. "Now I do believe in coincidences." Tony says with his jaw hanging from the front passenger seat.

Gibbs pulls into a nearby parking lot, at the same time Gibbs and his team exits the car. "It's obvious he didn't want to leave any evidence left behind." Ziva openly says to her teammates.

Just as Gibbs and his team step into the parking lot, a Metro Police Officer stops them. "You can't go on the premises." The Officer orders them.

Gibbs taking out his badge and ID. "NCIS, I'm Special Agent Gibbs." "I believe that an investigation that me and my team are working on has something to do with this fire."

Sacks running over and over hears part of what Gibbs had said to the officer. "You mean a joint investigation that you and your team are working on." Sacks corrects him. Sacks takes out his badge and ID. "FBI, I'm Special Agent Sacks."

"There's three companies battling the fire at this time, Battalion Chief Donnelly is standing next to Rescue 12." The Officer says and points in the direction of where Donnelly is standing.

Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee, along with Sacks and his team walk over to Donnelly. Gibbs shows Donnelly his badge and ID. "NCIS Special Agent Gibbs, along with FBI Special Agent Sacks." "We believe that a suspect in an investigation that we're both working on is responsible for setting this fire."

"Looks like the point of origin of the fire was in the main lobby and in a room up on the second floor." "We can't get an upper hand on this fire because somebody took an axe to the pipe that feeds the sprinkler system."

Tony watches in horror as the windows in the restaurant area blow out. "I still would like to know how the bastard was on to us."

Two hours later, with the fire finally under control. "We'll have to wait for the fire to cool off." Donnelly nods over at Gibbs and Sacks.

"Is everybody accounted for?" Sacks curiously asks.

"The four rooms on the upper floor, rooms twenty through twenty-four and along with the manager and cleaning staff are the only people who are not accounted for." Donnelly answers.

"My gut tells me that the manager and cleaning staff is inside of the manager's office dead." Gibbs grimly answers.

With that a familiar voice is heard in the back. "So soon, Special Agent Gibbs." Hollis sweetly calls out to her ex-lover.

"Who the hell are you?" Sacks snaps.

Hollis approaches Sacks and shows him her badge. "ATF Special Agent Hollis Mann."

"So you and Agent Gibbs have a history together." Sacks smirks.

"I worked as an Army CID Agent and worked with Agent Gibbs on several joint investigations." "We worked exceptionally well together." Hollis answers trying to bait her ex-lover.

"And now you work for the AFT." Sacks shrugs.

"I retired from the Army; briefly I lived in Hawaii, before my fiancée got relocated to the Pentagon with his job." "The ATF offered me a job I couldn't refuse, so here I am working with Agent Gibbs for the second time since I've came out of retirement."

"He doesn't seem too thrilled about it." Sacks chuckles.

"Gibbs doesn't like pushy women." Hollis snickers and gets on to the subject at hand. "So what do we have here?"

"A fire that was deliberately set." "We think it may be linked to a sniper that NCIS and the FBI are trying to capture-"

"But he keeps eluding you." Hollis answers interrupting Gibbs, who gives her a glare of warning for interrupting him. "I want a run down on what we're dealing with." "We can head over to NCIS Headquarters and the two of you can brief me over there."

"NCIS Headquarters is on lock down Agent Mann." Gibbs answers sharply. "Director Shepard was a target of this sniper on Monday night; he took a shot at her office window." "Nobody is to enter the Navy Yard with the exception of my team and Director Shepard's personal protection detail." "If you need a briefing, Agent Sacks and Agent McGee can brief you over at Quantico."

"The reason why the FBI is involved with this?" Hollis curiously asks.

"The sniper shot and wounded Agent Fornell a good colleague and friend of mine of over twenty years." Gibbs frowns.

"Agent Mann, Agent McGee and I will brief you at 1800 hours tonight at FBI Headquarters in Quantico, by then we should be up to speed on what we currently know." Sacks smoothly says to her.

"And I'll walk the scene here with my team and the fire investigators." Hollis nods and then looks into the depths of Gibbs cobalt blue eyes. "When do I get a briefing from you?"

"You know where I hang out at before I go to work." "I'll meet you there tomorrow morning." Gibbs answers roughly and walks off towards the direction of the entrance of the lobby with Tony following him from behind. "I can't win." Gibbs growls in frustration. "I get a pushy female doctor who won't let me question Fornell." "Two weeks ago I had to deal with Ryan, and now I have to deal with that." Gibbs snarls and aims his right thumb in the direction of Hollis. "Not to mention that I would feel a lot better if Jenny would fly out to LA a few days earlier, but she's being stubborn about it."

"I heard that you and Jarvis want the OSP on the Director's protection detail."

"With Callen, Hanna, Kensi, and Deeks watching over her six I should be more focused on the task at hand here."

"And what's that?"

"Stopping that son of a bitch before somebody else gets hurt or killed in the process." Gibbs snarls.

Over in the rubble towards the direction of the manager's office. "We found a body." A fireman calls out.

Gibbs and Tony take in a deep breath. "Looks like your gut was right." Tony frowns.

Arlington, Virginia

Virginia Hospital Center Arlington

ICU

Fornell's Room

1900 Hours

Having regaining consciousness several hours ago, Fornell is sitting up in bed getting pampered by several nurses. Gibbs and Tony walk in. "Boss no fair Toby has two hot nurses at his beck and call." Tony teases.

"We'll exchange places Agent DiNozzo." Fornell weakly calls out.

"I don't think so." Tony laughs.

"Jethro did you catch the bastard that shot me?"

"Tobias I'm not allowed to talk about the case with you until your doctor clears you." "And unfortunately I won't be questioning you, Sacks will."

"Sacks is heading my investigation." Fornell protests.

"Unfortunately yes!" Tony grins.

Francesca Alberghetti walks into Fornell's room. "Agent Gibbs you better not be questioning my patient yet."

"I'm not doc; I'm following your orders, unlike your stubborn patient." Gibbs chuckles.

Alberghetti walks over to the left side of Fornell's bed. "The answers to your questions will have to wait until tomorrow morning."

"You'll let me know when he's up for questioning I want to sit in on it when Sacks talks to him." Gibbs asks.

"I'll call you soon as I've made my decision." Alberghetti smiles over at Gibbs.

Tony noting that Doctor Alberghetti is flirting with Gibbs. "Doctor Alberghetti has the hots for the boss man." Tony inwardly snickers.

Quantico, Virginia

Marine Base Quantico

FBI Headquarters

Forensics Lab

McGee, Hollis, Sacks, and Anna are going over the evidence that was retrieved from Fornell's SUV. McGee spotting a field pack COM in one of the evidence bags. "Have you taken a look at this yet?" McGee curiously asks pointing to the evidence bag on top of Anna's worktable.

"Not yet?" Anna smiles.

McGee putting on a pair of latex gloves opens up the evidence bag and looks over the COM. "It was turned on."

"That means he was listening in on us at the crime scene." Sacks snaps in disgust.

"He overhead us requesting a GPS trace of Fornell's field laptop."

"So he figured that he would take out the motel manager and cleaning staff who could ID him and burned down any evidence that we could link up to him." Hollis interjects.

"What our suspect doesn't know is we'll figure out who he is eventually." McGee smoothly answers.

"How's that Agent McGee?" Hollis curiously asks.

"Each Howard Johnson Motel has a backup copy of the guests that are staying at their motels." "Ziva had made a phone call about an hour ago to their corporate headquarters in Parsippany, NJ." "We should have a list of the people that were staying in that motel by tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning is too late." Hollis mutters.

NCIS Headquarters

The Lounge

Gibbs and Jenny are having a late Italian dinner. "I haven't had Eggplant Parmesan in ages."

Gibbs smiling over at his lover. "I'll have to make this for you one weekend."

"It won't be until fall, because on our weekends off together, we'll be away on the boat."

"I can't wait until our next weekend off." "We're getting away from here." "I want you all to myself with no distractions."

"A little difficult at the moment since I'm on lock down."

"I can't go another night without sex." Gibbs growls in sexual frustration.

"Jethro we can't-"

"I don't care if it gets the both of us fired." "Meet me tonight in the supply room at 2200 hours and come up with a lame excuse to leave the Evidence Room."

"I'll come up with something." Jenny answers and takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

FBI Forensics Lab

"Boss it appears that our sniper was listening in on our entire conversation, he had one of Fornell's field pack COM's turned on inside of Fornell's SUV." McGee informs him.

"So he took out the motel manager and cleaning staff so that they wouldn't ID him and burned down the entire building so we couldn't get any traceable evidence on him."

"It appears that he was one step ahead of this time."

"He won't be the next time around." "He's going down." Gibbs snarls.

Evidence Room

2155 Hours

Jenny, Ziva, Abby, and Cynthia are sitting around the table playing poker; once again Jenny wins another hand. "One of these days I'm going to beat you." Abby playfully warns her.

"I've been hearing that for thirty-five years Abby." Jenny laughs and gets up from the table. "I'm going to read a few chapters of my book before I turn in." Jenny nods and walks over to her cot, rooting through her bag. "Damn it I left my glasses up in MTAC." Jenny curses in annoyance.

"I'll get it for you." Cynthia volunteers.

"That's ok Cynthia I'll go get it." Jenny softly answers and walks off for the elevator.

The elevator doors open and Tony and McGee step out. "Going somewhere Director?" Tony grins.

"I left my glasses upstairs." Jenny answers and walks into the elevator.

"You need your glasses to play a hand of poker?" Tony shrugs.

"No I need my glasses so I can read my book."

With that the elevator door closes and Tony and McGee walk over to the table. "Deal me in." Tony smirks and flops into Jenny's chair.

"I'm going to see what's going on my Facebook account." McGee says over his shoulder and walks off to the back.

"You mean see what's going on with your Elf Lord geeky friends." Tony snickers.

"Where's Gibbs?" Abby curiously asks.

"The last time I saw Gibbs, he was heading down to Ducky's." Tony answers.

"He's probably has too much adrenaline to sleep." Ziva frowns with worry.

"This case is getting to him." Abby sighs and deals Tony his cards.

"It's personal Abs, and you know how Gibbs gets when a case becomes personal."

Up in the empty Squad Room, Jenny walks down the hallway. "I hope we don't get caught." Jenny groans and approaches the door to the supply room.

Inside the supply room, Gibbs stands shirtless. "Come on!" He impatiently mumbles. Jenny steps inside of the room. "About damn time." He growls.

Jenny locking the door behind her. "I got sidetracked downstairs."

Gibbs pulling Jenny up against him. "I don't care what happened." He snarls in frustration.

"What if somebody walked in here with your shirt off?" Jenny giggles.

"The thought never crossed my mind." Gibbs answers and hungrily kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Sterling House

The FBI has agents inside and outside of the Sterling home to make sure that Emily and Diane are safe. Down the block, Alec Johnson sits on top of his newly stolen Kawasaki motorcycle. "Looks like I'll have to take your daughter off of my hit list Toby." "I wasn't expecting your ex-wife's house to be crawling with feds." He menacingly answers and starts up his motorcycle.

Back at NCIS Headquarters in the supply room, Gibbs and Jenny are naked. "Take me now." Jenny purrs in between kisses.

Gibbs picking Jenny up and places Jenny on top of the table that's against the wall. "I'll do more than take you." He smirks and pulls his lovers legs around his waist.

"Oh god!" Jenny cries out as he enters her deeply, the back of her heels press up against his lower back as he slips deeper inside of her.

"When I'm through with you, it's going to be an oh Jethro." He laughs and begins to ravish the side of her neck and shoulders.

"Make love to me you son of a bitch." Jenny moans out in sexual frustration.

"Now that I'm inside of you you're not thinking about getting caught." Gibbs smirks.

Meanwhile back down in the Evidence Room, Ducky walks in. "Still going at it." Ducky snorts.

"I thought that Gibbs was with you?" Tony shrugs.

"He was, mentioned something about changing for bed." Ducky answers and walks over to his cot, noting that Jenny is out of the room. "The Director still up in MTAC I presume?"

"Left her glasses upstairs."

"Shouldn't she be back by now?" Tony grins.

"Tony!" Ziva elbows him for insinuating that Jenny is doing something than other than retrieving her glasses.

"Seems strange that they're both out of the room at the same time." Tony innocently answers.

"Tony get your mind out of the gutter, they can't have sex in the building or Jarvis will have a fit." Abby scolds him.

Ducky pulling back the covers to his cot. "That didn't stop them when Jenny was Jethro's Junior Agent." Ducky mentally laughs.

Back up in the supply room, the supplies are falling off of the shelves. "Yes, yes, yes, don't stop." Jenny screams out, her hands clutch on to the back of Gibbs' butt as he thrusts harder and faster against him.

"Watch the nails." He growls.

"You're making me crazy." She moans out, her hips frantically move under his. Gibbs battle weary climaxes inside of her, his body slumps on top of her. "Tony is probably gossiping about the two of us being out of the room at the same time." Jenny pants.

"I don't give a damn." Gibbs mumbles against the top of her breasts. "We're sweaty and need to get a shower first before we both head downstairs."

"We'll use my shower upstairs, to shower only not for sex."

"While I shave, you blow dry your hair."

Half an hour later

Jenny steps out of the elevator carrying her glasses. "Who's winning the poker game?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Abby this time." Ziva smiles.

"You were gone for a while." Tony baits her.

"I had a phone call Agent DiNozzo." Jenny sighs in annoyance and walks over to her cot and finds Ducky reading a book nearby. "I see you and I had the same idea."

"Reading is good for the mind Jennifer." Ducky muses.

Two minutes later, Gibbs walks out of the elevator. "Lights out in five minutes." He grunts over at the poker players.

"I smell Old Spice." Abby drools.

"I took a long hot shower and shaved."

"So where do we go from here with our investigation." Ziva curiously asks.

"Tomorrow is another day." "Now all I want to do is go to sleep." Gibbs answers and walks over to his cot. "Where's McGee?"

"Back room talking to his Elf Lord geeks." Tony squeals.

"McGee, lights out in four minutes." Gibbs shouts.

"I heard you the first time boss." McGee shouts back.

Gibbs pulls the covers back on his cot and crawls into bed. "I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight." He mumbles against his pillow.

Jenny raising an eye from her book. "Sweet dreams Leroy." She seductively says to him.

"Trust me I will." He smirks and flashes back to having his way with Jenny's body in the supply room.


	109. Time Is Of The Essence

The next morning Gibbs and Hollis are sitting at the counter of Gibbs' favorite diner, eating breakfast. "So you don't know why the sniper shot at Fornell." Hollis asks and takes a bite from her scrambled eggs.

"No clue, sometime today Sacks is going to question him and I'll be sitting in on it." Gibbs answers, his waitress Darla walks over with Gibbs' pancakes.

Hollis noticing the peaches on top of his pancakes. "I thought I got you started on powdered sugar." Hollis asks with surprise.

Unknown to Gibbs, Sam who is meeting Tyler Elliot for breakfast, walks in and over hears Hollis. "Hum, Jethro cheating on Jenny." Sam inwardly smirks and takes a seat in a booth next to the doorway.

Gwen, Sam's waitress walks over to the booth. "Doctor Ryan, good morning!"

"Good morning Gwen!" Sam cheerfully says to her young waitress loud enough for Gibbs to hear her.

Gibbs' shoulders stiffen up when he hears Sam's familiar taunting voice. "I don't need this." He grumbles.

"Ignoring me Agent Gibbs." Saw sweetly calls out to him.

Hollis turns and faces Sam. "Don't tell me you slept with her also." Hollis laughs.

"Guilty!" Gibbs says in between bites of his pancakes.

"By the way, Gibbs used powdered sugar on his pancakes when he went out with me nine years ago." Sam mischievously announces to gauge a reaction from her ex-lover.

"I briefly dated him for six months back in 2007." Hollis softly answers.

"You worked together?" Sam shrugs.

"Yes, at the time I worked for Army CID." "Jethro and I worked several investigations together."

"Now?" Sam shrugs.

"I broke up with Jethro, retired and moved to Honolulu." "My fiancée, who's a Marine Colonel, got a permanent assignment at the Pentagon." "I moved back to Washington with him and was offered a job with the ATF."

"You've managed to say all of this without telling me your name." Sam giggles.

"Special Agent Hollis Mann." Hollis nods.

"Doctor Samantha Ryan, Director of PsyOps Division for the Department of Defense."

"Oh my fiancé Colonel Thomas Humphries has had several meeting with you." Hollis smiles.

"And he seemingly drags them on forever." Sam mutters.

"That's Tom!" Hollis laughs.

While the women blab away, Gibbs rolls his eyes. "What's the matter Gibbs?" Darla teases him.

"All the clucking that's going on around me." Gibbs grumbles and takes a bite out of his pancakes.

"Does Jenny know your cheating on her?" Sam baits him. Gibbs chokes on his pancakes. "I take that as a no."

Gibbs before he answers Sam takes a healthy sip from his glass of water and turns and faces Sam. "Jenny knows I'm having breakfast with Holli." "I would never cheat on Jenny for your information Doctor Ryan and you of all people know why." Gibbs smirks and gives Sam a knowing look.

Tyler Elliot walks into the room. "Sorry I'm late Doctor." He apologizes and notices Gibbs. "Agent Gibbs!" He nods over at him.

"Tyler!" Gibbs nods back.

"Tyler this is Agent Mann, an associate with Agent Gibbs, she's with the Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms."

"Agent Mann!" Tyler nods over at her.

Gibbs turns in his stool and faces Darla, "Darla, could you give me a coffee to go before I leave." Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Sure thing, anything for Jenny?"

"No I have a few places to go before I head back to headquarters, might stop at Starbucks on the way back and spoil her with something."

"McGee told me that she's not happy about being ordered to stay out in Los Angeles once she arrives there tomorrow." Hollis says low enough that Gibbs can only hear her.

"It's better for her safety." "With Jenny out on the West Coast, my soul focus will be bringing in that bastard." Gibbs barks.

Howard Johnson Express Inn

New York Avenue

1000 Hours

Gibbs, his team, along with Sacks and Hollis' teams are dressed in jump suits walking through the rubble of the burnt out remains. "Four bodies were pulled out from the manager's office, they are currently back at Quantico, it's going to be awhile before they are positively identified because they're bodies were burnt beyond recognition." "Preliminary reports by our ME state that all four victims were shot in the back of the head execution style." Sacks informs Gibbs.

"At least they didn't suffer like the five people who perished in rooms twenty-one and twenty-two." Hollis frowns.

"Two of the victims were toddlers." Gibbs swallows.

"What were the parents doing in bed sleeping?" Ziva curiously asks.

"They work second and third shifts." "I guess they have the toddlers sleeping on their schedules." Gibbs answers.

"The victim in room twenty-one was found in a fetal position inside of his bathtub." Tony sadly answers.

"Did they say where he got the gasoline from?" Hollis curiously asks.

"Landscaper was mowing the lawn behind the building." "He was victim number five, never saw it coming, his throat was slit." Sacks smoothly says.

"And nobody saw anything?" Ziva sighs in disgust.

"Building behind has been available for months." Sacks shrugs.

"Do we know who was in what room?" Hollis sheepishly asks.

"Everybody has been accounted for, with the exception of Alexander Johnson in room twenty-four." Ziva informs her.

"Room twenty-three was empty." Gibbs answers.

"And that's where the point of origin of the fire began on the upper level." Sacks announces.

"McGee get me a-"

"Complete background check on Alexander Johnson the minute I walk in at headquarters and I'll put a bolo out on him right now." McGee finishes and flips open his cell phone.

"I love it when they anticipate your answers." Hollis giggles.

"Why thank you very much." Gibbs answers, once again impersonating Elvis.

Tony, Ziva, and Sacks raise a curious eyebrow at one another. "You had to have been there." McGee laughs…."Hi I would like a bolo out on-"

NCIS Headquarters

Evidence Room

1400 Hours

Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are standing in front of a plasma screen that's propped up on a cart. "Alexander Phillip Johnson, age twenty-three, brown hair, brown eyes, five foot ten inches, slim build." "He was born in Boulder, Colorado on March 11th 1989 to a LJ and Elizabeth Johnson, both deceased the mother three weeks ago." "He has an older brother Louis Jacob Johnson Junior who we can't account for at this time." McGee informs him.

"So he checked in at the Howard Johnson Express Inn on April 12th." "The staff that worked the other shifts never saw him enter or leave his room." Tony openly says.

"But the staff on day shift did and they aren't around to tell us." Gibbs grumbles.

"So where do we go from here?" Ziva asks.

"DiNozzo, McGee I want the two of you on the first plane out to Boulder." Gibbs orders them.

"Doesn't Ziva usually-" Before Tony can finish Gibbs gives him his famous death glare for questioning his orders. "We'll be on the first flight out." Tony swallows.

"I need Ziva to go over to the house with me tonight to pick out the clothes that Jenny has written down for her trip to LA." "Just encase the two of you are followed I want the both of you to go to each other's apartments while you are packing." "I don't trust this bastard." Gibbs barks.

Arlington, Virginia

Virginia Hospital Center Arlington

ICU

Fornell's Room

Gibbs, Ziva, and Sacks are standing alongside of Fornell's bed as Sacks questions Fornell on the events that led up to his shooting. "I didn't know the bastard." Fornell snaps.

"He knew us, must have seen you looking at him when you turned into the Navy Yard and followed you after you left." Gibbs bitterly answers.

"You said he had my field laptop." Fornell nods.

"Yes!" Sacks answers.

"I have photos of Emily in there." Fornell chokes up fearing for his daughter's safety.

"We have wall to wall agents surrounding the Sterling's House." "She's safe." Sacks reassures him.

"At least we have a name and face to our possible suspect." Ziva sighs with relief.

"Who is he?" Fornell demands.

"Some punk, I sent DiNozzo and McGee out to Boulder to do a background check on him and see if there are any family members living in the area." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Don't worry Fornell, we'll get him." Sacks smirks.

"I'll be the one who'll bring him in." "He shot at the woman I love; wounded one of my best friends." "He's mine!" Gibbs snarls.

Gibbs' House

Johnson pulling up on his stolen Kawasaki out front of Gibbs' house, he notes the security alarm company shield in Gibbs' front window. "Afraid of little ole me Jethro." He menacing laughs and begins to size up Gibbs' house. "I'll be back later on tonight, who knows with the bodies inside of the motel, you might think that I had perished in the fire and may think it's safe to come home." He snickers.

NCIS Headquarters

MTAC

1900 Hours

Gibbs sitting in the front row in a darken MTAC, watches as Jenny locks out MTAC, and turns off all camera's. "We're alone!" He smirks.

Jenny unbuttoning her blouse. "Cynthia just left with Melvin to pack for LA." "Ziva is down in Abby's, Ducky is over at Quantico helping out the FBI ME, Tony and Tim are on a flight to Boulder, Colorado." "What do you think?" Jenny sensuously answers.

"I think this is our one and only shot to make love in MTAC." He mischievously grins.

"All of our fantasies coming true." She purrs and pulls her blouse from her waistline. "Are you going to get undressed?"

"Can't I watch you undress first?"

"Time is of the essence my little boy." "We only got an hour."

Gibbs stands up and drops his jacket back on the seat he was sitting in. "So where do you want it first." He asks with his trademark little boy facial expression.

"In the seat in second row so that we'll both have leverage."

"I'm game!" Gibbs laughs and pulls his polo and t-shirt over his head at the same time.

Down in Abby's Lab, Abby is pouting about Jenny having to stay out in California indefinitely. "This is not fair." Abby snaps.

"It's for the Director's safety Abby." Ziva reassures her.

"Gibbs won't be the same without her here." Abby frowns.

"I know, but we'll catch Alexander Johnson and Jenny will be back at headquarters before you know it."

"What if you don't catch him?"

"We'll catch him Abby." Ziva vows.

Back up in MTAC, naked in the second row, Gibbs and Jenny live out one of their fantasies. "Yes!" Jenny screams out with pleasure, her legs dangle over the back of the seat straddling Gibbs' lap while he sits in his seat with his legs stretched out on the back of the seat in front of him.

Gibbs getting off at watching Jenny fall apart in his lap. "I've wanted to do this to you for years." He grins.

Jenny biting down on the side of Gibbs' neck as he thrusts harder and faster against her. "I'm going to sleep good tonight after this work out." She moans out. Gibbs with a final thrust, climaxes inside of her. Jenny slumps down on top of his shoulder, trembling for the after effects from her orgasm.

Gibbs running his fingers through her sweat soaked hair. "Work console next?" He shrugs.

"Give me five minutes!" She pants.

Five minutes later, on top of the computer workstation, Gibbs and Jenny aggressively make love to one another, not giving into one another, their bodies buck and collide against one another. Their screams of pleasure echo throughout the room. "Don't stop!" Gibbs moans out.

"Harder you bastard!" Jenny screams out.

In a wild frenzy they pace themselves, Gibbs exhausted from holding back his release, gives in first, Jenny runs her tongue under his lower lip. "Oh god!" He cries out soaring over the edge as he rides the wonderful waves of ecstasy.

Jenny leans up and nuzzles Gibbs' face. "That will have to do until I get back from LA and it will give you something to think about Leroy." She seductively smiles at him.

Forty minutes later, Cynthia walks in and finds Jenny wearing her sweats. "I see you're dressed for bed already." Cynthia notes.

"Wanted to get comfortable while I worked, usually change when I get home anyways." Jenny shrugs.

"Did Gibbs and Ziva going over to Gibbs' place to pack your suitcase for LA."

"Yes, and Ziva is packing it not Jethro." Jenny giggles.

Gibbs' House

Gibbs' Bedroom

Ziva is packing Jenny's suitcase while Gibbs is getting a quick shower. "Gibbs would have gotten his all wrong." Ziva snickers.

Gibbs dressed in a pair of blue sweatpants and a gray NIS t-shirt. "I heard that Ziva." He barks.

"Did you?" Ziva laughs.

Outside, Johnson with his rifle pointed at Gibbs' bedroom window is waiting for Gibbs to walk in front of the window. "Bye, bye Jethro!" He smirks.

Back in the bedroom, just as Gibbs is about to step in front of the window. "Hey Gibbs?" Ziva calls over to him.

"What?" He answers, just as Gibbs steps away a bullet shatters the window.

To Be Continued


	110. Sooner Or Later

Previously On NCIS

Gibbs and Hollis have breakfast at Gibbs' favorite diner, to sour Gibbs' mood Sam Ryan another one of his ex-girlfriends also has decided to have breakfast. Hollis and Sam exchange some pleasantries about their ex, before Gibbs gets in the last shot in on Sam.

"Does Jenny know your cheating on her?" Sam baits him. Gibbs chokes on his pancakes. "I take that as a no."

Gibbs before he answers Sam he takes a healthy sip from his glass of water and turns and faces Sam. "Jenny knows I'm having breakfast with Holli." "I would never cheat on Jenny for your information Doctor Ryan and you of all people know why." Gibbs smirks and gives Sam a knowing look.

Later that morning Gibbs and his team along with Hollis and Sacks' teams walk through the remains of the burnt out Howard Johnson Express Inn, where Alexander Johnson the NCIS Sniper had murdered the first shift motel manager and cleaning staff, five guests in two second floor rooms and a landscaper. Finally ID'ing the suspect Gibbs has McGee do a background check on Johnson. At headquarters later on in the Evidence Room, McGee reviews what he has on Johnson, with Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva. Gibbs orders Tony and McGee to Johnson's home town of Boulder, Colorado to find out more information on him and his family.

Gibbs and Ziva, sit in on Fornell's briefing with Sacks. Finding out that Johnson has stolen his field laptop, Fornell fears for his daughter Emily's life, knowing that he has photos of his daughter stored inside of his laptop. Sacks reassures Fornell that Emily is in the safe hands with wall to wall agents watching over Emily at the Sterling's house.

While Gibbs is at the hospital, Johnson pulls up in front of Gibbs' house. Noting the alarm sticker in the window. "Afraid of little ole me Jethro." He menacing laughs and begins to size up Gibbs' house. "I'll be back later on tonight, who knows with the bodies inside of the motel, you might think that I had perished in the fire and may think it's safe to come home." He snickers.

With Tony and McGee on a flight to Colorado, Ducky at Quantico helping out the FBI ME and Ziva and Abby downstairs, Gibbs and Jenny have the ultimate fantasy and make love inside of a locked out MTAC.

On top of the computer workstation, Gibbs and Jenny aggressively make love to one another, not giving into one another, their bodies buck and collide against one another. Their screams of pleasure echo throughout the room. "Don't stop!" Gibbs moans out.

"Harder you bastard!" Jenny screams out.

In a wild frenzy they pace themselves, Gibbs exhausted from holding back his release, gives in first, Jenny runs her tongue under his lower lip. "Oh god!" He cries out soaring over the edge as he rides the wonderful waves of ecstasy.

Jenny leans up and nuzzles Gibbs' face. "That will have to do until I get back from LA and it will give you something to think about Leroy." She seductively smiles at him.

An hour later Gibbs and Ziva are at Gibbs' house, Ziva going by a list of clothes that Jenny gave her to pack teases Gibbs that he would have screwed up on what Jenny wanted to wear out to LA. While Gibbs and Ziva playfully tease one another, Gibbs is about to walk past the window when Ziva's voice stops him. "Hey Gibbs?" Ziva calls over to him.

"What?" He answers; just as Gibbs steps away a bullet shatters the window. "Get down!" Gibbs screams and dives down on the floor, crawling over to Ziva who went down to the floor at the sound of the window shattering, Gibbs shields Ziva's body as round after round of gunfire spray into his bedroom window.

Outside, Johnson takes apart his Bushmaster and puts it inside of his backpack. "Hopefully Director Shepard was in the room with you." He smirks.

Inside the bedroom, Gibbs hears a motorcycle engine start up, waiting for the motorcycle to pull away from his house. "Coast is clear!" He gently says to Ziva and gets them into a sitting position on the floor. "Are you alright?"

"Just some cuts." Ziva answers and notices that Gibbs has several cuts on his neck and shoulder. "You're going to need some stitches."

"I'll have Ducky look at that back at headquarters." Gibbs shrugs and takes his cellphone from his pants pocket. "Can't call DiNozzo or McGee to come over, so I'm going to have to call dispatch to send out some agents from Quantico to come over to the house."

Five minutes later Gibbs is on the phone with Jenny. "I'm fine!"

NCIS Headquarters

MTAC

Jenny frantically pacing back and forth under the large plasma screen with her Black Berry up against her right ear. "I'll be the judge of that, get your ass back over to headquarters and that's a direct order Special Agent Gibbs." Jenny scolds him.

"Soon as some agents from Quantico arrive, Ziva and I will head on over." Gibbs lies.

Ziva shakes her head. "I hear some sirens in the distance; neighbors must have called the police." Ziva nods and walks out of the room.

Outside a half an hour later, Gibbs and Ziva with Cassie Yates and her team are looking over the crime scene. "Didn't know you transferred over to Quantico?" Gibbs says with surprise.

"Month ago?" Cassie answers and notices the motorcycle skid marks on the ground. "So what are we dealing with Gibbs?"

"A sick bastard that has an agenda with NCIS and then went after a good colleague of mine FBI Special Agent Fornell, so he's now wanted by the FBI." "He also is responsible for burning down that Howard Johnson Express Inn on New York Avenue." "So we also have the ATF in on this as well."

"The next thing you know he'll do something with the Coast Guard and CGIS Agent Borin will be showing up." Ziva teases him.

"Bite your tongue Agent David." Gibbs snarls.

"Gibbs didn't you promise the Director that you would be heading back to headquarters?" Ziva sweetly reminds him.

"Thanks a lot!" Gibbs grumbles and begins to walk off for his car. "Stay here with Cassie."

"He should have went back the moment you arrived; Director Shepard isn't going to be happy with him." Ziva laughs.

"More than likely he did it on purpose to make her pissed off at him." Cassie laughs.

NCIS Headquarters

Autopsy

Half an hour later, Gibbs is sitting on a stool shirtless. "Jethro you should have went to the emergency room." Ducky angrily lectures him.

Gibbs wincing as Ducky begins to stitch up his right shoulder. "And have some asshole probing at my body." "All I needed was a few stitches." Gibbs barks.

"Try twelve!" Ducky mutters.

"Whatever?" Gibbs grunts.

Ducky noting the love bite near Gibbs' collarbone. "I knew the two of you couldn't control your hormones for over a week."

"It's not like you haven't seen worse on either of us." Gibbs laughs.

"You should not be having relations with your boss inside of this building Jethro." "If Jarvis finds out."

"He won't!"

"But what if he does, the both of you will get fired." Ducky berates him.

"And I don't care." "Fire the both of us." "I'll have my house up for sale in a heartbeat and Jenny and I will be on the first plane to Paris." "We won't look back."

"You don't mean that." Ducky frowns.

"I do Duck!" Gibbs smiles…."The only time we feel complete is when we're alone and can be ourselves and the only time we're just ourselves is when we're in Paris or at my shack on the beach in Mexico."

With that Jenny storms into the room. "I ordered you back the minute a team of agents showed up at your house." Jenny screams at him.

"I had to walk the crime scene-"

"I don't care!"

"Maybe I didn't want a scene."

"To late Leroy I'm pissed off."

"So did you come down to see the damages?" Ducky muses to break up their bickering session.

"How many stitches?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Twelve to the back of his right shoulder, and I also put in a few stitches on the side of his right neck." "By the way you're responsible for the bruise on his collarbone."

"She has one also." Gibbs smirks.

"Like I needed to hear that Jethro." Ducky mutters.

"Are you done checking me over, I want to head back out to my house."

"Cassie is capable of processing the crime scene." Jenny reminds him.

"Soon as I get done dressing up the wound on the back of your shoulder you'll be all set."

Gibbs glaring up at his lover. "You can glare at me all you want; your ass is staying in the building."

"Ok Jethro your all set." "You can change into the scrubs that I set out for you behind that screen over there."

Gibbs gets up from his stool. "You finish up with the autopsies." Gibbs curiously asks and walks behind the screen.

"Yes, thankfully I didn't have to endure having to do the autopsies on the little ones." Ducky frowns.

"Needle doesn't justify the punishment for this sick bastard." "If it were up to me, I would toss him into a burning fire alive." Jenny angrily snaps.

"He would be entering hell where he belongs." Gibbs growls from behind the screen.

Abby rushes in. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Changing behind the screen." Ducky answers and takes of his latex gloves.

"I've seen you without your shirt on before." Abby drools.

"There are other parts of my body you haven't seen yet." Gibbs groans in protest.

"Is he always this shy Director?" Abby giggles.

"Not when his brain-"

"Don't go there Jen." Gibbs warns her.

Jenny leans up against Abby's right ear. "Is down below his waist." Jenny whispers.

"Really!" Abby whispers.

With that Gibbs pushes the screen aside. "I told you not to go there."

Abby rushes over and throws her arms around him. "Where did you get your stitches at?" Abby frowns.

Gibbs grimacing from Abby's tight hold around his neck and shoulders. "Abs I got twelve stitches on the back of my right shoulder, easy." He flinches.

"Sorry!" Abby pouts and pulls away.

Ducky noting that Gibbs and Jenny need some alone time together. "Abby would you care for an ice cream cone in the lounge."

"Ice cream at a time like this." Abby answers in disbelief and notices that Ducky is winking at her. "Oh right I've had a craving for an ice cream sandwich all day long."

Ducky escorts Abby out of the room, Gibbs and Jenny wait for them to get in the elevator, before rushing into each other's arms. "Hold me!" Jenny says to him with tears running down her face.

Gibbs crushing Jenny in his arms. "I'm fine!" He tenderly reassures her and kisses the top of Jenny's head.

"I hope you find him first and when you do I want you to shoot the son of the bitch." "I don't care."

"I'll be Johnson's worst nightmare when he encounters me."

Jenny leans up and looks into the depths of her lovers blue eyes. "I love you."

"To bad we're down here in Autopsy or I would ask you to show me." Gibbs smirks.

"I'm still worn out from our two encounters inside of MTAC." Jenny giggles.

"Our ultimate fantasy." Gibbs smiles and pulls Jenny's face up; passionately he kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Dulles International Airport

0600 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are standing out in front of her boarding gate for her flight to LA. "I hope I don't have to stay longer than my conference." Jenny frowns.

"I don't like it either Jen, but I would rather keep you safe."

"I'll call you the minute my plane arrives."

"If anything in Boulder should develop I'll call you."

Jenny leans up and kisses Gibbs on the mouth, Gibbs grabs a hold of Jenny's face, deepening her kiss, breathlessly Jenny pulls away. "Hubba, hubba!" She pants for air and walks off towards the boarding gate.

Cynthia and Melvin join her. "Your flight should land at 0700 hours LA time ma'am." Cynthia informs her.

Gibbs stands and watches. "It's going to be an eternity for me until you come back home." Gibbs sighs.

Arlington, Virginia

Virginia Hospital Center Arlington

ICU

Fornell's Room

0900 Hours

"If all goes well Doctor Alberghetti will have me moved to a regular room tomorrow." Fornell smiles.

Sitting next to Fornell's bed. "That's good!" Gibbs smiles with relief.

"You cut yourself shaving or are you going to tell me how you cut your neck." Fornell asks cutting to the chase.

"Took you two minutes to ask me about that." Gibbs laughs and gets up from his chair. "Johnson took a shot at me just as I was about to walk in front of my bedroom window."

"I thought you were staying at headquarters."

"Ziva and I went back to the house to pack for Jenny's trip to LA."

"Right you and Jarvis had Jenny fly out a few days early." Fornell nods.

"It's a weight off of my shoulders worrying about her." "Jenny will be safer out in LA." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"While you and your team bring in Johnson."

"My team?" Gibbs answers narrowing his eyes over at Fornell, surprised that he would want NCIS taking the credit for bringing in Johnson.

"He's after NCIS." "I just got in the way, because I was staring at him." Fornell grunts.

"After I get done talking to you I'll be heading back to headquarters, Jenny's flight will be landing at LAX around 0700 hours LA time and I want to make sure that she's ok."

"Have the two of you decided on a date?"

"July 6th, we still haven't decided on a place yet." Gibbs smiles.

"Are you making an invitation out to the Sterling's?" Fornell smirks.

"Fuck no, ruin my reception." Gibbs laughs.

NCIS Headquarters

Jenny's Office

1015 Hours

"I'm glad!" Gibbs smiles from Jenny's couch.

Los Angeles, California

LAX

0715 Hours PDT

Jenny sitting in by the window. "My flight landed ten minutes ago."

"Callen and Hanna there yet?"

"Yes, their picking up my luggage." "Kensi and Melvin are watching my every movement."

"Even though I think you're a much safer out in LA, I still do not trust this bastard." "ZNN will be airing some of the conference that you're going to and Johnson eventually will figure out that you're not in Washington."

"Unless he steals another car or motorcycle he can't fly out or take the bus or train to LA." "The stations are being monitored."

"Johnson doesn't realize that we're on to him." "He won't see me coming." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny spotting Sam and Callen with her luggage. "I gotta go, Callen and Hanna are heading over with my luggage." "Call me when you go to sleep?" Jenny softly asks.

"Call me when you go to sleep." Gibbs smiles.

"Right I keep forgetting that you don't sleep when I'm not home."

"I don't have my couch to sleep on or my boat to sleep under." Gibbs snorts.

"Hopefully this will be resolved by the time the conference is over with on Wednesday."

"I hope so to."

"I love you Jethro."

"I love you Jenny." Gibbs answers trying to keep his emotions in check.

"Bye!" Jenny answers and hangs up.

"Off to the Ritz." Callen smirks down at her.

"Yes and I'll be treating my protection detail and along with my Assistant Cynthia to breakfast at Esspressamente Illy."

Callen and Sam glance down at their casual wardrobe. "Do we need to change?" Sam sheepishly asks.

"You'll be fine." Jenny laughs and gets up from her seat.

"You don't seem happy to be here?" Kensi asks.

"Lot of bad memories on the last time I was here." Jenny frowns.

Back in Jenny's Office, Gibbs is about to walk over to the mini bar to get a glass of bourbon. "I know float a Cheerio in it." Gibbs laughs at the memory of Mike barking at Gibbs to fix him an early morning drink on the day he died. Just as Gibbs passes Jenny's desk he notices that her voice mail light is blinking on her desk phone. "Everybody knows that Jenny is out of town." He shrugs and presses in the button to listen to the message.

"Director Shepard I won't miss the next time." "You and your agents can't hide from me forever, just when you think it's safe to come out of hiding I'll be there waiting for you." Johnson menacing laughs and hangs up.

Gibbs flipping open his cellphone pushes in the speed dial button to Ziva's cellphone. "David I want you and Abby up in the Director's Office now, Johnson left a message on the Director's voice mail on her private line." Gibbs orders her and hangs up.

Ten minutes later, Abby is sitting behind Jenny's desk tracing the phone call. "I traced the call to a payphone near Rosedale playground." Abby informs him.

"You mean can find a payphone around." Ziva says with surprise.

Gibbs leaning behind Abby's shoulder. "Not everyone wants to live in the 21st century David." Gibbs growls.

"Other than having a cellphone and knowing basic computers skills, you still live in the 20th century." Abby giggles.

"I'm not a modern guy." "Give me an eight track player, a small black and white TV and I'm all set."

"Well at least you got your kitchen into the 21st century." Ziva teases him.

"It was the only change that Jenny wanted done in the house, before I hired Noemi, why I haven't the foggiest idea since she doesn't cook." Gibbs chuckles.

"Now you're going to have to unfortunately redo your bedroom." Ziva frowns.

Gibbs not wanting to talk about remodeling his bedroom quickly changes the subject. "Since Johnson isn't on to Cassie yet or Hollis I'm going to send them over to them over to Stanton Park and canvas the area."

"That's a large area to go over." Ziva shrugs.

"You have any other suggestions." Gibbs snarls.

"No!" Ziva sighs.

"I wonder if DiNozzo or McGee has found out anything in Boulder." Gibbs openly asks.

"I guess no news is bad news." Ziva answers.

"Don't you mean good news?" Abby corrects her.

"No, I meant to say bad news Abby."

Abby suddenly realizes that they shouldn't be in Jenny's Office. "Um Gibbs, I thought that we weren't suppose to be in the Director's Office?"

"At this point in time I don't give a damn Abby." "I was only up in Jenny's Office for some privacy when I spoke to her on the phone out in LA."

"And that's when you noticed the light blinking for a voice mail message on her phone?" Ziva surmises.

"Yeah!" Gibbs lies, knowing full well that he was about to head over to the bar and down a glass of bourbon.

Boulder, Colorado

Boulder Self Storage

0900 Hours MDT

After retrieving a search warrant for Alexander Johnson's storage unit, Tony and McGee are going through Johnson's personal belongings. "Thank god that the judge owes the Director a favor." Tony laughs.

"How many favors to people owe her and Ziva?" McGee chuckles.

"With bodies like theirs, a lot Probie." Tony smirks.

McGee opens up a tote and finds several catalogs for various assault rifles. "Talk about obsessive."

"Gibbs wants everything of importance sent back to NCIS Headquarters in Washington."

"Thank god that this is a small locker." McGee sighs with relief.

"Yuupppppp!" Tony mockingly shouts.

"What is that suppose to mean?" McGee protests.

"Didn't you ever see that reality show 'Storage Wars'?"

"No Tony I have better things to do with my time than wasting in on watching reality shows." McGee grumbles.

"Yeah like playing with your Elf Lord nerds." Tony snickers.

"At least I'm using my mind, unlike you." McGee baits him.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Tony grumbles…Before McGee can answer him, Tony's cellphone rings. "DiNozzo!" He answers.

MTAC

1105 Hours EDT

"Update DiNozzo!" Gibbs barks from his seat in the front row.

"Just started processing Johnson's storage locker, so far we've found a lot of assault rifle catalogs." "The guy is border line obsessive with rifles."

McGee opening up another tote finds Johnson's desktop. "I just found Johnson's computer, it's a desktop." McGee shouts.

"Boss-"

"I heard him." Gibbs interrupts. "I'll be sending some Evidence Technician's over to pick up Johnson's belongings." "I don't want it FedEx'd over to the Navy Yard."

"Not sending it over to Quantico." Tony sheepishly asks.

"Hell no, not sharing everything with the FBI."

"Sacks isn't going to like that." Tony laughs.

"Sacks can kiss my ass." Gibbs growls.

"Did the Director's flight land in LA?"

"About an hour ago." Gibbs frowns.

"Boss she'll be safe with Callen, Sam, and Kensi." Tony reassures him.

"I know that, but it's the separation that I don't like and I prefer watching over her."

"But you can't bring in the dirt bag and watch Jenny at the same time." "You need to stay focused." Tony smiles.

"Why do you think I sent her away, I went with my gut and not with my heart."

"Besides getting shot at last night, has Johnson done anything yet?"

"Yes, he left a message on the Director's private line, Abby traced it back to a payphone near Rosedale Playground."

"The way he keeps moving around how are we suppose to track him down?" Tony groans.

"Sooner or later he'll slip and when he does, Johnson will be mine." Gibbs vows.


	111. Playing With Gibbs' Head

Los Angeles, California

NCIS Office of Special Projects

Hetty Lange's Office

1330 Hours PDT

"Don't be silly Hetty, I'm perfectly capable of working out of the conference room as my temporary office I don't want to impose on you, this is your office and you shouldn't have to move out, just because the SecNav and my Agent in Charge of the Major Case Response Team are paranoid and sent me three thousand miles across the country."

Hetty sitting at her desk and is looking across at Jenny who's sitting across from her. "They're not paranoid Director, there's a sniper on the loose in DC and their thinking about your safety." Hetty chastises her.

With that Assistant Director Owen Granger walks into the room. "Director Shepard!"

Jenny biting her tongue before she speaks. "Why can't they pick an Assistant Director that I can get along with?" Jenny inwardly groans. "Assistant Director Granger." Jenny sweetly answers and gets up from her chair and turns and faces him. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"I had finished up my business early up in Oak Harbor." Granger smoothly answers.

"How is Captain Romero, I haven't spoken to him in a while." Hetty dryly asks.

"Fine, things are running smoothly at Whidbey." Granger smiles.

Eric peaks his head into Hetty's Office. "Hetty, Special Agent Gibbs is on a live MTAC feed for Director Shepard."

"You better not keep your fiancée waiting." Hetty teases Jenny.

"Wonder if something came up." Jenny openly asks and is about to walk out of the office. "Assistant Director Granger, we'll catch up later on." Jenny nods and walks out of the office. "Much later on." She sighs in annoyance.

Back inside of Hetty's Office. "She always this icy." Granger inquires.

"Only around men she doesn't trust." Hetty smirks.

Washington, DC

NCIS Headquarters

MTAC

"Since Cynthia is with you I requested for two MTAC Technicians that knew they had to stay on the Navy Yard until further notice." Gibbs nods up at Jenny, who's looking down at him from MTAC out in Los Angeles.

"Didn't want Danielle." Jenny laughs.

"No, to whiny and she use to suck up to Vance too much." Gibbs growls.

"I gather you got something on Johnson."

"Can't a guy have a face to face conversation with his fiancée?" Gibbs grins.

Jenny glancing around and notices that Eric and Nell are eavesdropping on their conversation. "Not when I have two sets of ears listening in on our every word." Jenny playfully chastises them.

"Abby warned me that she had mother's ears." Eric laughs.

"So what do you have on Johnson?"

"He called your private line sometime last night."

"I take it he didn't have anything nice to say to me." Jenny sarcastically asks.

"Just that you're a marked woman." "Unknown to Johnson your safely three thousand miles away and he can't touch you."

"For the time being." "CSPAN and several of the cable news networks will carry some of the conference live on Monday."

"You still have three days to relax."

"I can't relax, more than likely I'll be working out of my hotel room over the weekend." "Cynthia and Melvin I want relaxing."

"Jenny work can wait until Monday, you're in Southern California, enjoy the weather."

"I'll think about it." Jenny answers and gets back to the subject at hand. "Did you hear from DiNozzo and McGee?"

"Yes, your ass kissing paid off with Judge Schroeder; they searched Johnson's Self Storage Unit and found his computer and various magazines and manuals for assault rifles, one for a Bushmaster."

"The weapon that was used to murder Private Sizemore and to shoot at my office and your bedroom window." Jenny answers.

"DiNozzo and McGee are now at the University of Colorado to talk to some of Johnson's classmates and professors to see if they can give us any information about him." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Fill me in when you call me later on tonight in my hotel suite."

"I will!" Gibbs smiles.

Boulder, Colorado

University of Colorado

Professor Francis Mahoney Office

"Alec Johnson was a model student; straight A's and had a semester to go before he graduated." "He was offered a medical school scholarship at UCLA Medical School and then he stopped showing up for classes." "I don't know what happened." Mahoney sadly answers.

"Did he have any friends on campus?" McGee curiously asks.

"None, he kept to himself." "Nadine Samuels would frequently partner with him in my class on various assignments, but that was it."

"Where can we find Miss Samuels?" Tony asks.

"My class in about thirty minutes, she usually arrives ten minutes early."

Twenty minutes later, Tony and McGee are questioning Nadine Samuels. "It was so weird; he got funny all of a sudden, you and me against the world type of a deal." "He wouldn't tell me the reason why he changed." "January when the new semester started I was surprised to see that Alec had dropped out." "He was all set to go to medical school on a full scholarship this fall out in LA."

"Did Alec talk with anybody else but you?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"No he just kept to himself, never got close to anybody else." "I'm sorry that I can't help you." Nadine apologizes.

"Nothing to apologize for." Tony smiles.

Boulder Municipal Airport

1800 Hours MDT

Tony and McGee are in the lounge waiting for their flight talking to Gibbs via speakerphone from their table. "Johnson's Aunt Monica Davis went on a cruise to Tahiti two weeks ago and won't be back for another week." Tony informs him.

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

"You still haven't found out anything on Johnson's brother Louis?" Gibbs sharply asks.

"No it's like he disappeared when he was sixteen years old, from what I can understand he was the black sheep of the family, supposedly his father sent him away." Tony answers.

"Maybe the Director owes somebody else a favor and we can get some answers." Gibbs chuckles.

"She's good at kissing ass." Tony grins.

"Why do you think she leap frogged from Junior Agent to Director of NCIS with in nine years." Gibbs growls.

"You had something to do with that boss." Tony smiles.

"Not all of it." Gibbs answers and gets back to the subject at hand. "I want the two of you to get a good night's sleep when your flight lands, check into a hotel near the airport."

"We owe you big time boss." McGee smiles.

"See you when you report in tomorrow morning." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

Ziva walks into the room. "Cassie and Hollis had no luck at finding Johnson today." Ziva sighs at the lack of progress that they've made today.

"There's always tomorrow David." Gibbs reassures her.

In the Stanton Park section of the city, Alec Johnson has found a room at a bed and breakfast. In his room, Johnson is watching the news coverage on ZNN about the fire at the Howard Johnson Express Inn. "Feds still haven't leaked out that five of the nine bodies that were recovered in the rubble were murdered." "I guess tomorrow morning I better make it publicly known." Johnson smirks.

Later that night, Gibbs is in Abby's Lab staring at the computer monitor at a photo of Alexander Johnson. Abby walks in from the backroom. "I got a video feed from Director Shepard's hotel suite at the Ritz." "You're going to like it Gibbs, she's wearing a peach silk negligee with a matching robe." Abby teases him.

"To me it's a waste of time and energy." Gibbs groans and starts off for the backroom.

"Why is that?" Abby shrugs.

"I prefer her with nothing on." He smirks and walks into the backroom.

"And I'm sure that's her preference for you as well, I know it would be mine." Abby drools and walks off towards her computer workstation.

Los Angeles, California

Ritz Carlton Hotel

Jenny's Suite

2130 Hours

"It's after midnight why is Abby still awake?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Hard to sleep away from home." Gibbs answers.

"Did Tony and McGee find out anything more on Johnson?"

"Nada!" Gibbs groans.

"Nothing!"

"Something happened to Johnson that made him snap." "Professor's and a few classmates are confused at his sudden change."

"Did they find anything about his older brother Louis?"

"Just that something happened with him when he was sixteen years old." "His father sent him away and because of that he became the black sheep of the family, whatever that's suppose to mean." "DiNozzo and McGee couldn't find out why?" "The only family is an Aunt Monica Davis; we won't be able to speak with her for another week she's away on a cruise to Tahiti." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"I'll make some phone calls to Boulder DA's Office tomorrow, maybe Louis Johnson did something when he was a minor and has a sealed file somewhere." Jenny answers.

"Wouldn't be surprised since Louis Senior was a prominent attorney and his grandfather Doctor Robert Johnson was Chief of Staff at Boulder Community Hospital."

Jenny to tease her lover loosens up her robe. "Strike that I'll have Cynthia look into that for me on Monday morning; keep forgetting that tomorrow is Saturday."

Gibbs glaring at her exposed breasts. "That ain't helping matters much." He growls in sexual frustration.

"See something you want Leroy, but can't taste or touch." Jenny purrs.

"I can say the same thing to you Madame Director." Gibbs smirks.

"Three words for you Leroy." Jenny seductively says to him.

"What's that?"

"Battery operated devices." She smirks.

"But they don't make you fall apart, and just when you think I'm about to climax inside of you, I make you fall apart all over again." He mischievously grins.

"Son of a bitch!" Jenny mutters in annoyance.

"With that I'll say good night to you." "I love you Jenny."

"I love you Jethro." Jenny smiles at him.

Out in the lab, Abby is trying to access Johnson's computer without success. "Damn it!" She sighs.

Gibbs walks out. "Abby get some sleep."

"I wasn't going to bed until you went."

"I'm heading down now, tomorrow is another day."

Central 906

Shelly Tomlinson's Condo

0500 Hours

ZNN Reporter Shelly Tomlinson steps out of her Pennsylvania Avenue condo and walks over to her car, just as she is about to step inside she feels a gun in the small of her back. "Who are you?" She asks in fear.

"NCIS's worst nightmare." Johnson answers, Tomlinson catches Johnson's reflection in the side mirror and notices that he has his face painted in black and green camouflage and has a black hoodie pulled over his head to conceal his identity.

NCIS Headquarters

Evidence Room

0800 Hours

While Abby and McGee are upstairs trying to crack the password to Johnson's desktop, Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva are going through Johnson's personal items from Johnson's Self-Storage Unit. Ziva stares down in horror at a M2CG manual. "Gibbs it's a good thing you've restricted us to the Navy Yard, Johnson easily could have blown away not only your downstairs, but your upstairs as well."

"And our apartment's as well." Tony adds looking over Ziva's shoulder.

"I'm wondering if Johnson has a storage unit in the area where he has his weapons stored at." Gibbs openly asks.

"His '82' Ford Bronco and 6'ft cargo trailer are both missing." "We checked with Colorado DMV and Johnson has not sold his vehicles or changed registration with another state." Tony informs them.

"Ziva, head up to Abby's and I want you and McGee calling every storage facility in a four state area." Gibbs orders her.

"On it!" Ziva nods and walks off for the elevator.

"What do we do?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Continue going through Johnson's belongings, there has to be something on his brother here."

Los Angeles, California

Ritz Carlton Hotel

1100 Hours

Jenny, Cynthia, and Kensi are lounging poolside in their bathing suits. "I'm so glad that you took Gibbs' advice and relaxed this weekend Director." Cynthia smiles over at her.

"It's hard relaxing when my mind is three thousand miles away." Jenny sighs and closes her eyes.

Over at the entranceway of the pool a familiar face has spotted Jenny. "Well, well, well, you're even hotter in a bathing suit." DiNozzo Senior drools and slowly approaches Jenny. "Double or triple D cups." Senior smirks.

"You'll never know." Jenny sensuously says and opens up her eyes. "And like your son you wouldn't know what to do with them." Jenny purrs.

"Son?" Kensi curiously asks.

"Special Agent Blye, I want you to meet Anthony DiNozzo Senior." Jenny smiles.

"Tony's father?" Kensi laughs.

"Yes, he's like a chip off of the old block." Cynthia giggles.

"Tony never got kicked in the-"

Before Jenny finishes, DiNozzo Senior interrupts her. "Does Agent Blye have a first name?" Senior grins.

"Yes I do, it's Kensi."

"So what are you doing here?" Jenny curiously asks Senior.

"Here to meet my date Audrey." Senior answers and gestures towards his twenty-eight year old girlfriend.

Jenny stares at her with her jaw dropped. "Does she know you're broke?"

"No, she thinks I'm a wealthy oil baron."

"You lie to women?" Kensi says in disgust.

"Don't worry his son does the same thing to get a piece of ass." Jenny laughs…"It's just that his father is desperate to get laid and has to lie to get female attention."

"I can't find a woman around my age that satisfies me."

Jenny remembering seeing Sam Ryan's name on the conference list. "Don't worry I might have the perfect woman for you." Jenny snickers.

Abby's Lab

1800 Hours

Ziva and McGee are calling every storage unit facility in a four state area over at the work table. Abby sits behind them at her workstation trying to figure out Johnson's password. "Thank you!" Ziva answers and hangs up. "Cross that one off the list." Ziva sighs.

"Tony is better at making phone calls than I am." McGee grumbles.

"That's because he likes to make up stories to get the person on the other end off of the phone." Ziva giggles.

While Ziva and McGee are complaining about their current assignment, ZNN breaks in for a breaking story. "Abby turn up the volume for the plasma screen?" McGee asks.

"Why?" Abby shrugs.

McGee gets up from his chair. "Do it!"

"Ok!" Abby groans and turns up the volume. "Shelly Tomlinson was abducted today?" Abby says out loud as she reads the scroll from the bottom of the TV.

ZNN Headquarters

Deborah Washburn Show

"ZNN has an exclusive one on one interview with Shelly Tomlinson with the NCIS Sniper." Washburn announces to her viewers.

With that McGee flips open his cellphone and pushes in the button for Gibbs' cellphone. "Boss get up here and fast." McGee urgently shouts to him.

Two minutes later, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Abby stand in silence as they watch Tomlinson's interview with the sniper. Gibbs' cellphone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers…"Yes I'm watching it Sacks." Gibbs grunts.

Tony flips open his cellphone and pushes in the speed dial button to Jenny's cellphone. "Director do you have ZNN on?"

Los Angeles, California

Ritz Carlton Hotel

Jenny's Suite

Jenny and Cynthia are sitting on the couch watching Tomlinson's interview. "Yes I'm watching it Tony." Jenny answers from her Black Berry. "I take it that Gibbs is on the phone with Agent Sacks?" Jenny sharply asks.

"Yes?"

"Now he's kidnapping the media." Jenny sighs with concern. "I can't stand Shelly, but I wouldn't wish that on her."

"I know!" Tony frowns and continues watching the interview.

"Tell Gibbs when he has to chance to call me."

"I will ma'am!" Tony answers and hangs up.

Up on the plasma screen Alec Johnson hits Tomlinson over the head with a tire iron knocking her out. "I'm out to get all of you, I started with Private Sizemore, almost took out the Director of NCIS along with FBI Special Agent Tobias Fornell." "I also took out my witness' at the Howard Johnson Inn Express along with four other victims; I lost no sleep over the deaths of the two toddlers." "And lastly I was inches of taking out NCIS Special Agent Jethro Gibbs." "I won't miss the next time Jethro, nor will I miss your whore boss the next time she enters my rifle scope." "It's open season on NCIS Agents and law enforcement that get in my way." "I won't be stopped." Johnson menacing shouts and turns off Tomlinson's laptop.

"You will be stopped Johnson." Gibbs snarls up at the plasma screen.

"Boss, I was talking to the Director on the phone she wants to talk to you?"

Gibbs tossing Tony his cellphone. "I'm not in the mood to talk to her." "This is personal." Gibbs barks and storms off towards the elevator.

Gibbs' cellphone begins to ring. Tony glances down and spots Jenny's name on the caller ID. "What do I say to her?"

"I wouldn't want to be the one answering that phone at the moment." McGee grumbles.

Ziva knowing how to handle Jenny. "I'll do it." Ziva swallows and takes Gibbs' phone from Tony. "Director!" Ziva answers.

"Where's Gibbs?" Jenny angrily asks Ziva.

"He doesn't want to talk to you, he just-"

"Stormed out of the room." Jenny finishes and rubs her temples. "Ziva I hate to play phone tag with Ducky could you go down to Autopsy and-"

"Hand Ducky Gibbs' cellphone so that you can talk to him." Ziva softly answers. "I'm on my way down." Ziva smiles.

Gun Range

Half an hour later Gibbs is taking his frustrations out on the targets in front of him. Johnson's face is mentally superimposed on top of the face and head of the target. Ducky walks in and waits for Gibbs to empty out his clip. "Jethro I thought you wouldn't do this this time around." Ducky scolds him.

"What?" Gibbs snaps and turns and faces his friend.

"Shut off your lover." "It's not Paris 1999, its 2012 and you're engaged to be married to her." Ducky gently berates him.

"He's in my head now Duck." "All I want to do is kill the bastard." Gibbs shouts.

"Don't take it out on the woman you love." "She's one of his victims."

"Tell me about it." "It's a Saturday night; I should be on my way home from work bringing take-out home to her." "After dinner we usually go down in my basement where I work on one of my various projects, she sits at the workbench reading one of her books or watching the ballgame up on the TV." "Instead I'm stuck here and Jenny is three thousand miles away scared and I can't hold her in my arms." "I'm angry and frustrated as hell." Gibbs screams.

"The best thing for you to do right about now is to pull yourself together." "Once you've done that call her and when you do be the man that she loves and not Agent Gibbs." Ducky admonishes Gibbs, before storming out of the room; Ducky tosses Gibbs his cellphone back.

"Pull myself together." Gibbs laughs and shakes his head. "Can't do that when I'm sober and I can't get drunk when I have a maniac on the loose."

Gibbs' Conference Room

Five Minutes Later

Sitting in the corner of the elevator in between floors, Gibbs has his cellphone pressed up against his right ear. "Hi!" Gibbs says above a whisper

Ritz Carlton Hotel Los Angeles

Jenny's Suite

"Don't ever do that to me again." Jenny angrily screams at him from her bed.

"Jen he has me so pissed off right now." "My head is spinning." Gibbs apologizes.

"I don't care; I thought things were different between us now." Jenny answers with her voice trembling with emotion.

"It is different." Gibbs frowns and presses his head back up against the wall. "I'm here and your three thousand miles away." "I can't hold you in my arms to comfort you." "I sense your fear through your voice."

"Like I can't comfort you." "This is killing me Jethro." Jenny answers with tears streaming down her face.

Suddenly an incoming phone call beep comes across Gibbs' phone. "Hold on a minute Jen, I got another call." Gibbs answers and pushes in the button. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Washington Center Hospital

Sacks is standing outside of Tomlinson's hospital room. "Tomlinson just passed away five minutes ago." Sacks sadly informs Gibbs.

"Cause of death?"

"Doctor thinks it's from an aneurysm to the brain." "When Tomlinson was non responsive when she arrived at the hospital they did a cat scan and an MRI on her and Tomlinson had one."

"Keep me posted when her autopsy results come in." Gibbs smoothly says.

"I'll have the ME fax a report over to Doctor Mallard."

"I'd appreciate that Sacks." "I have my Director on another line."

"I won't keep you from her." Sacks nods.

"Bye!" Gibbs answers and pushes in the button on his phone to switch back over to his phone call with Jenny. "Jen we have another victim." Gibbs swallows.

"Who?" Jenny asks with her face ashen.

"Shelly Tomlinson!"


	112. Combustible Energy

April 22nd 2012

Los Angeles, California

Ritz Carlton Hotel

1130 Hours PDT

Jenny is sitting in the lobby reading her book, unknown to her a familiar face walks through the hotel lobby door spotting Jenny. "Well, well, I see Jethro will be off of his leash for a few days." Sam sweetly baits her.

Jenny, leaning her book up against her chest. "No I'm off of Jethro's leash for a few days." Jenny smirks.

"I take it you arrived yesterday?" Sam curiously asks.

"Friday morning!"

"Few days early?"

"I had some business with my Special Projects Division." Jenny lies.

"Jenny cut the crap I was in Washington last night when the story broke out about the NCIS Sniper, Jethro sent you out to LA a few days early for your safety."

"I'll be safe for a few days, once he finds out that I'm out in Los Angeles the sniper will be try and make his way out to Los Angeles."

"Does Gibbs know who he is?" Sam curiously asks.

"Classified Doctor."

"Typical NCIS answer." Sam laughs and folds her arms. "I'm surprised that you're actually being civil towards me?"

"Why is that?" Jenny shrugs and takes off her glasses.

"Jethro didn't tell you." Sam laughs in amazement.

"Tell me what?"

"He found a bug that I planted inside of his house?"

"It's his house and I don't see where that concerns me."

"I planted the bug down in his basement."

Jenny finally getting where Sam is getting at. "That's what you get for snooping on us." Jenny smirks.

"I admire the both of your stamina, three hours."

"Why jealous because you can't go that long?" Jenny sarcastically answers.

Before Sam can answer her, Kensi walks over. "Director is this woman bothering you?"

"No Kensi, entertaining me." Jenny grins and gets up from the couch. "Ready for shopping Rodeo Drive?"

"You'll be shopping I'll be window shopping."

"I'm not as bad as I use to be."

"Why is that?" Kensi shrugs.

"Don't have the closet space that I use to have." Jenny sighs and then glances over at Sam. "Doctor Ryan it was a pleasure making an ass out of you once again." Jenny baits her and walks away with Kensi following her behind.

Kensi looking over her shoulder as Sam stares down Jenny. "If looks could kill." Kensi warns her.

"That's who I plan on fixing up with DiNozzo Senior tonight at the bar." Jenny giggles.

"That relic, she's too old for him." Kensi snickers.

"No he's too young for her." Jenny laughs.

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

"Got it!" McGee shouts to his teammates from the table.

"Got what?" Tony curiously asks and glances down at computer screen on McGee's laptop. "Clarksburg RV Storage in Clarksburg, West Virginia."

"We better haul ass, I want to search Johnson's Bronco and trailer before the news networks leak out that Jenny is out in Los Angeles tomorrow morning." Gibbs barks over at his team.

Tony glances down at his watch "We have a nineteen hour window."

"First thing first, we need to get a warrant to search Johnson's car." Gibbs sharply says.

"Going to let Sacks and Hollis know?" Tony grins.

"Hell no, this is need to know between us." Gibbs growls.

Clarksburg, West Virginia

Clarksburg RV Storage

1900 Hours

After getting a search warrant for Johnson's Bronco and trailer, Gibbs and his team drive to Clarksburg, West Virginia. "Now that was a drive from hell." Tony groans as he steps out of the van.

"Please say we'll be spending the night in a hotel after we're done here." McGee begs him.

"McGee I've slept on a cot for nearly a week and haven't held the woman I love in my arms, don't get me started." Gibbs snarls at him.

"Good news is that the Director has slept on an actual bed the past two nights." Tony grins.

"Where is that good news when she's three thousand miles away and I'm not holding her in my arms in my sleep?"

"You miss her." Ziva frowns.

"I miss us; it's been one long damn week." Gibbs sighs.

"Seems like an eternity since Palmer and Breena's wedding." McGee shrugs.

"Their flight landed this morning." Ziva smiles.

"A week in the city of love." "Beats being on the NCIS Sniper's hit list." Tony grumbles.

"Good thing about being out in Paris, the sniper doesn't know what Palmer looks like he'll be safe and will be working over at Quantico." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Ziva walks over to the Bronco and removes a tool from her backpack to unlock the driver's side door. "This should take under a minute." Ziva smirks and successfully unlocks the door. "Now I'll get the trailer unlocked." Ziva winks and walks away.

Gibbs opens the driver's side door and notices the piles of trash inside of the car. "What a slob." Tony grimaces.

"Look under the seats, the back of the Bronco and inside of the glove compartment." "I don't want anything disturbed that Johnson will take notice of." Gibbs instructs them.

"Other than weapons." McGee answers.

Over at the trailer Ziva successfully picks the lock for the trailer, she opens up the back door. "Oh my god!" She shouts in disbelief at the amount of weapons that Johnson has inside of the trailer.

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee rush over. "Looks like he's a one man arsenal." Tony answers with his jaw dropped.

Cassie pulls up with her team. "Took me awhile to ditch Hollis." Cassie grumbles from inside of her car.

"She's smart!" Gibbs laughs.

Cassie gets out of the car. "So what do we have here?"

"Enough weapons for a small arsenal." Gibbs sarcastically answers.

"How do you want to play this out?" Cassie curiously asks.

"While McGee and I drive back to Washington with Johnson's weapons, I want your team and Tony and Ziva to take shifts in watching over Johnson's Bronco." Gibbs instructs them.

"Just encase Johnson stops by." Tony answers.

"Are we taking the trailer with us?" McGee sheepishly asks.

"No we'll unload the weapons into the van."

"What if he notices that his weapons are missing?"

"That's the chance I'm willing to take McGee."

"I wonder how Abby's making out with cracking the password to Johnson's computer?" Tony ponders out loud.

NCIS Headquarters

Abby's Lab

"Damn it!" Abby snaps in disgust.

Ducky sitting on top of the counter beside Abby. "You need to step away."

"No I need Timmy, he's better at this." Abby pouts.

"Don't let him hear you say that." Ducky chuckles.

"I talked to Jimmy and Breena about an hour ago." "They had a wonderful time in Paris, they sent me some photos." "By the way they took some photos of the inside of the Director's apartment, way cool." "She has excellent taste." Abby smiles.

"Style was one of Jennifer's strongest suits." Ducky muses.

"Wonder if she'll have any say in redecorating Gibbs' 80's style bedroom." "Ziva said that the bed, dresser, and nightstands are covered in bullet holes." "Luckily the Director's suitcase didn't get damaged or she would have had to buy a new wardrobe out in Los Angeles."

"Redecorating the bedroom that Gibbs shared with his first wife Shannon is a touchy subject Abigail." Ducky warns her.

"I think it's sweet that a part of Shannon is in his heart, first love, true love kind of deal and that Jenny accepts it, but it's 2012, his wife passed away over twenty years ago." Abby frowns.

"Abby, some things can't be let go." "And thankfully Gibbs has found someone who will accept it."

Ritz Carlton Hotel Los Angeles

The Mixing Room

2130 PDT Hours

DiNozzo Senior sits alone at the bar; Jenny walks over and sits beside him. "What's the matter your mistress dump you already." Jenny teases him.

"She found a richer guy that's twenty years younger than me." Senior pouts.

"Poor baby, why don't you stick to women around your own age?" Jenny seductively answers.

"And what would Gibbs think?" Senior winks.

"You wouldn't survive ten minutes with me." Jenny laughs.

With that the bartender approaches Jenny. "Ma'am what can I get you?"

"Do you know how to make a Frozen Matador?" Jenny curiously asks.

"Yes I do ma'am?" Jerry her bartender answers.

"That's what I'll have."

Senior raises a curious eyebrow at her. "What's a Frozen Matador?" He sheepishly asks.

"1 1/2 oz. tequila, 2 oz. pineapple juice, 1 tbsp. Lime juice, 1 stick pineapple." "Friend of mine in college use to make them for us during Spring Break in Miami." Jenny softly answers.

"Junior says that you only drink bourbon."

"It's my drink of choice, but I don't drink it all the time or I would be boring like my fiancée who sticks to bourbon, beer, and coffee all the time." Jenny giggles.

Sam wearing a turquoise cocktail dress walks over to the bar. "I'll have an Irish Lady please."

"Soon as I'm done with this lady's drink." Jerry smiles at Sam.

Senior taking in Sam's exposed calves. "I take it you work out." He drools.

"Yes, three times a week and I live on yogurt."

"I know it keeps your regular." Jenny sarcastically answers her and takes her drink from Jerry. "But it on my bill, Director Jenny Shepard."

"Yes ma'am!" Jerry nods and steps away from the edge of the bar to work on Sam's drink.

"So I take it that the two of you know one another." Senior curiously asks.

"Yes, this is Doctor Samantha Ryan, Director of the PsyOps Division for the Department of Defense." Jenny answers and then glances over at Sam. "Doctor Ryan, Anthony DiNozzo Senior."

"Senior as in-"

"Yes Tony's father." Jenny interrupts.

"And what do you do?" Sam smiles at Senior.

"Head of a pharmaceutical corporation."

Jenny walks over to Cynthia. "Hook line and sinker." Jenny smirks.

"She's falling for his charm already." Cynthia laughs.

"Now he's the head of a pharmaceutical corporation."

Kensi walks over to Jenny and Cynthia. "Oh my god, he has the fossil giggling." Kensi laughs.

"Couldn't happen to a nicer person." Jenny smirks.

"I need to play a joke on Tony." Cynthia laughs and gets close enough that she can snap a picture of Senior and Sam together with her cellphone camera.

Clarksburg, West Virginia

Clarksburg RV Storage

0030 Hours EDT

Tony sitting in an RV that the facility manager had loaned out to Gibbs to stake out Johnson's Bronco and trailer, receives an incoming photo from Cynthia. "What could Cynthia possibly want knowing its twelve thirty at night on the east coast?" Tony openly asks and flips open his cellphone.

Ziva returning from a coffee run takes in Tony's facial expression. "What's the matter?"

Pressing in the photo accept button a photo of his father and Sam sitting at the bar. "Future Mrs. Anthony DiNozzo." He reads out loud.

"Who?" Ziva asks and glances over his shoulder. "Oh my!" Ziva laughs.

"Not funny!" Tony protests.

"Yes it is and I bet you she sent one to Abby and McGee also." Ziva laughs and hands Tony his cup of coffee.

"Abby is asleep and won't see it until tomorrow morning." Tony sighs with relief, with that Tony gets a text message from Abby.

'Like your new step-mommy.'

"You were saying." Ziva giggles.

"Mental note, to get even with Cynthia." Tony grumbles.

Early the next morning inside of the men's locker area in the Gibbs is changing for work, Ducky walks in with a towel wrapped around his waist. "You're up early!" Ducky muses to Gibbs.

Gibbs pulling his olive colored polo shirt over his head. "I'm always up early Duck."

"Jethro it's after five, you usually don't get up this early in the morning."

"That's because I've been sleeping alone for the past week, the first seventy-two hours was pure torture with Jenny sleeping across the other side of the room." Gibbs groans in sexual frustration.

"I know you kept me up with your constant turning about in your cot all night long with the exception of Wednesday night."

"I slept like a baby that night." Gibbs smirks.

"I could see why from the bruise that you got on your collarbone." Ducky snorts.

Gibbs putting his bracelet on. "Duck I'm not getting into this conversation with you again, the subject is closed."

"Teenagers have more will power than the both of you." Ducky mutters in exasperation and walks off towards the direction of the shower.

"It's called combustible energy Doctor Mallard at some point it needs a release." Gibbs mischievously grins.

An hour and a half later, Gibbs is sitting at the counter of his favorite diner, Hollis walks in. "Agent Yates and her team has been MIA since last night." Hollis asks him and approaches the counter.

"Maybe her Operations Manager has Cassie working on something else." Gibbs shrugs and takes a bite from his toast.

Hollis glances down at Gibbs plate and raises a curious eyebrow at him. "Eggs Benedict!" Hollis says with surprise.

"It's called a change." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Something is going on and you're not letting Sacks and myself in on it."

"If it's pertinent to both of your investigations I'll let you in on it." "Keep in mind NCIS is at risk, not the ATF, and the only reason why Fornell got shot is because he showed up at NCIS Headquarters and Johnson caught Fornell watching him on the bus bench."

"Are you still concerned about Director Shepard's safety?"

"For now she's safe, but when the cable news channels announce about the anti-terrorism conference that she's at in Los Angeles, Johnson will be on his way out to there."

Gwen, Gibbs' waitress approaches the counter. "Can I get you anything?" She nods over at Hollis.

"Creamed Dry Beef and some coffee." Hollis smiles at her.

"Shit on a shingle." Gibbs chuckles.

"Very mature Jethro." Hollis sighs in annoyance. "And I'll have a glass of tomato juice with it also."

"Coming right up." Gwen smiles and walks away.

"Your little boy antics are still charming after all these years." "If the both of us weren't engaged, I might find myself falling in love with you all over again." Hollis softly answers.

"But it would be one sided Holli, I never loved you." "Don't get me wrong, as long as you didn't ask me about my past or future, we hit it off pretty well." "Soon as you wanted a commitment from me is when our relationship went sour." Gibbs sadly answers.

"Is that the reason why it worked in the past with Jenny?"

"Yes, she didn't ask anything of me, not my past or future, we lived by the moment."

"Until one of you had plans for a future together."

"And that was me; I wanted it all with her." "Jenny had other plans, her career first over a relationship."

"And now the both of you have it all, career and a relationship."

"And a future that the both of us can agree on." Gibbs smiles.

Los Angeles, California

NCIS Office of Special Projects

1600 Hours PDT

After attending her anti-terrorism conference, Jenny walks into her temporary office inside one of the conference rooms. "From the dust that was inside of this room on Friday, I highly doubt that they use this room." Cynthia giggles at her.

"Find anything on Louis Jacob Johnson Junior." Jenny asks.

"Fax just came through on his juvenile record, the connections you have ma'am." Cynthia smiles, handing Jenny the fax.

Jenny puts her pocketbook down on top of the table and takes her glasses out. "I knew there had to be something on his past as a juvenile you don't walk away like that without a trace." Jenny answers and puts her glasses on.

Cynthia taking in Jenny's facial expression as she reads the file. "What's the matter?"

"Louis Jacob Johnson Junior was arrested for raping an eleven year old girl when he was fifteen, two weeks shy of his sixteenth birthday."

"He could have been charged as an adult." Cynthia answers.

"Instead, his father and grandfather got him off it, juvenile probation." Jenny answers in disgust. "According to this, Junior got sent away to Newport, Rhode Island."

Cynthia looking over Jenny's shoulder. "It says that he lived with Navy Chaplain Commander Michael Morgan."

"Cynthia get me the Rhode Island State Attorney General's Office."

"Johnson has to be thirty-six by now." Cynthia answers.

"I know that, if I have to I'll get a warrant to get Johnson's juvenile records unsealed from there as well." "I want to be back home in Washington by Thursday." "I'm tired of living out of my own home and sleeping away from the man that I love." Jenny hisses in annoyance.

Unknown to Jenny, Callen was standing behind her carrying her briefcase. "Decker said that you and Gibbs couldn't go twenty-four hours without having sex." Callen teases her.

"You're the only subordinate that could get away with a personal attack on my sex life G." Jenny playfully chastises him and turns and faces him.

"You sure that we can't be of more help." Callen asks with concern.

"And have another team of agents to worry about." Jenny frowns and shakes her head.

"Just offering!" Callen asks and puts Jenny's briefcase on top of the conference table. "Still don't know what this dude's agenda is?"

"No but by the end of the day, I'll find out who the son of a bitches brother is." Jenny answers with a hint of determination in her voice.

An hour later, Jenny is alone in MTAC talking with Chaplain Morgan, who's stationed on the _USNS Pomeroy. "Director you're wasting my time, I won't give you any information out on Jake." Morgan sternly answers._

_"His younger brother Alexander Johnson is wanted for the murders of eleven people and the attempted murder of four federal officers, one of whom your speaking to right now." Jenny angrily snaps._

_"Alec is a suspect as the NCIS Sniper." Morgan says with surprise._

_"Yes and we believe something in his past may have provoked the killing sprees." Jenny answers sharply._

_"Director you know I'm a Chaplain and what is said between Jacob and myself is strictly confidential."_

_"Eleven people have been killed by his brother, two of them babies." "How can you live with yourself." Jenny angrily screams at him._

_"Director you know what the Pomeroy is?" Morgan directly asks her._

_"Yes it's where detainees are held on similar to Gitmo." Jenny answers._

_"Some of the prisoners are US servicemen who are held over for trial for terrorist actions." _

_"I don't see what this has to do with Johnson." Jenny sighs._

_"It means I can't help you." "I'm committed to the people I serve."_

_"But Louis Johnson Junior lived with you." "Currently I'm in the works on getting his juvenile parole records unsealed by the State of Rhode Island." "I'll find out the information that I need to know without your help." Jenny warns him._

_"Again I cannot go against my duties as a Chaplain Director." Morgan sadly answers and turns off his camera to his computer._

_"Even when I told him that two babies were victims of his younger brother Alexander, Morgan still didn't want to help bring Alexander to justice, because he was more concerned about violating his duties as a Chaplain." Jenny frowns._

_"Like lawyers they are committed." Eric answers._

_"It's one of the reasons why Gibbs hates lawyers."_

_Cynthia walks in carrying several faxes. "Just got this in from the Rhode Island State Attorney General's Office." "Apparently after serving his juvenile parole, Louis Jacob Johnson, legally changed his name and social security number."_

_"What does he go by now?" Jenny curiously asks._

_"Jacob Michael Johnson."_

_"Eric-"_

_Before Jenny can finish Eric has taken the fax from Cynthia's hand. "On it ma'am, with in fifteen minutes you'll know everything about Jacob Michael Johnson."_

_Washington, DC_

_NCIS Headquarters_

_MTAC_

_1945 Hours EDT_

_"Apparently Johnson will be at Leavenworth for the next twenty-five years for raping a Lieutenant." Jenny says to a stunned Gibbs at the bottom of the plasma screen._

_"This is the payback, because his brother got sent to prison for raping a woman." Gibbs growls._

_"Apparently it is."_

_"I'm taking a flight out to Kansas and I'll grille it out of Johnson on his brother's current location."_

_"To bad I won't be there by your side." Jenny smirks._

_"No I want your ass out in LA, safe."_

_"I'm safe, but I'm also missing my partner."_

_"Jen don't get me started." Gibbs groans in frustration._

_"Hopefully Johnson will tell you where his brother is at and I'll be home Thursday afternoon." Jenny smiles._

_"It's too much to ask for." Gibbs smiles…"I gotta run."_

_"Have a safe flight."_

_"I will!" Gibbs answers and gestures for Dale to cut off the plasma screen feed. "By Thursday night you'll be sleeping in my arms again." Gibbs inwardly says to himself and starts to walk up the ramp._

_Half an hour later, Gibbs pulls out the main gate, suddenly Hollis' car pulls in front of him. "I don't have time for this." Gibbs growls and gets out of his car. "Holli get the hell out of the way." He impatiently shouts at her._

_"Not until you tell me what you're up to." Hollis defiantly shouts back at him from inside of her car._

_Gibbs knowing that time if of the essence walks over to Hollis' car and pops his head inside. "I got a location of Alexander Johnson's brother."_

_"Where?"_

_"Leavenworth, he's serving twenty-five years for raping a Navy Lieutenant."_

_"Why did it take us so long to locate him?" Hollis curiously asks._

_"I'll tell you on the way over to the airport, I'm on my way out to Kansas to question him."_

_"You mean we're on our way to Kansas to question him, I know some people with connections at Leavenworth." Hollis smiles._

_Meanwhile, Alec Johnson returns to his room. "Been trying to gain access to the old man's hospital floor all day long without much luck." Johnson grumbles and flops down on top of his bed. Grabbing the TV remote, Johnson turns on ZNN. "Let's see if I'm headline news again today." Johnson grins and positions his body up against the pillows. Footage of the anti-terrorism conference in Los Angeles comes across the TV screen. Johnson quickly spots Jenny, who's talking to several reporters. "Looks like I need to take a road trip to LA." Johnson menacing smirks._


	113. Put Into Exile

Leavenworth, Kansas

Fort Leavenworth

United States Disciplinary Barracks

0000 CDT Hours

Gibbs and Hollis are sitting at a table in a prison interrogation cell. Guards escort Navy Captain Jacob Johnson into the cell. "Who the hell are you?" Johnson snarls at them.

"NCIS, Special Agent Gibbs, and this is ATF Special Agent Mann, we're here to ask you some questions about your brother Alexander?" Gibbs sharply says to him.

The guards shove Johnson into a chair across the table from Gibbs and Hollis. "Alec has nothing to do with me being in prison." Johnson shrugs.

Gibbs opens up a file and shows the photos of the deceased one at a time. "No but you being in prison has something to do with the killing spree that's going on in Washington at this time." Gibbs snaps and stands up. "Where's your brother at?"

"I don't know the last time I spoke to him, he said he was-" Johnson quickly stops, remembering his brother's last words to him on the phone last week.

"He said he was doing what?" Hollis angrily asks.

"Hunting!"

"He hunted alright, eleven dead, two under the age of three." "The attempted murder on four federal officers, one FBI Special Agent Fornell is recovering in a hospital in Arlington, Virginia; he took a shot at the Director of NCIS as she stood in front of her office window, luckily for the Director bullet resistance glass saved her life." "I was in my home with another agent when he shot at the both of us, quick reflexes saved our lives."

"Did you say children?" Johnson swallows.

"A three year old and an eighteen month old, they burned to death in their parents arms." Hollis coldly informs him.

"Was that the Howard Johnson's Inn that was set on fire?"

"Yes it was, your brother was staying there, we were on to Alec's location so he murdered anybody who could identify him, the manager and cleaning staff, the other five victims just got in his way." Gibbs bitterly answers.

"I don't know where Alec is staying at, but he calls me every Tuesday morning."

"We'll be here when your brother calls, keep him on the phone so that we can trace his location." Gibbs instructs him.

"Why would your brother snap like this?" Hollis curiously asks.

"I was wrongly accused of rape."

"I saw the file on your case, did I read something wrong that the NCIS investigators over looked." Gibbs shrugs.

"She liked rough sex."

"A dislocated shoulder and bite marks all over her body was beyond rough." Hollis says in disgust. "You're lucky that you weren't in the Army, I worked as an investigator for the CID and I would have made sure that you would have never seen the light of day again." Hollis angrily shouts at him.

"I could give you guys away tomorrow." Johnson smirks.

"I could always make sure that your privileges get taken away from you here." "Scum like you don't deserve extra college credit courses." Hollis warns him.

"Giving us away will only piss off my Director even more, she can't return to her office until your brother is taken down." "With or without your help, your brother is going down." Gibbs menacingly says to Johnson.

1000 Hours

The next morning, in the interrogation cell, Johnson anxiously waits for the phone to ring. "Come on Alec." Johnson groans.

With that the phone rings. Hollis picks up the phone. "United States Disciplinary Barracks, how can I help you?" Hollis sweetly answers.

Bridgeport, West Virginia

Travelodge Clarksburg/Bridgeport

Room 14

"Captain Jacob Johnson!" Alec asks.

"Who may I ask wants to speak to him?"

"His brother Alec Johnson."

"I'll direct your call to the inmate phone room." Hollis softly answers.

A minute later, after Hollis has the call transferred back to the interrogation cell, Jake picks up the phone. "Alec?"

"Jake!" Alec smiles.

"You giving some thought about going back to college, you need to finish another semester so that you can go to medical school."

"That was grandfather's dream." Alec snaps.

While, Jake is keeping his brother on the phone, Army CID is attempting to trace Johnson's phone call. "Keep him on as long as you can." Gibbs whispers.

"Alec you need to make something of yourself."

Alec glancing at the TV screen in front of him at the top news story on ZNN. "I'm doing that right now Jake."

Five minutes later, with trembling hands Johnson hangs up his phone. "I didn't know that my younger brother could be that sick."

"I don't know it's kind of sick when you sodomize an eleven year old." Hollis viciously snaps at him.

"How did you know about that, my juvenile record was sealed?" Johnson shouts.

"And because they were sealed, you changed your identity after your probation was up." "You could never get into Naval Officers Candidate School with a rape charge." Gibbs barks.

"That was my grandfather's idea, Father Morgan is my godfather." "They figured for me to get into the Naval career that I dreamed of since I was a child, I had to start over."

"New identity, but the same person." Gibbs growls…"If only the DI who trained you in OC would have known about your background as a rapist, you never would have made OC training with in the first twenty-four hours."

CID Technician Lieutenant McKinley walks into the room. "Travelodge on Main Street in Bridgeport, West Virginia." McKinley informs them.

"Tony and Ziva are nearby that location."

"They're what?" Hollis hisses with surprise, that Tony and Ziva were in West Virginia without her knowledge.

"Another long story." Gibbs grumbles and rushes out of the room with Hollis chasing after him.

"This is really pissing me the hell off." Hollis snaps.

"Long story short, Johnson has his Ford Bronco and trailer stored at a RV Storage facility in Clarksburg, West Virginia." "My team along with Cassie Yates team has been staking out Johnson's Bronco since Sunday night."

"Looks like I'll have to give my Director a call later on this afternoon and Sacks isn't going to be happy with you either."

"Think I care Holli." "By not playing ball with the two of you, I got this investigation moving along; it was stalling out with three agencies working on it."

"Stalling!" Hollis sighs and is about to argue with Gibbs.

"Holli either your with me or not on this, because if you're not, you might as well hop on a plane to DC, while I take a commuter flight out to West Virginia."

"Sherman Airfield is nearby; somebody owes me a favor there." Hollis seductively purrs to him.

"So I take it that you're with me."

"Sure as hell not taking a flight back alone to DC." "I'm in this until the end." Hollis defiantly answers.

Los Angeles, California

Ritz Carlton Hotel

0830 Hours

Jenny steps out of the elevator with Cynthia, Deeks, and Kensi following her from behind. Out in the lobby, Callen and Sam are standing near the entranceway. "I really feel this is over kill." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"It's for your safety ma'am." Cynthia reminds her.

"If it wasn't for my little mission plan that I have going on at the moment, I would be turning my resignation into Jarvis."

"Ma'am you just got NCIS back on its feet again." Kensi frowns at the prospects of Jenny resigning as Director.

Before Jenny can answer her, another Sam is seen giggling like a love struck teenager near the front window in the lobby. "Well I be damned." Jenny laughs.

Cynthia glances over towards the direction of DiNozzo Senior and Doctor Samantha Ryan. "Wonder if she's caught on to Senior's lie yet." Cynthia snickers.

"That's her problem, not mine." Jenny smirks.

Callen and Sam Hanna walk over to Jenny. "Good thing about today's conference, it should only last until 1400 Hours." Callen smiles with relief.

"Don't worry it will drag on tomorrow, I won't get out of there until six tomorrow evening, hopefully by then Gibbs will have Johnson's ass thrown behind bars or blown away, which the latter is my preference for what he did to those poor babies in that Howard Johnson Express Inn." Jenny snaps.

Bridgeport, West Virginia

Travelodge Clarksburg/Bridgeport

1345 Hours

Gibbs and Hollis pull alongside of Tony and Ziva's car. "Any sign of Johnson yet?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"No, but he's in room number fourteen, according to the motel manager." Tony answers.

"We take him out now." Gibbs snarls.

"Isn't Sacks on his way over with his team?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Does it look like I care DiNozzo?" Gibbs barks.

"No because you want this to be over and done with by tomorrow night." Tony answers.

Over in room fourteen, Johnson is watching Gibbs and Tony's every movement. "Looks like somebody figured out about Jake and Jake ratted me out." Johnson angrily seethes.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and Hollis are standing in front of Johnson's motel room. "Boss maybe Ziva and I should enter the room since we're both wearing bullet proof vests." Tony suggests.

"Vest ain't gonna do you any good if Johnson takes a shot to your head." Gibbs growls.

"You gotta point there boss."

"Tony you take Hollis' six, Ziva I'll take yours, with you entering the room first." Gibbs instructs her.

With that, Gibbs kicks in the door, Ziva storms in with Gibbs following behind her. "Federal Agents, they shout." With their weapons drawn. Hollis and Tony storm into the room after them.

Noting that the room is empty. "Ziva check the bathroom." Gibbs nods over at her.

Ziva walks over to the bathroom with her weapon drawn; she slowly enters the room and notices that the room is empty as well. "Clear!" Ziva shouts.

"How did Johnson know we were here?" Tony asks out loud.

"Wasn't his brother, because Army CID is watching his every move at this time?" Hollis answers.

Gibbs glances out the window from where Tony's car is parked at. "You should have been parked across the street DiNozzo, you gave our position away." "Johnson had a bird's eye view of the two of you, surprised that he didn't take a shot at the both of ya." Gibbs sighs at his incompetence.

Tony glances out the window and makes a face. "I didn't realize he could see us from all the way over here." Tony frowns.

"You weren't the only one who wasn't thinking clearly." Ziva answers trying to deflect the blame from Tony.

Gibbs flips open his cellphone and dials Cassie's number. "Cassie, Johnson left his motel room, he may be on his way to your location at this time." Gibbs warns her.

Sacks and his team walk into the room. "My Director will be all over your Director's ass at some point today Agent Gibbs." Sacks angrily shouts at him.

"We'll be there in ten minutes." Gibbs answers and hangs up. "Like I really care Sacks." Gibbs shouts back.

"This macho bureaucratic BS isn't getting us very far." Hollis chastises them.

"Fine, have any bright ideas Agent Mann." Sacks snippily asks.

"You and I process the crime scene here, while Gibbs and his team go check up on Agent Yates' position at the RV Storage facility." Hollis offers.

"If anything turns up there, Gibbs is to call me right away." Sacks demands.

"Sounds fair!" Gibbs answers and walks out of the room with Tony and Ziva following him from behind.

"I need to ask him a question before he leaves." Hollis nods and walks out of the room.

Outside, Hollis chases after Gibbs. "Be careful!"

"Holli don't get into the dramatics." "I don't have the time for this." Gibbs sighs.

"You'll give your word that you'll call me or Sacks if Johnson shows up at the RV Storage facility."

"And have our three Directors' in a first class pissing war out in Los Angeles in front of the media." Gibbs snorts.

"Cute!" Hollis laughs and walks off towards the direction of Johnson's motel room.

"Ziva I want you to drive." Gibbs instructs her.

"Boss I just ate!" Tony protests.

"To bad!" Gibbs laughs and approaches the front passenger door, just as he's about to pull the handle his cellphone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!"

Quantico, Virginia

Marine Corps Base Quantico

NCIS Headquarters

Evidence Room

McGee has been overseeing the unpacking of the boxes of weapons that were found inside of Johnson's trailer. "Boss, we found bomb making materials inside of the boxes."

While Gibbs is on the phone with McGee, Sacks and his team are processing Johnson's room. "I'll start at the closet you start by tearing his bed apart."

"On it!" Agent Lillian Jenkins answers.

Outside, Hollis is talking on her cellphone to one of her Senior Field Agents. "Soon as we're done processing this scene, we'll be headed for an RV Storage Facility over in Clarksburg."

Over at Gibbs' car. "I don't know if-" Before Gibbs can answer McGee, Johnson's room explodes, Hollis is violently thrown down on the ground from the force of the explosion. The windows to Tony's car and Gibbs' rental car blow out.

"What was that?" McGee shouts.

Gibbs on the ground. "Johnson had a bomb hidden inside of his room." Gibbs grimaces.

"Was anybody inside of Johnson's room?" McGee asks with concern.

"Sacks and his team." Gibbs swallows knowing from the force of the blast that more likely Sacks and his team are probably dead inside. Spotting Hollis lying on the ground. "Call Cassie and tell her to hold her position at the storage facility." "I have to go, Hollis is injured." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

Tony gingerly getting out of the back of the car. "Boss are you ok?" Tony frantically asks going down on to his knees.

"The hell with me, Hollis is injured." Gibbs barks.

With that Tony, rushes over to Hollis, who's covered in glass from the explosion. "You're going to be ok Colonel."

"Agent DiNozzo how-"

"You'll always be the Colonel to me." Tony interrupts her.

"Gibbs!" Hollis weakly calls out.

"He's fine, bruised from the impact of the explosion." Tony reassures her and glances back over at Gibbs, who's being fussed over by Ziva.

Hollis staring into the inferno of Johnson's motel room. "Unfortunately we cannot say the same thing about Sacks and his team."

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles Convention Center

While the convention drags on and on from inside, Callen and Sam stand outside of the entranceway keeping a watchful eye on Jenny. "Never thought that we would get a gig at watching the Director of NCIS." Sam smiles.

"Vance hated having a protection detail when he was out in Los Angeles." Callen mutters.

NCIS Office of Special Projects

MTAC

Hetty, Eric, and Nell are watching a ZNN broadcast of the Travelodge Motel burning out of control. "NCIS Sniper strikes again." Eric sighs.

Hetty putting a headset on. "Mr. Callen and Hanna, when the Director walks out tell her to call me." Hetty instructs them.

"Gibbs get the sniper." Callen curiously asks.

Up on the plasma screen a microphone is getting shoved into Gibbs' face. "No, apparently the sniper blew up his motel room in Bridgeport, West Virginia." "Add four FBI agents to his list of victims."

Eric getting a kick out of Gibbs losing his temper in front of the reporters. "Gibbs looks like he wants to shove that microphone up that reporters-"

"Is Gibbs injured?" Callen interrupts

"It looks like he just bruised." Hetty answers and worrying that Jenny may want to fly back to Washington. "I'm going to call SecNav Jarvis and ask him if he wants to keep this information from the Director."

"Hard to keep focused when your agent in charge of this investigation is your fiancée." Nell frowns.

Assistant Director Granger walks into the room. "What do we have here?" Granger sheepishly asks.

"It appears that the NCIS Sniper has blown up a motel in Bridgeport, West Virginia, killing four FBI Agents." Hetty answers dryly.

Granger reading on the bottom feed. "ATF Agent was injured on scene."

"She was taken to a local hospital, not sure of the extent of her injuries."

Granger glances up at the TV and notices that Gibbs has broken the reporter's microphone. "Who the hell is that?"

"Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Eric announces.

"In other words, the Director of NCIS' fiancée." Hetty smiles.

"If I were Director, Gibbs would have been fired long ago." Granger grunts.

"If Leon Vance could never break him, neither could you." Hetty smirks.

Half an hour later Jenny exits the room and notices Callen and Sam's grim facial expressions. "What's the matter?"

"Johnson struck again." Callen swallows.

"Where?"

"Travelodge Motel in Bridgeport, West Virginia, Johnson had a bomb rigged inside of his room-"

"Was Jethro there?" Jenny angrily interrupts him.

"Yes!" Callen frowns.

"I'm on the next flight back to Washington." Jenny shouts and is about to walk away when Callen grabs Jenny by the elbow. "Special Agent Callen you are ordered to release me at once."

"By the orders of the Secretary of the Navy, we are to put you into protective custody at an unknown location." Callen informs her.

"This is bullshit!" Jenny snaps.

"Director, it's for your safety." Sam shouts at her.

"I can't believe this." Jenny sighs.

"Jenny, from what Hetty told me, Gibbs is fine, he got a few bruises on him." "The FBI suffered the brunt of the casualties; four agents were inside the motel room when it blew up." "An ATF Agent was outside of the room and was critically wounded."

"Before I leave I want to brief the FBI and AFT Directors." Jenny nods.

"Assistant Director Granger is back at OSP overseeing the NCIS Sniper investigation from here on out." Sam reluctantly says to her.

Jenny rolls her eyes. "Great, I'm relieved of my duties and put into exile." "Making matters worse, that idiot will be doing my job." Jenny hisses and stalks back into the conference room.

"Gibbs is going to marry her with that temper of hers." Sam laughs.

"They both have tempers that in the end equal out." Callen snickers.

Bridgeport, West Virginia

Travelodge Clarksburg/Bridgeport

1800 Hours EDT

Teams from the FBI, ATF, and NCIS Agents are processing the crime scene. Gibbs shrugs off Ducky, who's unsuccessfully trying to examine him. "Lay off!" Gibbs snarls.

"Jethro, I am under orders from SecNav Jarvis, to do a once over of you and your team, and then he wants the three of you thoroughly examined at the emergency room and he's taking no for an answer." Ducky chastises him.

"Not until I speak with the Director."

"Jarvis has the Director off in protective custody at an unknown location." Ducky informs him.

"You mean I can't talk to Jenny." Gibbs growls.

"I'm afraid not." Ducky frowns.

"Boss, let's get this over with, quick check over at the hospital and we'll head over to the RV Storage Facility." "Cassie and her team have not seen Johnson, and unmarked Clarksburg police cars have been patrolling the area." "I doubt that Johnson will go for his Bronco knowing full well that we have a bolo on it."

California Channel Islands

Island of San Clemente

US Navy Station San Clemente

1500 Hours PDT

Jenny angrily exits her airplane. "This is outrageous!" Jenny screams and storms off towards the direction of a jeep that's waiting to take Jenny to her private barracks.

Kensi and Cynthia slowly get off the airplane. "You said she believes in castration." Kensi laughs.

"Oh yeah, and the Director carries a knife." Cynthia laughs.

Bridgeport, West Virginia

United Hospital Center

Emergency Room

2015 Hours EDT

"I'm not going for no cat scan, MRI, or for an X-ray." "No quack is playing with my head." Gibbs snarls at his doctor.

"Is he always like this?" Doctor Tammy Nystrom curiously asks.

"I'm afraid this is the norm Doctor." Ducky chuckles.

Tony and Ziva walk in after getting examined. "Ready to go boss?" Tony grins.

"Ziva do me a favor." Gibbs growls.

"My pleasure!" Ziva smirks and head slaps Tony on the back of the head.

"Hey!" He grimaces and rubs the back of his head.

"Still haven't heard from the Director yet?" Ziva nods.

"No, and I'm getting pissed off." "Jarvis won't return my calls, that jack ass of an Assistant Director is totally useless, where did Jarvis find that clown at." Gibbs barks.

"I'm sure Jenny is safe." Ducky reassures Gibbs.

"She's not safe, until I know where she's at, this is bull shit." Gibbs snaps.

"I know, she's now the prisoner, and Johnson walks free to prey on his next victim." Tony frowns.

Lexington, Virginia

On a truck stop off of I-81, Alec Johnson has successfully hitched a ride from a truck driver. "You sure you don't mind driving me out to California." Alec innocently asks him.

"Just as long as you pay your way fella." Gus answers.

"I was on my last rope when you found me back in West Virginia." "My wife is eight months pregnant and has been having labor pains off and on for the past week." Alec lies.

"Don't worry, you'll make it before you baby is born." Gus smiles and starts up the engine to his rig. "We'll stop in Knoxville for a few hours to get some shut eye."

With that Gus pulls out of the truck stop. "You'll be sleeping permanently when we arrive in Knoxville." Johnson menacing says to himself.


	114. Coming Down To Crunch Time

Bridgeport, West Virginia

United Hospital Center

Hollis' Room

0800 Hours

Tony, Ziva, and Ducky are visiting Hollis. "Three broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, and a broken pelvis, looks like I won't be going dancing this weekend." Hollis jokingly says to her visitors.

"You my dear are very lucky." Ducky nods over at her.

"If my Senior Field Agent hadn't called me on the phone, I would have been inside of Johnson's motel room; I guess you could call it luck." Hollis smiles.

Gibbs storms into the room. "Finally!" He impatiently snarls.

"Done probing you." Ducky chuckles.

"Yeah, if you ask me it was a waste of time, test results came back fine." Gibbs grumbles.

"With your history of concussions and being in two coma's it was done out of precaution."

"No it was Jarvis' way of stalling; he knows I'm pissed off." Gibbs growls.

"Why, what did the SecNav do to you?" Hollis curiously asks.

"Put Jenny in a secure location that I don't even know where she's at."

"Jethro calm down." Ducky tries to reason with his friend.

"I won't calm down until I hear Jenny's voice." "I haven't spoken to her since Monday night." Gibbs frowns.

California Channel Islands

Island of San Clemente

US Navy Station San Clemente

0515 Hours PDT

Jenny is sleeping in bed in her private barracks used for VIP civilian workers. The past twenty-four hours have taken its toll on her emotionally, once again against Jenny's will she is forced into exile away from the people she cares about, the only difference from San Clemente Island over the Kalymnos Island is that her loyal trusted assistant Cynthia is with her as a familiar face and companion, while Jenny sleeps her mind goes back to the first month of her exile on her father's private villa.

Greek Island of Kalymnos

The Villa of Kosmo Galanos

June 25th 2008

1100 Hours EEST

After brunch, Jenny leans over the balcony overlooking the Aegean Sea; it's been a month since she's tried to settle into her new life as CIA Operative Harriet Jones. Her father walks out on to the balcony puffing away on a Cuban cigar. "One of these days this could be all yours Jenny." He cheerfully says to her.

"I would rather go to hell." She icily answers and the turns and glares over at her father. "On second thought I'm already there." She sarcastically says to her father.

"I don't know why you keep torturing yourself." "This is your life now."

"Life, you call this a life." "I can't come and go as I please." "I'm a prisoner here."

"Not for long, soon as I know that you're well enough I'll send you on your first assignment."

"It's a temporary leave, soon as the op is done with I go straight back to my exile here." Jenny snaps.

"Exile your living on a beautiful island." "You have a million dollar view over the Aegean Sea." "It beats the hustle and bustle of Washington, DC."

"But in Washington, I have people who cared about me and who I cared about in return."

"You have me." Shepard smiles at his daughter.

"Ha, you mean you have yourself and that whore who throws herself at you." "As far as I'm concerned you're Kosmo Galanos CIA Operative Code Named Lucifer." "My father Colonel Jasper Shepard died thirteen years ago." Jenny angrily fumes at her father and storms down the stairs that leads down to the beach. Wanting to distance herself from her father's villa, Jenny runs along the beach to the water's edge where she drops down to her knees. "Why?" She screams out. "Why did I have to live?" "I have no life here." She screams out into the ocean with tears streaming down her face.

Present Time

Jenny bolts up in bed shaking. "Jethro!" She calls out and suddenly Jenny realizes that she's in an unfamiliar room. Bringing her knees up to her chin, Jenny bursts into tears at reliving a memory from her past that she thought that she had buried deep inside of her. "Jethro!" She openly sobs hugging her knees up against her chest.

Bridgeport, West Virginia

After leaving a Starbucks Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and Ducky are on their way to the RV Storage Facility when Gibbs' cellphone rings. "Yeah Gibbs!" Gibbs answers from the back passenger side seat.

Clarksburg, West Virginia

RV Storage Facility

Inside the RV McGee and Cassie are watching over Johnson's Bronco. "Boss, just got a phone call from a Detective Andy Dakota from the Knoxville, Tennessee PD called." "Apparently we have another victim, a fifty-five year old truck driver by the name of Gus Mendenhall." "Johnson hitched a ride with him down to Knoxville via I-81." McGee informs him.

"How does he know it's the NCIS Sniper?" Gibbs asks.

"He called the Knoxville PD to let them know where to find Mendenhall's body; his truck was parked at a truck stop." "He had shot Mendenhall in the chest and wrote NCIS in blood on the top of his forehead."

"DiNozzo head for the airport, we're taking a flight out to LA." Gibbs barks.

"It will take Johnson a few days to drive out to LA." Tony reminds him.

"He's probably half way to LA by now, took a charter flight out."

"More than likely he called Knoxville PD while he was on his way to LA." Tony nods.

"McGee I want you to meet us at the airport, tell Cassie to call for a backup team to watch over Johnson's Bronco just encase he's around, I highly doubt it." "I want her to drive down to Knoxville and brief with Knoxville PD on Mendenhall's murder."

"Got it!" McGee answers.

"You calling Granger to let him know we're on our way." Tony curiously asks.

"Fuck Granger, fuck Jarvis, they won't tell me where Jenny is, I'm not telling them what I'm up to." Gibbs snarls.

Island of San Clemente

US Navy Station San Clemente

0730 Hours PDT

Cynthia, Kensi, and Melvin frantically look for Jenny on the base. "She can't get very far." Kensi reassures them.

"This is unlike her Agent Blye." Cynthia frowns with worry.

While Cynthia, Kensi, and Melvin look for Jenny, Jenny is sitting out on the beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. "What I would do about now to be on the beach in front of our shack down in Mexico?" Jenny softly says out in the open.

With that a Navy MP approaches Jenny from behind. "Director Shepard, I'm sorry to disturb you, but your protection detail is looking all over for you?" Seaman Janice Collins informs her.

"Like I can drop off of the face of the earth here." Jenny sighs and gets up on to her feet.

Collins on her two way radio announces that she has found the Director. "But you should have left word on where you went; your assistant was worried about you."

Two minutes later, Cynthia walks over to her boss. "Don't do that to me again?" Cynthia scolds her.

"I woke up after five in an unfamiliar room."

"That's no excuse."

"Tired of living like a prisoner, it's like I'm living on my dad's villa all over again." "I have restrictions on where I can go, who I can talk to." "I can't talk to my own fiancée Cynthia." "Monday night was the last time I spoke with Jethro, we haven't went that long since-"

"You died!" Cynthia finishes.

"I don't understand why I have to be punished because of Johnson." "I'm in the middle of nowhere on a Navy Base."

"Director I'm sure that SecNav Jarvis has his reasons." Cynthia tries to reassure her.

"He has no reasons, Jarvis is an asshole." Jenny hisses.

Office of Special Projects

1430 Hours PDT

Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee walk in. "McGee since your familiar with OSP Headquarters, show Tony and Ziva where the head and lounge are at." "I'm heading for the Operations Managers Office." Gibbs nods at them and walks off towards the direction of Hetty's Office.

Tony noting all of the latest gadgets that the OSP Team has. "This is way not fair." Tony protests.

"After Director Shepard left office in 2008, Vance BS'd his way for funding and sent it to OSP and the San Diego Office." McGee informs him.

"Jenny has to get this for us." Tony grumbles.

"Gibbs can barely learn the stuff we have now." Ziva giggles.

With that Abby walks out from MTAC. "I beat you here?" Abby teases them.

"Abby what are you doing here?" McGee curiously asks.

Abby with her hands on her hips. "And be the only member of Team Gibbs stuck back in Washington." Abby chastises McGee. "While you guys were stuck on layover at Dallas, I took a direct flight from Dulles and landed about an hour ago."

"So the gang is all here." McGee smiles.

"Where's Ducky?" Abby asks and looks around the room.

"He went back to the Ritz; Ducky is tired and wants to get a few hours shut eye." McGee smoothly answers.

"So Probie are you going to give Ziva and me the grand tour?" Tony grins.

"Not much to tour, other than the head, lounge, interrogation room, MTAC and the OM Office." McGee shrugs.

"Start with the head and then to the lounge, I'm starving."

"You're always starving." Ziva laughs.

While the Gibblets are getting the grand tour of OoSP, Gibbs is in Hetty's Office trying to get answers on Jenny's where a bouts. "This isn't Washington, Mr. Gibbs, you can't storm your way into my office and demand answers that I cannot give you." "I'm under orders from SecNav Jarvis." Hetty sternly chastises him.

"Well I can't speak to SecNav Jarvis; he's being a chicken shit and won't take any of my calls." Gibbs barks.

"With your temper, I can see why Jethro." Hetty laughs and smiles up at her former Senior Field Agent. "It's been a long time since the Moscow Op." "Last time I saw you, you were married to your young bride Stephanie."

"And that was the last time I was happily married to her, once we got back to Washington a month later, the honeymoon was over." Gibbs sadly answers.

"Another discarded wife, as Director Vance use to phrase it."

"I may have been a lousy husband Hetty, but at least I wasn't a crook who took kickbacks from arm and drug dealers." Gibbs bitterly snaps.

"Touché!" Hetty muses and gets up from her chair. "Miss Sciuto arrived about an hour ago; I knew you were coming with your entire team."

"Abby's here!" Gibbs answers with surprise.

"Yes, she was in MTAC, catching up with Eric."

"Where's Granger?"

"Taking Director Shepard's place at the conference."

"And I gather Callen, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks are with him?" Gibbs shrugs.

"Sam, Callen, and Deeks are with him." "Kensi is on Director Shepard's protection detail."

"Come on Hetty can you at least give me a hint as to where Jenny is." Gibbs grumbles.

"No!" Hetty adamantly answers.

"I haven't spoken to her since Monday night." "We haven't gone this long talking to one another since Jenny came back from the dead." Gibbs frowns.

"Sorry I cannot help you."

"I know you're under orders." Gibbs sarcastically answers and storms out of the room.

Eleventh Street Baptist Church

Up in bell tower, Alec Johnson patiently waits for Jenny to step out of convention center. "Gibbs can't save you now." He menacingly laughs.

Back at OSP in MTAC, Gibbs and his team, along with Hetty, Eric, and Nell are trying to figure out Johnson's next move. "Johnson still does not know that Jenny was put into protective custody yesterday." Ziva says.

"According to Knoxville PD, Mendenhall, Johnson's latest victim, was more than likely killed around three this morning." McGee sharply says.

"Took a commuter flight out to LA and arrived in LA between six and seven this morning." Gibbs openly says.

"How did Johnson get his weapons on board his plane?" McGee curiously asks.

"Some small commuter planes don't screen their passenger's luggage; it was the reason why Johnson took a commuter flight out." Gibbs answers.

"So where did Johnson go from here?" Abby asks.

"That's what we're going to find out, Miss Sciuto." Hetty answers and then glances over at Eric. "Mr. Eric I want you and Miss Scuito to look at security video from the airports who take small commuter airplanes, starting with Burbank first."

"Cool we get to work together again." Abby smiles.

McGee raises a jealous eyebrow over at Abby and Eric. "And while Abby and Eric work on that, what do we do?"

"Figure out Johnson's next move." Gibbs snarls.

An hour later, Abby and Eric have video footage of Johnson walking around Long Beach Airport. Outside of the airport, Johnson hails a taxi. "I know, I know find out where Johnson was going." Eric grumbles and picks up a phone.

"While, Eric is figuring out where Johnson got dropped off at, we're going to head out of the building, soon as Eric finds out where Johnson was left off at, call me on my cellphone."

"I don't have your cellphone number." Hetty mutters.

"Abby does." Gibbs says over his shoulder as he starts to walk out of the room, with Tony, Ziva, and McGee following him behind.

"Soon as this is over with, dinner is on you this time." Eric grins over at Abby.

"My pleasure Eric." Abby winks.

California Channel Islands

Island of San Clemente

US Navy Station San Clemente

While Gibbs and his team with the help of OSP are tracking down Johnson's where a bouts, Jenny, Cynthia, and Kensi are sitting on the beach watching four Navy Seals play a beach volleyball game against a team of Marine's. "Notice the Marine skinny has his shirt on." Kensi teases.

"Some men need to keep themselves covered and that includes the skinny ones." Jenny laughs.

"The only Marine you're interested in seeing without his shirt on is your fiancée." Cynthia winks.

"I saw him with his shirt off in San Diego, Gibbs is in excellent shape for a man of his age." Kensi elbows Jenny.

"I heard all about it, Abby even had it as her wallpaper on her computer down in her lab."

"Ziva said that Tony's chest looks like Leonardo DiCaprio's with hair." Kensi giggles.

"The only time I saw Tony with his shirt off, is when him and Ziva were posing as married assassins and their every move was monitored from their hotel suite."

"So you looked." Kensi curiously asks.

"No muscles so I didn't give it a second glance."

Cynthia's attention is drawn to a handsome Navy Seal, noting his wedding ring on his left hand. "Why do all of the good looking ones that I like are taken." Cynthia pouts.

"Wouldn't do you any good since you live out in Washington." Jenny reminds her crushed assistant.

"You think Gibbs is still in West Virginia?" Cynthia nods.

"Where ever he is, I hope he kills that son of a bitch by the end of the day, I want to go home." Jenny defiantly answers.

Back in Los Angeles, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are parked outside of a local Mexican Restaurant. "The real thing." Tony says in between bites of his taco.

Gibbs' cellphone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers, between bites of his bean and beef burrito.

Office of Special Projects

MTAC

"Gibbs, Eric got a hold of the taxi company of the cab that Johnson got into at the airport." "Apparently the cab drove him to the Los Angeles Convention Center around seven this morning." Abby informs him.

Gibbs glancing down at his watch. "Which means he has at least an eight hour head start on us?"

"Eric has the schematic layout of the surrounding area up on the plasma screen, he could be anywhere."

"When you've figured it out get back to me." "In the meantime we're on our way over to the convention center." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"Johnson's at the convention center." Tony nods.

"Taxi dropped him off at 0700 Hours at the convention center."

"Boss I've been in that area, that's a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time, before the conference ends." Tony sharply answers.

"We're at our best when it comes down to crunch time." Gibbs confidentially grins and turns the key to the ignition. "You better put your food away or it's going to be permanently on your shirt."

Half an hour later, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee are inside the convention center and approach Sam, Callen, and Deeks. "Gibbs what are you doing here?" Callen asks.

"NCIS Sniper arrived in Los Angeles this morning." "Eric got conformation that Alec Johnson was seen wandering around the terminal of Long Beach Airport." "He exited the airport and entered a Long Beach Yellow cab at 0625 Hours this morning." "The cab drove him to the Los Angeles Convention Center and dropped him off at 0700 Hours this morning." Gibbs informs him.

"That means he's had an eight hour head start on us." Sam groans.

"What do we do now?" Deeks sheepishly asks.

"Eric has digitally enhanced the surrounding area up on the plasma screen back at OSP Headquarters, him and Abby are trying to figure out where Johnson could be hiding at." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Abby?" Callen laughs.

"When we took our flight out from Bridgeport this morning, Abby drove to Dulles and took the next flight out to LA." "She didn't want to be the only member of my team not working on this case and sitting on the sidelines back at headquarters in Washington."

"Abby and Eric made a great team a few years ago." Callen smiles.

"So I've heard." McGee grumbles.

"Ut oh somebody's jealous." Deeks snickers.

With that Assistant Director Granger walks out of the conference room. "Special Agent Gibbs I believe you weren't given permission to come out to Los Angeles." Granger snippily chastises him.

"I'm out in Los Angeles, because the NCIS Sniper flew out to Los Angeles this morning." Gibbs snarls at his acting boss.

"Why wasn't I notified?" Granger snaps at Gibbs.

"At the time I went with my gut that the sniper may have been on his way to LA after he murdered a truck driver in Knoxville, Tennessee."

"Gut?"

"My instincts!" Gibbs growls.

"Even so, OSP could have handled it from here."

"It's my case!" Gibbs barks.

"I'm the Assistant Director, current Acting Director of NCIS; I would have over ruled you."

"Like hell you would have." Gibbs angrily shouts.

"I want you on the first flight back to Washington, am I making myself clear Agent Gibbs."

"My job for the past seventeen years as Agent in Charge of the Major Case Response Team, based out of the Navy Yard in Washington, besides having the high profile cases for the Navy and the Marine Corps, is to insure the safety of the Director of NCIS." "For the past twenty-four hours I have not been notified on the Director's where a bouts." "I take that personally."

"You're thinking with your Johnson Agent Gibbs." Granger snickers.

Before Gibbs can take a swing at Granger, Sam steps in between them. "Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere."

"There's a sick psycho out there that we need to stop before he kills somebody else." Tony chastises Granger.

Office of Special Projects

MTAC

Abby with her headset on. "Callen, tell Gibbs there's a Baptist Church across the street with a bell tower."

"Right!" Callen answers.

"Right what?" Tony shrugs.

"I'm wearing an earwig and COM, Abby and Eric have a possible location of where the sniper maybe at, there's a church across from the convention center."

"Wasn't that checked out for security?" Gibbs grunts.

"At the time, we were not aware of the sniper being in Los Angeles." Callen answers.

"Which I will be angrily briefing the SecNav about." Granger berates Gibbs.

"Well you're not notifying me where my boss is at, I call it even." Gibbs smirks.

"What if I was shot and killed." Granger angrily retorts.

"I wouldn't have lost sleep over it, and I once told Leon Vance that I wouldn't take a bullet for him." Gibbs chuckles and gets back to the subject at hand. "Since this is my case, my team and I will head on over to the church with Callen and Sam backing us up." "Deeks stay here with the Assistant Director."

"You can't order them what to do." Granger shouts.

"Got a better idea." Callen sarcastically asks.

When Granger can't come up with anything, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, McGee, Callen, and Sam walk out of the room. "I take that Gibbs' idea was better." Deeks baits him.

"You're pushing your luck Detective Deeks." Granger warns him.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee wearing Lakers hoodies to conceal their faces walk across the street to the Eleventh Street Baptist Church. Johnson, who is up in the bell tower watching coverage on ZNN, via his I-Pad, is unaware of them entering the church. Callen and Sam wait for Gibbs and his team to enter the church before walking across the street. "I hope he's up there so Gibbs can get this over and done with." Callen sighs.

Up in the bell tower, Johnson focus' his attention on to Callen and Sam as they walk across the street. "Talk about a horrible buzz cut." Johnson laughs at Callen.

Inside the church, the minister shows Gibbs where the stairs are leading to the bell tower. "Thank you!" Gibbs appreciatively says to him. Callen and Sam approach him. "Ready!"

"Too bad we can't burn the bastard for what he did to those babies back in that motel in Washington." Tony icily answers.

"Either way he'll be entering hell." Gibbs grins and walks up the stairs with his team and Callen following him from behind.

Back up on the bell tower, ZNN breaks in that Assistant Director Granger has taken Jenny's place at the conference, and that Jenny has been taken to a secure location. "No place is secure." Johnson seethes and is about to leave the bell tower, when he finds Gibbs' Sig drawn on to him. "Since I can't get your whore I might as well take you out instead." Johnson laughs and is about to raise his gun at Gibbs.

Gibbs fires a round in between Johnson's eyes. "Too late, I beat you to it." Gibbs smirks down at Johnson as he lies on the ground in a pull of blood.

"Suspect is deceased." Callen says into his COM.

Office of Special Projects

"Alright!" Abby screams out with relief and rushes into Eric's arms.

"Well done!" Hetty warmly says into her headset.

"Gibbs took him out with one shot." Sam grins.

"I wouldn't have expected anything less." Abby smiles.

El Segundo, California

Los Angeles Air Force Base

1800 Hours PDT

Jenny's plane lands safely, once the plane comes to a stop, Jenny quickly gets out of her seat. "Cynthia did you book out flight to DC." "The sooner I get home the better I will feel."

"I already did that ma'am." Cynthia lies and gives Kensi a knowing look.

Jenny glances out the window and sports an extended limo. "Cynthia you went a little over board." Jenny laughs.

"I wanted you to leave the base in style." Cynthia giggles.

"Hopefully within the next five to six hours I'll be in my fiancée arms." Jenny sighs with anticipation.

"It will be sooner than that." Kensi inwardly says to herself.

The plane door is open. Jenny rushes over to the door, just as she's about to walk down the stairs, she finds Gibbs leaning up against the hood of the limo smirking up at her. "Son of a bitch!" She hisses and runs down the stairs.

Gibbs slowly starts to walk over to her. "The surprise was well worth the look on your face." Gibbs smiles at her.

Jenny rushing into his arms. "Hold me!" She sobs up against his chest.

Gibbs sensing that something's wrong with her. "What's the matter?" He asks, crushing Jenny up against him.

"Just hold me." Jenny sobs.

Inside the limo the team is watching their heart wrenching reunion. "Something is definitely wrong with Jenny." Ziva frowns with worry.

"It's not like she's been away from Gibbs before." McGee shrugs.

"Away in the physical sense Probie." "You keep forgetting that Jenny is not the same person that she was back in 2008." Tony sadly reminds him.

"She carries emotional battle scars, courtesy of Kosmo Galanos." Ziva snaps.

Outside the limo, Gibbs wanting to calm Jenny down, pulls Jenny's face up and passionately kisses her on the mouth. In between kisses…"I'm here!" He gently whispers.

Abby opens up the limo door. "Get a room!" She playfully scolds her dysfunctional parents to break up the tension.

Jenny breaks away from Gibbs' kiss and is surprised to find Abby standing in front of them. "Abby what are you doing here?"

With that, Tony, Ziva, and McGee step out of the car. "You mean what are we doing here?" Tony smirks.

Jenny locking eyes with her lover. "You got Johnson."

"Shot the bastard in between the eyes without a second thought." Gibbs gloats.

Melvin, carrying Jenny's Blackberry with him. "Ma'am SecNav Jarvis wants to speak with you."

Jenny furious with Jarvis grabs her phone from Melvin and storms away so that she can chew him out in privacy. Gibbs worried about Jenny's emotional state, takes Cynthia by the elbow and escorts her away from his team. "What happened in San Clemente?"

"Gibbs I went into her room this morning at 0600 Hours and she wasn't there, no note to her where a bouts, it took us a few hours to find her." Cynthia frowns with worry. "When the MP found her and told me where she was, Gibbs the look on the Director's face." "She said she felt like she was on the Kalymnos Islands on her father's villa all over again." "A prisoner with nowhere to go."

"Damn it Jarvis." Gibbs growls and rubs his hand on the top of his head.

"What is it?"

"She had a nightmare." "And when Jenny woke up I wasn't there to comfort her." Gibbs chokes up with emotion.

"Are you going to talk to her about it?"

"No, eventually she'll have another nightmare and I'll get it out of her." Gibbs frowns.

Back over with Jenny. "I want a private briefing with you tomorrow morning, 0900 Hours LA time sir and I'm not taking no for an answer." Jenny angrily screams at him….. "Good I'll see you then." Jenny answers and hangs up. With that the Gibblets throw their arms around her. "Abby I can't breathe." Jenny chokes.

"Good!" Abby smiles and squeezes Jenny harder.

Jenny glancing around and notices that Ducky is missing. "I take it that Ducky is missing?"

"No he's at the coroner's office assisting on that bastard's autopsy." "The final page in our investigation." Gibbs smirks.

"Where to now?" Tony curiously asks.

"We're going to the hotel?" "What the eight of you have planned is up to you?"

"Oh by the way, after our final briefing on the sniper case tomorrow at OSP Headquarters, both Gibbs and Callen's teams have the weekend off." "So live it up."

"Yes!" Tony shouts and pumps his fist into the air.

Jenny walks over to Gibbs and wraps her arms around his neck. "I love you."

"I love you Jenny." He smiles and pulls Jenny's face up, as the team celebrates around them, Gibbs and Jenny passionately kiss one another.


	115. Three Days Of R&R

Ritz Carlton Los Angeles

1900 Hours

Gibbs, Jenny, Tony, Ziva, Abby, and McGee walk through the lobby door. "After we check in I'm heading out to dinner, Wolfgang Puck is a bit pricey for me." Tony grimaces.

"No it says that you're cheap Tony." Ziva smirks.

Gibbs and Jenny start to walk off towards the direction of the elevator. "Dinner is on me boss." Tony shouts over at them.

"Food is the furthest thing from both of our minds at the moment DiNozzo." Gibbs shouts over his shoulder.

Tony grins over at Gibbs as he possessively has his arm around Jenny's waist. "I bet you do boss."

Few minutes later, Gibbs and Jenny walk through the door to Jenny's suite, with the mouths hungrily kissing one another. "If I don't get you in bed soon, I'm going to say the hell with it and throw you up against the table." Gibbs growls in sexual frustration between kisses.

"The last three times we've had sex it was either on a chair or on top of a table, I want it on the bed." Jenny impatiently purrs.

With that, Gibbs picks Jenny up in his arms and carries her over to the bed where he drops her down on top of the mattress. "You have less than thirty seconds to get undressed a week of not having my way with your body is more than my body can handle."

"It's a good thing I wore a sundress, I'll be undressed under twenty seconds." Jenny sensuously answers.

In less than twenty seconds, naked in bed, Gibbs and Jenny lose themselves by reacquainting themselves with their bodies. Gibbs lying on his back watches as Jenny nips along his pelvis bone. "I want my first orgasm inside of you, not orally." Gibbs hitches in sexual pleasure.

"And spoil my fun." Jenny laughs and slowly works her way up his ribcage.

Gibbs impatient with need pulls Jenny's face up and passionately kisses her on the mouth, as he deepens his kiss, Gibbs rolls on top of her, Jenny feeling his erection up against her inner thigh, arches up against him. "A week is to damn long." Gibbs groans out.

"Take me!" She pleads wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You don't have to ask me twice." Gibbs mischievously grins, plunging into her glistening moistness.

Jenny clutching on to the side of his arms, as he slips deeper inside of him. "It's been way to long." She cries out.

"Too long and for our last encounter on top of the workstation in MTAC, you are going to be screaming." Gibbs smirks.

"Quit talking, and make love to me you bastard."

"The only talking will be your screams of pleasure."

Aggressively they make love to one another. "Yes!" Jenny screams out with pleasure as his body delves deeper into her with each rhythmic push.

Gibbs getting off at her screams of pleasure increases the tempo of their lovemaking. "And it's all I want to hear all night long." He inwardly smirks.

"Jethro!" Jenny moans out with pleasure arching into him, tipping her hips up from the mattress as he grounds his body into hers over and over again. Her body moves against him in a wild frenzy. "Are you trying to kill me?" She screams out, digging her nails into his arms.

"Sending you over the edge." He smiles, passionately kissing her on the mouth.

Jenny battle weary from her orgasm breaks away from his kiss. "Jethro!" She breathes out his name, begging for his release.

Gibbs satisfied that his lover caved in first. "I love you." He tenderly says to her, just as his body shudders against her in a fiery release. Exhausted from holding back his release, Gibbs buries his face in between Jenny's breasts, trembling from the after effects from their lovemaking. Jenny quietly trembles underneath of him taking in the moment, his strong body lying protectively over top of him. Tired from lack of sleep, Gibbs falls asleep in his lover's arms.

"The good thing about tomorrow morning when I wake up is that I know you'll be sleeping beside me in bed." Jenny smiles and closes her eyes.

While Gibbs and Jenny drift off to sleep, Tony, Ziva, Abby, McGee, and Cynthia have chosen a nearby Italian restaurant. Callen, Kensi, Deeks, and Eric walk in and join the group. "Where' Sam?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"He went home." Callen answers and takes a seat at the table.

"I saved a seat for you Eric right next to me and remember I'm buying you dinner." Abby smiles at him.

McGee jealous with Abby's constant flirting with Eric, quickly changes the subject. "So where are we headed to after the Director brief's us tomorrow morning." McGee sheepishly asks.

"Magic Mountain tomorrow afternoon with Eric, and then we're going to Disney Land on Friday and Saturday." Abby smiles.

"Kensi, Deeks, and I are sailing to Catalina." Ziva answers.

"I'm crashing at Callen's place in Venice." Tony smirks.

"Timmy you haven't made any plans yet." Abby prompts him.

"That's because I haven't made any yet."

"Cynthia, what are you planning on doing?" Abby curiously asks.

"A friend of mine from college lives out here, I'm going to spend the weekend at her place in Wilshire Vista and catch up." Cynthia softly answers.

"I wonder if Gibbs and Jenny will make it out of the bedroom." Tony laughs.

"Really Tony!" Ziva mutters in annoyance.

"Like it's any of our business what Gibbs and the Director are doing off the job." Kensi chastises Tony.

"What is this attack Tony?" Tony protests.

"You should of thought about that when you stuck your foot into your mouth, yet again." Ziva sighs.

Tony decides to change the subject. "So Callen what time will we be hitting the beach tomorrow?"

"Soon as we get off from work." "We'll crash out on the beach for a few hours and then hit the boardwalk later on."

"If Gibbs ever retires, I'm going to request a transfer to either here, San Diego, or Honolulu, beats freezing my ass off in DC."

"I don't think Hetty could deal with your incisive movie and TV trivia quotes all the time." Deeks laughs.

Around midnight, Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Abby walk into the bar. Tony spots his father with his hand on Sam's butt. "Oh no!" Tony groans.

"Oh yes, future mommy." Abby giggles.

"I bet you Jenny set her up with him on purpose." Tony grumbles.

"Would she really do that?" Ziva snickers.

"Yes!" Tony sighs and slowly walks over to the bar. "Dad!"

DiNozzo Senior turns and faces his son. "Junior, what are you doing here?"

"NCIS Sniper, we took him out today."

"Thank god!" Sam sighs with relief.

"Doctor Ryan!" Tony nods.

"Agent DiNozzo!" Sam warmly says to him and glances around for Gibbs. "Where's Gibbs at?"

"With the Director, making up for lost time." Tony smirks.

"I bet they are." Senior winks.

"So how long are you going to be in Los Angeles?" Tony curiously asks.

"Don't know, depending on my latest business deal." Senior lies.

"Business deal my ass." Tony inwardly answers.

"So I gather your heading back to DC tomorrow." Sam nods.

"No after we have our final briefing on the NCIS Sniper tomorrow morning at NCIS LA Headquarters, the Director gave us and Agent Callen's teams the next three and a half days off to do whatever we felt like doing." Tony grins with excitement. "Fun filled weekend in Venice, checking out the babes on the beach."

"And you didn't invite me." Senior protests.

"I'm spending the weekend at Callen's house." Tony shrugs.

"Besides why would you want something on the beach when you'll have me?" Sam purrs and affectionately rubs Senior's arm. Behind Sam's back Abby sticks her finger inside of mouth and makes a mocking gag gesture. "Miss Sciuto, do you have something stuck in the back of your throat?" Sam asks with concern and turns and faces Abby.

"Yeah and it made me want to gag." Abby sweetly answers and walks over to the bar. "Can I have a bottle of Budweiser please?"

Five minutes later at a corner table. The team watches as Sam possessively has her hands all over Tony's father. "I hear wedding bells in the future." Ziva teases him.

"Don't go there." Tony protests.

"I'm so glad that I chose to have my back facing towards them, she's making me sick." Abby grimaces.

"I still can't picture Gibbs with her." Ziva cringes at the prospects of her pseudo father dating someone like Samantha Ryan.

"It was a typical Gibbs working on a case with at the time an attractive female authoritative figure. "Ten years ago, Doctor Ryan was hot, with brown hair." Tony drools.

"Where?" Abby gags.

"You never saw it, because you couldn't stand her."

"What was there to like, she was pushy, condescending, a know it all." "And every time she was in the Squad Room with Gibbs, she was always touchy feely with him." "It sickened me." Abby whines.

"And she did have her kid Parker." Tony fondly recalls. "Gibbs really enjoyed spending time with him, for a while there I thought that Doctor Ryan was going to be future Mrs. Gibbs number four."

"And then without warning they broke up and I did the happy dance in my lab for over a week." Abby smiles.

"Well in the end it worked out, Gibbs is who he should be with." Ziva softly answers.

Tony wanting to get the subject away from Sam. "So Probie have you figured out what you're going to be doing this weekend?"

"No!" McGee shrugs.

"Callen offered for you to spend the weekend at his place also." "Come on Probie, Venice Beach, babes during the day, and then we hit the boardwalk at night."

McGee fits slaps Tony. "Sounds like a plan." "It beats a trip to Disney Land any day of the week."

"And what's wrong with Disney Land." Abby chastises him.

"I'm twenty-eight years old, not eight." McGee smirks.

"But you pretend to be an elf on line, so how mature is that." Abby laughs at him.

"McGee quit while you're ahead." Ziva giggles.

At first light the next morning in Jenny's Suite, Gibbs is sitting up in bed watching over Jenny as she sleeps. After making love they both fell asleep for a few hours. Hungry Jenny called in room service, Gibbs ordered a filet mignon, with a baked potato and asparagus as a side vegetable. Jenny ordered grilled salmon with charred tomato basil relish, asparagus and jasmine rice. To complement their meal, Jenny had requested a bottle of Dom Perignon and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.

After dinner, the chocolate covered strawberries became an afterthought for dessert. "It didn't compare to the peaches and cream in Paris, but it was just as erotic." Gibbs smirks down at his sleeping lover.

Unknown to Gibbs, Jenny is having the same nightmare that she had the previous morning. "Why didn't I die?" Echo's over and over. She bolts up in bed shaking.

Gibbs puts his hands on the back of her shoulders. "I'm here this time around." He gently says to her and pulls Jenny back against his chest.

"San Clemente brought back everything that I felt when I was stuck on my father's villa." Jenny sobs.

"You're not in Kalymnos, you're in a hotel room in Los Angeles, and I'm holding you in my arms." Gibbs tenderly reassures her.

"And unlike yesterday morning I feel safe."

Gibbs pulls Jenny over so that she can make eye contact with him. "As long as there's breath in my body, I will keep you safe always Jenny."

Jenny remembering something that she had said while she was looking out into the Pacific Ocean. "Could we go to Mexico for a few days?"

"Want to fly or drive down?"

"Drive, long drive may do me some good." Jenny softly answers.

"Problem with that is I don't have my passport with me to cross the border."

"Don't worry I'm the Director of NCIS, they'll let us cross the border." Jenny smirks.

"I'll need some clothes and I want to get some deck furniture and a barbecue grille." "I'll rent a truck and stop at Wal-Mart on the way out of Los Angeles."

"Target!"

"Wal-Mart is cheaper." Gibbs protests.

"But I want to buy some clothing and I prefer Targets over Wal-Mart's clothing."

"Pax!"

"You haven't said that in a long time." Jenny giggles.

"I'm only giving in so that I get something out of it."

Jenny slowly nips along his neck and works her way up to his right earlobe. "What did you have in mind?" She purrs.

"You on top of me coming undone."

"A woman's work is never done." She seductively says to him and captures his mouth in a hungry kiss.

0700 Hours

With his clothes down at the laundry, Gibbs is sitting on the bed wearing powder blue hotel pajama bottoms getting his stitches taken out by Ducky. Noting Gibbs' latest love bite near the side of his right side above his hip. "I see you two made up for lost time." Ducky chuckles.

"Nearly a week and keep in mind we haven't slept together in the same bed for nearly a week and a half."

Jenny steps out of the bathroom wearing a robe and with a towel wrapped around her head. "Ducky when did you get here?" She smiles over at him.

"Five minutes ago." "Jethro had left a message on my voice mail last night about removing his stitches this morning."

"You want some tea; I could have room service bring you some up." Jenny offers.

"No my dear, soon as I'm done with Jethro, I'll be off for breakfast before joining you at OSP Headquarters this morning."

"Soon as you get done with me I'll be jumping in the shower."

"Your clothes should be done soon, since we had them sent down late last night." Jenny nods.

"It's the one good thing about staying at a five star hotel, the VIP treatment its guests get." Ducky smiles.

Forty-five minutes later, down in the lobby, Tony finds his father checking out. "You going somewhere dad?" Tony curiously asks.

"I got a phone call last night from my ex-girlfriend Audrey's mother, Helen." "She asked me to join her on a cruise to the South Pacific."

"And Doctor Ryan?" Tony asks.

"Pleasant diversion for a few days, besides she is one of your boss' ex-girlfriends." Senior grins.

"Send me a post card from Hawaii." Tony smiles.

"I will!" Senior smiles and affectionately hugs his son goodbye. "If you see the good Doctor give her my regards."

"I highly doubt that I'll be seeing her again, checking out this morning myself."

"Right, the place in Venice that you have lined up for the weekend." Senior winks…"Don't do anything that I wouldn't do." Senior teases his son and walks off for the direction of the lobby door.

Gibbs and Jenny walk out of the elevator and notice that DiNozzo Senior is walking out of the hotel carrying a carry-on bag while the hotel bell hop following him towards the direction of a cab. "You dad going somewhere." Gibbs shrugs.

"A younger babe, with a better offer, a cruise to the South Pacific."

"I told Kensi that Sam was too old for him." Jenny giggles.

"Boss you and the Director going to eat breakfast in the hotel restaurant?"

"No, we're eating out at a diner." "Something that we both agree on." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"I better check us out." Jenny nods and walks off towards the customer service counter.

"You two flying back to Washington?"

"No spending a few days down in Mexico." Gibbs smiles.

Office of Special Projects

0900 Hours

Gibbs and Callen's teams are gathered around the OSP team's version of the bullpen. While they discuss their weekend plans, Jenny is in a private MTAC briefing with SecNav Jarvis.

Washington, DC

Office of the Secretary of the Navy

MTAC

1200 Hours EDT

"You better calm down the attitude Director." Jarvis snaps.

"There was no reason to send me to San Clemente Island, you just wanted your idiot of an Assistant Director to take over and take my place at the conference." "I could have been put into protective custody at OSP Headquarters." "Johnson would never have found it."

"I did what I felt was best for your safety."

"No you wanted to piss me the hell off so that I would resign, well it's not going to work sir." "You're damn lucky I'm not going to take this matter up to your boss." "In all the years that there's been a Director whether it's been NIS or NCIS, the lead agent that handles the prioritized cases always knows where the Director's location is at all times." "Agent Gibbs has been the team leader of the Major Case Response Team for the past seventeen years and has been always been in the loop to the Director's where a bouts." "There was no reason for not telling him where I was at." "I was stripped of my cellphone, laptop and had zero communication on what was going on outside of Clemente Island." "Only Kensi and Melvin had their cellphones."

"Again it was for your safety."

"The more you speak, the deeper you keep sinking into your BS."

"We will have a private face to face conversation about this on Monday."

"I'm looking forward to it." Jenny smirks up to him. With that Jarvis cuts off the feed. "You do not know who you're dealing with."

Back out with Gibbs and Callen's teams. "So Ducky where are you going this weekend?"

"Hetty has offered to take me to several museums and there's a ballet that I've wanted to see for a while." Ducky smiles.

"Seems that we all have plans made for the weekend." Tony grins.

"Won't beat out what Kensi, Deeks, and I have." Ziva smiles.

"No it won't beat what the Director and I are going." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny approaches the two teams. "Job well done, I want to thank Callen and his team for assisting us in this investigation." "We would never have brought the bastard down without your help." Jenny warmly says to them.

"Actually Gibbs did all of the work." Callen laughs.

"No my Sig did all the work; it put a bullet in between that bastard's eyes sending him straight to hell."

"It was one autopsy I enjoyed performing." "The look of evil in his eyes." Ducky nods.

"I want to say goodbye to Hetty before I leave." Jenny softly answers and walks off towards the direction of Hetty's Office.

Inside Hetty's Office, Hetty is drinking a cup of herbal tea, hearing a knock on her door. "Come on!" She cheerfully calls out. Jenny walks in and approaches Hetty's desk. "Director Shepard!"

"Agent Lange!"

"What a difference ten years ago make when you where my Agent in Charge of the 9|11 Anti-Terrorism Response Team in Europe."

"Gibbs didn't teach me everything."

"You mean you didn't observe everything from him." Hetty winks.

"I observed patience from you, the one thing that Gibbs lacks."

"There are agents over in Europe that got the upper hand by working under you, do not under estimate your abilities as a Team Leader."

"I got the upper hand by learning from the best, how many agents go from Probationary Status Agents to Team Leader within three years."

"How many agents go from Probationary Status Agent to Director with in nine years?" "There's a first for everything."

"Gibbs and I are heading down to Mexico for a few days, enjoy the weekend with Ducky." Jenny smiles.

"It's called two old birds catching up." Hetty snorts.

"Two old birds with enough wisdom and knowledge to pass on for generations to come." Jenny affectionately answers and walks out of Hetty's Office, spotting Assistant Director Granger near the door to his office. "Assistant Director Granger, I want a private word with you in your office." Jenny calls out to him.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing Director Shepard." Granger snippily answers.

With that Jenny walks into Granger's Office, Granger walks in and closes the door behind him. "I've written a report out on Special Agent Gibbs' insubordination towards me at the Los Angeles Convention Center the other day."

"And Special Agent Gibbs has written out a report on your unprofessional behavior towards him at the Los Angeles Convention Center."

"I never acted unprofessional towards him." Granger snarls.

"Yes you did and I also took it as a cheap shot towards me your boss as well." Jenny angrily snaps.

"I don't know what you're referring to." Granger shrugs in confusion.

"Your Johnson side comment." "Trust me Agent Gibbs intensions are to solve the case first and foremost." "His off the job life comes second." "You had no business making that remark to him." Jenny screams at Granger.

"He had no business being out in Los Angeles, OPS could have handled the NCIS Sniper Investigation."

"It was his investigation from the start Assistant Director Granger, not OSP."

"He could have at least given OSP a heads up that Johnson was out in Los Angeles." Granger counters.

"He wasn't one hundred percent sure if Johnson was out in Los Angeles." "That was the reason why there was a team of agents positioned at the RV Storage Facility in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and Cassie Yates' team was sent to Knoxville, Tennessee just encase Johnson was still in the area."

"My life was at risk." Granger shouts.

"Ha!" Jenny mockingly laughs at him. "Johnson didn't know who you were; he was after me and Gibbs' Team." "There was zero threat to you."

"Concerned that I might take your job away from you." Granger smirks.

"From you, I don't think so, from what I've heard from the FBI and ATF Directors, they thought that they were dealing with an amateur who was way over his head." "Make one thing clear Owen, I'm not going anywhere and it will be a cold day in hell, when you will get my job." Jenny smirks at him and walks over to the door. "It's been a pleasure making an ass out of yourself, at least I had a lot more respect for my other Assistant Director Leon Vance six years ago, he was a bit more professional on the job." Jenny sarcastically says to Granger getting a final cheap shot in on him before leaving the office.

"So are we officially done with the Johnson investigation?" Tony grins.

"As of now yes." "Enjoy the time you have off and we'll see you back at headquarters at 0700 Hours Monday morning." Jenny smiles at Tony, Ziva, Abby, McGee, and Ducky before walking over to Gibbs.

"Think I can get you into the water this time around." Gibbs whispers against her ear.

"Hell no!" Jenny protests.

"You'll get use to it after a while." Gibbs laughs and starts to walk them over towards the stairs.

Team Gibbs affectionately smile up at their dysfunctional parents. "A weekend in Baja, but it still won't beat out Venice Beach." Tony smirks.

"I believe that they want peace and quiet Tony." Ziva sighs.

San Diego, California

Target Store

1145 Hours

After shopping for some clothes for their trip to Mexico, Gibbs and Jenny make their way over to home and garden section of the store so that they can browse at the patio furniture. "I hope you don't take all day long with this like you did over in the women's clothing department." Gibbs impatiently growls.

"What's the matter your libido can't wait another hour and a half." Jenny sensuously answers.

"You should of thought of that when you were running your toes under my pant leg under the table during breakfast this morning."

"I got the affect that I wanted out of it." "It took me under five seconds to get a rise out of you." She winks.

Gibbs wanting to throw his lover down against the lounge chair, quickly changes the subject to the deck furniture. "Nothing with flowers."

"Ok nothing to drab."

"What's the matter with drab?" Gibbs grunts.

"Boring, but then again you dress boring." Jenny laughs.

"There's nothing wrong with the way with I dress." Gibbs protests.

"Same old polo shirt, sports jacket for the past fourteen years." Jenny mockingly yawns.

"Beats DiNozzo and his five thousand dollar suits." Gibbs snorts.

"I hate to tell Tony he doesn't have the body or build to wear a three piece suit, he should go back to the double breasted suit style he use to wear when I first became Director."

"Pass the message on to David and maybe he'll take your advice." Gibbs laughs and gets back to the subject at hand. "I want the wooden table set and the two wooden chaise lounges." "You pick out the cushions and I do not want anything bright or girly."

"I'll pick something out that will suite Mike's taste." Jenny mutters and quickly picks out a light olive green cushions for the lounge chairs, and chairs for the table. "This is not to girly and since we'll be overlooking the ocean, I've picked out these matching palm tree printed pillows that match up with the lounge chair cushions."

"When you put your mind to it, you can shop real fast." Gibbs teases her.

"I only shop slowly to piss you the hell off."

"Now to pick out a grille we'll head next door to Home Depot so that I can buy some tools to put the grille and deck furniture together."

Venice Beach, California

Tony, McGee, and Callen are lying on a blanket soaking up the sun. "This is the life." Tony sighs in contentment. "Sun, fun, and the babes walking past me in their string bikinis." Tony drools.

"This beats out what Abby and Ziva are doing." McGee smirks.

"Actually, Ziva, Kensi, and Deeks chartered a sailboat over to Catalina Island, so I think they have the best location out of all of us."

"Then I correct myself, anything is better than standing in the lines at Magic Mountain and Disney Land." McGee smugly answers with a big grin on his face.

Callen spotting a familiar brunette smiling at him. "Guys I'll catch ya later on the boardwalk." Callen grins and runs off to his girlfriend.

"Probie your making yourself look obvious."

"How's that?" McGee shrugs and raises a curious eyebrow over at Tony.

"You're jealous that Abby chose to hang out with Eric." Tony baits him.

"Me jealous!" McGee laughs.

"Yes you!" Tony chuckles…"So what would have been your plans with Abby this weekend?"

"I haven't thought about it much."

"There you go; you never have a plan of action if it doesn't involve one of your books or an Elflord chat on the internet." "Abby likes to go to amusement parks, where you don't, LA is loaded with them and she enjoys Eric's company because he shares the same interests as her." "Wa la!"

"Wa la!" McGee answers and narrows his eyes over at Tony.

"I won't concern yourself about it Probie, we'll be back in DC Sunday night and Eric will once again be a distant memory."

McGee noting a blonde at the water's edge winking over at him. "She already is." McGee grins and gets up from his blanket and runs over to the blonde. "Tim McGee!" He smiles at her.

"Karen Thorpe!" She giggles at him. "Judging by your white chest you're a tourist."

"No I was on town for business and my boss gave me the weekend off."

"First time to Venice."

"Yes, care to show me around."

"My pleasure!" Karen purrs and grabs a hold of McGee's elbow.

Tony watches as McGee slowly walks down the beach with the gorgeous blonde. "No way, he's only been on the beach for a half an hour and already has a babe on his arm." Tony grumbles and spots a gorgeous strawberry blonde coming out of the water carrying a boogie board. "Not for long!" Tony grins.

Baja, Mexico

1630 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny carry their belongings inside of the house. "I'll take the furniture and grille off of the truck tomorrow morning." Gibbs answers.

"I take it that you want to change and head into town."

Gibbs throwing Jenny over his shoulder. "No, you're going to be screaming your brains out for that little stunt that you pulled on me in the diner this morning."

"Didn't I scream enough for you in bed this morning?" Jenny protests and Gibbs hauls her into the bedroom.

"No, the louder you scream the more I get off and we don't have to worry about the people in the suite next to us getting woken up by your mouth."

Half an hour later, Jenny lies on her stomach, totally out of it. Gibbs leaning over her from behind. "Between this and the drive we should sleep well for a few hours." Gibbs smirks and leans over and tenderly kisses his lover on the mouth.

"Cantina when we wake up?"

Gibbs goes down to Jenny's lower back and buries his face into the small of her back. "Beats cooking!" Gibbs mumbles.

Sleep over takes the lovers, three days of rest and relaxation is what they desperately need after the two weeks that they've endured.


	116. Jethro's Irresistible Blue Eyes

Rosarito, Mexico

2030 Hours PDT

In the slow paced beach town of Northern Baja, Gibbs and Jenny are wandering outside of the storefronts browsing at some merchandise outside of the stores. "Don't get any ideas, I don't feel like hauling this over the border." Gibbs growls at his lover.

"Please, like I'm going to waste my money on this." Jenny sighs.

"You wasted your money on crap like this in Paris."

"And as I recalled I hauled it up to my apartment not you."

"Three flights of stairs, you got to be kidding me."

Jenny spotting the Cantina across the street. "Are we going to be spending the evening bickering over shopping or we going to get something to eat?"

"Getting something to eat, I worked up an appetite making you scream." Gibbs smirks.

"Keep being cocky about it old man, and remember I can be submissive when I want to be." Jenny sensuously answers and walks across the street.

"Submissive my ass." Gibbs laughs and chases after her.

Inside the Cantina, Camilla is wiping off a table; Gibbs and Jenny walk through the door. "Senor Gibbs and Senora Jenny." She warmly smiles at them.

Gibbs walks over and affectionately hugs Camilla. "Comportamiento!" He mischievously says to her.

"Y what's la diversión en el comportamiento." Camilla winks at him.

"Guys remember I know how to speak and understand Spanish." Jenny affectionately teases them.

Camilla pulls Jenny into her arms. "Did you set a date yet?" Camilla smiles.

Jenny returning the hug. "Yes, July 6th but we haven't found a place to get married yet." Jenny softly answers and pulls away from Camilla.

"You've got about two months to go."

"I know I thought I found a spot for us to get married." Gibbs groans.

"Where?" Jenny asks with surprise.

"That was the reason why I called you over to the window the day that Johnson took a shot at you."

"Along the river."

"We use to have romantic breakfasts' when we use to do over nighter's at the office."

"We would watch the sunrise over the harbor." Jenny softly answers.

"We can't get married there; it would bring up to many bad memories of the Johnson investigation." "Too many lives lost." Gibbs frowns.

"Elope here!" Camilla suggests.

"Then Abby would kill us." Jenny giggles.

"I keep forgetting about your extended work family." Camilla smiles.

"So what is the special tonight?" Gibbs curiously asks.

"Chicken enchiladas, with Esquites for your side dish."

"Sounds good, could I have some tortilla chips with refried beans as an appetizer."

"I'll have guacamole to go as my appetizer." Jenny smirks over at her lover who's rolling his eyes at her.

"Anything to drink?"

"I'll have a bottle of Corona." Gibbs nods.

"I'll have a Mexican Chupacabra Martini since you got me hooked on them that time when I watched Leyla and Amira for Mike." Jenny softly answers. "I'll be back, heading for the ladies room." Jenny nods and walks off for the bathroom.

"I'm text message illiterate could you do me a favor Camilla." Gibbs smiles.

"Anything for Senor Gibbs?" Camilla smiles.

Five minutes later Jenny returns from the bathroom and finds Gibbs nibbling on his tortilla chips. "And to think we were just here a few weeks ago during Easter." Jenny softly says to Gibbs as she takes a seat across from him at the table.

"Unlike Easter I get to-" Before Gibbs can answer Jenny puts a tortilla chip filled with guacamole into his mouth. Gibbs coughs and spits the contents of his mouth into a napkin.

Camilla rushes over. "Is there a problem with Senor Gibbs' refried beans?" Camilla urgently asks.

"No, he stuck his foot into his mouth again." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs downing his bottle of Corona to get the taste of the guacamole out of his mouth. "I'll get even with you trust me." Gibbs growls.

"I don't know who's more of a bebé, Senor Gibbs or Franks." Camilla giggles.

"Senor Franks definitely." Jenny snickers.

After dinner, Gibbs and Jenny walk out of the Cantina. 'Since I bought your engagement ring here, why don't we pick out our wedding rings on Saturday?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"I just want simple wedding bands Jethro."

"I don't want anything cheap on you Jenny."

"You can find something that is reasonable that isn't cheap for me." Jenny smiles.

Gibbs possessively takes a hold of Jenny's left hand. "All I know July 6th is two damn long to finally make you be mine." Gibbs frowns in disappointment.

"Even though our wedding will be small, it still takes time for wedding preparations and we still haven't picked out a location yet."

"I found a place than Johnson screwed that up." Gibbs grumbles.

"I guess that was meant to be Jethro, don't worry when we get back to Washington, we'll figure it out." Jenny affectionately answers and then remembers that Gibbs was on the phone with somebody when he walked out of the men's room. "Who were you talking to on the phone when you left the bathroom?"

"Dad, I forgot to call him earlier, he was checking up on the both of us, I told him that we're doing fine."

"The two of you were suppose to go trout fishing sometime this month but the PsyOps and Johnson investigations put that on hold."

"And we had to go to Palmer and Breena's wedding also."

"With everything that's going on I haven't called either one of them, soon as I get back to headquarters on Monday I'm heading down to Autopsy and see how things went on their honeymoon in Paris."

"Abby has spoken with both of them, they had a good time." Gibbs smiles.

"Maybe for their first anniversary, we'll give them access to-"

"Don't go there!" Gibbs interrupts her. "Mexico is off limits as a vacation hang out for members of the team." "This is our place, and Amira and Leyla's, that's it, nobody else."

"It was only an idea."

"Get it out of your head." Gibbs snorts.

Jenny taking in the clear night, with the almost half moon. "To think four or five years from now this will be an everyday routine between the two of us."

"I'm looking forward to it." "A carefree life with the woman I love."

"Bet you will be bored with in a month."

"Nah, I'll find a project to keep myself busy with, enough old clunkers around." Gibbs laughs.

The next afternoon, Gibbs having spending the morning and most of the afternoon putting the deck furniture and barbecue grille together. Sits on the ledge of the deck with a bottle of beer in his hand, staring down at his sleeping lover, whose nude sunbathing on the beach. "Time to get even with you for last night." Gibbs smirks, pulling his teal tank top over his head.

A minute later completely undressed, Gibbs walks over to Jenny and gathers her up in his arms. "Jethro, you had me up all night for crying out loud." Jenny protests.

"I was about to take you into the house, before you turn into a lobster."

Jenny wraps her arms around his neck and buries her face up against his right shoulder. "As long as you take me back to bed to sleep." She yawns and closes her eyes.

Gibbs glances over at the ocean and has other ideas. "Sleeping is the furthest thing from my mind." He inwardly says with a Cheshire grin on his face. Slowly he descends the length of the beach and makes his way over to the water's edge.

Jenny hearing the sounds of the waves going against his feet quickly opens up her eyes. "Jethro!" She hisses. Gibbs walks further out into the ocean and tosses Jenny into water. "You son of a bitch, I'm freezing my ass off." Jenny screams.

"You start moving around it's not so bad." Gibbs smiles and starts to swim out farther.

"Yeah right my nipples are hard as a rock already." Jenny sarcastically shouts at him.

"And if you would swim over towards me, you would get warmer."

Jenny annoyed with her lover swims over to him. "I've swam over towards you and I'm still cold, got anymore brilliant ideas."

"Yeah, but that will have to wait until we get on the beach." Gibbs smirks and is about to grab a hold of Jenny when she dunks him underwater.

"You mean when we get inside the house where I can get warm." Jenny laughs and swims off towards the direction of the beach.

Gibbs emerges from the water, squeezing the water out of his nose. "You're going to pay for that." Gibbs growls and swims after her. He closes the distance between them and tackles Jenny on to the ground just as she reaches the water's edge. Getting his full weight on top of her. "I hate it when I get water up my nose, especially ocean water."

"Well I hate being cold and you damn well know it?"

"It was payback for the green crap you put into my mouth last night."

"Jethro-" Before Jenny can finish, a small wave crashes over them. "I hate it when that happens." Jenny coughs, trying to get the water out of her mouth.

"Well this is the second time I've had water up my nose."

Jenny affectionately squeezes the end of her lover's nose. "How's that?" She teases him.

"Better!" Gibbs smiles and tenderly caresses Jenny's cheek. "You still cold?"

"Yes and you better warm me up and fast." Jenny purrs and leans up and passionately kisses him on the mouth.

With the waves crashing over them, Gibbs and Jenny exchange intense passionate kisses. "You ever make love along the shoreline." Gibbs asks in between kisses.

"There's a first time for everything." Jenny sensuously answers and wraps her legs around his waist.

Gibbs making eye contact before he enters her. "This has been one of my fantasies for the past six years." "I don't want this to be aggressive between us; it has to be slow and paced out."

Jenny crying out with pleasure as he slowly enters her body. "I'll turn blue by then." She moans out.

"I want it slow and for once pace yourself for crying out loud."

Slowly and gently Gibbs makes love to Jenny along the shoreline with the tide crashing over them. As his body slowly strokes inside against her, Jenny moves her body underneath of him to meet his next possessive thrust. "Yes!" She cries out, arching her body into his as he delves deeper inside of her. "Don't stop!" She moans out.

Gibbs having his ultimate fantasy coming true, rocks inside of her over and over again. Their bodies colliding against one another in perfect rhythm. "Oh Jenny!" He moans out in ecstasy.

In full orgasm, Jenny rocks underneath of him, matching his fluid movements. "Jethro!" She screams out as the tide crashes over them.

Gibbs slowly strokes inside of her over and over again. "This is better than my fantasies." He cries out.

"Come on!" Jenny begs.

Gibbs at the height of his passion, once again makes eye contact with Jenny. "I want to memorize your facial expression, when I climax inside of you."

"Jethro-" Jenny breaths out.

Gibbs abandon's himself with pleasure as he explodes inside of her in an erotic release, his body convulses against her in glorious waves of splendor. Slumping on top of her, he shudders from the after effects from his release. "I love you." He quivers caught up in the moment. Jenny completely out of it lies underneath of him. When Jenny doesn't acknowledge him, Gibbs looks into her face. "Did I take you to a plain you've never been on before?" He tenderly asks.

"Hell yeah!" She softly answers. Gibbs reins feather kisses on the top of Jenny's forehead and face. "Jethro can we please go inside, I'm freezing my ass off." Jenny shivers.

"You're spoiling the moment." Gibbs laughs.

"The moment wouldn't be too bad if I wasn't cold."

Gibbs gets up on his feet and pulls Jenny up with him. "Hot tub should warm us up."

"After we rinse off under the shower, don't want to get any salt in the hot tub."

Los Angeles, California

Ritz Carlton Hotel

1900 Hours

After spending the day at Disney Land with Eric, Abby arrives back at her hotel and finds Ducky stepping out of the elevator. "Going out with Hetty?" Abby winks.

"Yes and I'm also waiting for our mystery guest for dinner." Ducky winks back.

"I take it our mystery guest checked in this morning." Abby smiles.

"Yes and is up in my room as we speak, Melvin flew back to Washington and I was sharing a room with him."

"I'll catch up with the two of you tomorrow morning." "I wanted to change before I go out to dinner with Eric."

"It's a good thing that you were able to find some Goth clothing to purchase out in LA." Ducky teases her.

"Some of the best quality Goth attire is found in LA." "I scored big and a lot was on the clearance shelf." Abby smirks.

"I see you take after your dysfunctional father for being on the cheap side."

"Moi, cheap, that goes to Tony." "Remember he gave Palmer a recycled gift for Christmas last year." Abby sighs.

"True and McGee got one as well." Ducky snorts.

"Gibbs isn't cheap he's just practical." "His take on clothes is that you can get the same polo shirt cheaper at Wal-Mart and K-mart as you do at Kohl's and Macys."

"True, where his fiancée would purchase her clothing at the aforementioned stores that you had just mentioned."

"Ok, I don't want to be late and neither do you." "I'll see the both of you tomorrow morning." Abby nods and walks into an elevator that had just become available.

Back in Rosarito, Gibbs and Jenny are having a late dinner at the Cantina. "I wanted to cook steaks on the grille tonight." Gibbs groans at the prospects of having Mexican food for dinner again.

"Can't help it that we slept in." Jenny seductively answers.

"While we're waiting for our Guisado de Puerco Con Tomatillos, I'll head over to the bar and order a pitcher of margaritas."

"You plan on getting me drunk?"

"Thought crossed my mind since you'll be easy prey later on in the bedroom." Gibbs smirks and gets up from the table.

"Who's to say that I'll be the prey?"

"I guess there's a first time for everything, but not tonight Jen." Gibbs laughs and walks off for the bar.

At the bar Camilla is waiting for Miguel the bartender to put her drinks on top of her tray. "I enjoy seeing you so much in love Senor Gibbs." "Senor Mike would be so happy to see you finally settling down with the woman you love." Camilla smiles.

"I miss Mike, and him not being at my wedding as my best man will be bitter sweet." Gibbs frowns.

"I'm sure Senor Tony will fill in just right." Camilla winks and then glances back at Jenny. "My cousin Elisa and her daughter Tia arrived this afternoon."

"I believe I met them one time at a surprise birthday party that we threw for Mike."

"You don't have a cousin named Elisa." Miguel chastises Camilla.

"I do for the weekend Miguel mind your own business for once." Camilla hisses and stalks away from the bar carrying her tray.

"That's the one thing that Senor Franks enjoyed about Camilla her temper." Miguel chuckles.

"A woman with a temper adds spice to the relationship." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Does your lady have a temper?" Miguel sheepishly asks.

"Boy does she." Gibbs laughs and shakes his head. "Miguel can I have a pitcher of margaritas?"

"Momento Senor Gibbs." Miguel smiles.

Two minutes later, Gibbs returns to the table carrying two margarita glasses along with a pitcher. "What was Camilla's problem over at the bar?" Jenny curiously asks.

Gibbs puts the glasses and on top of the table. "Miguel gets off on pissing her off." Gibbs laughs and pours Jenny a drink.

Jenny noting his facial expression. "It was a ruse?"

"A ruse for what?" Gibbs shrugs.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, you better not be planning another surprise." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"As usual your imagination is running wild."

"You always say that when you're trying to avoid a conversation on this particular subject matter."

Camilla approaches the table with their food. "Being a little caca to Senora Jenny." Camilla giggles.

"When isn't he being a little shit Camilla?" Jenny laughs.

"That's what you find so endearing about me Jen." Gibbs mischievously grins.

"No Senor Gibbs, it's your beautiful blue eyes that the ladies can't resist." "If your mind wasn't on your late wife or on Senora Jenny and I wasn't vinculado with Senor Franks I might have went after you six years ago." Camilla seductively flirts with him.

"He couldn't pace himself with you Camilla." Jenny teases.

"Senor Franks could never pace with me either."

Gibbs pouring himself a glass of margarita. "How did this conversation get on pick on Senor Gibbs?" Gibbs growls and then takes a seat across from Jenny.

"Easy, you're prey Leroy." Jenny snickers.

"Leroy?" Camilla laughs and raises a curious eyebrow at Jenny.

"His given name back home in Stillwater, Pennsylvania, his father and hometown folks still call him Leroy." "Oh and your ex-wife Diane." Jenny giggles.

"You don't look like a Leroy." "You look like a Senor Gibbs." Camilla smiles.

Gibbs momentarily flashes back to the train station in Stillwater, when he was about to ship out to boot camp. "You don't look like a Leroy, you look like a Gibbs." Shannon smiles at him. "I'm going to call you Gibbs."

Taking in Gibbs' blank facial expression. "Senor Gibbs?" Camilla asks with concern.

"Don't worry Camilla you weren't the only one who thought so to." Gibbs smiles at her.

"So what are your plans for tomorrow?" Camilla curiously asks.

"Going to the jewelry store where Jethro bought my engagement ring, we're going to pick out wedding our wedding rings." Jenny softly answers.

"What time?"

"Mid-day, depends on when we wake up." Gibbs shrugs.

"I might just bump into you." Camilla winks and walks away from the table.

"What was that all about?" Jenny asks between bites of her food.

"Who knows?" "Mike once told me never every ask what's going on in Camilla's mind." Gibbs laughs.

Around midnight, Gibbs and Jenny stumble through the front door intoxicated from two pitchers of margaritas and several shots of tequila. "Now I see why you wanted to take a cab into town tonight." Jenny slurs grabbing on to his ivory Guayabera shirt.

Gibbs slamming the door behind him. "And risk getting pulled over."

"You got a point."

Hungry with need, Gibbs pulls Jenny's face up and passionately kisses her on the mouth. Jenny enslaved by his kiss, begins to unbutton his shirt. "We're not going to make it to the bedroom." Gibbs says in between kisses.

"I don't think we're going to be fully undressed." Jenny seductively answers and pulls Gibbs shirt away from his body.

"It's a good thing that you decided to wear a skirt tonight." Gibbs growls.

"And I went commando underneath."

With that, Gibbs leads Jenny over towards the couch and shoves her backwards. "If I would have known that-"

"You would have had your hands under my skirt on the way home from the Cantina." Jenny purrs wrapping her ankles around his waist and pulling Gibbs on top of her.

Gibbs is about to kiss Jenny when he feels her working open his zipper. "I didn't go commando."

Jenny working open Gibbs' belt buckle and the front of his khaki cargo shorts. "I wouldn't expect you to." Jenny sensuously answers, pulling out his harden length from the fly of his boxers.

"Damn it!" He moans out as she strokes up and down on his swollen shaft. "Quit teasing me."

"I get off on torturing you."

"I get off on making you scream, which I'm about to do in two minutes." Gibbs groans out in sexual frustration.

"Quit talking and do something about it."

Gibbs kicking off his sandals. "Trust me I'm going to be doing something about it." He warns her and pulls his shorts and boxers off, wiggling out of them.

Jenny feeling him pulling up her skirt around her waist. "I should have kept my-" Before Jenny can finish, Gibbs enters her with a driving thrust. "Mouth shut!" She cries out as his hot flesh slides right into her.

"The last time we made love like this was down in my basement a few weeks ago." Gibbs grins at the memory. "The only difference between now and then is I was the submissive one."

"I wonder if we gave the good doctor a few pointers." Jenny laughs and is about to kiss him.

Gibbs moves his face away. "How did you know about Ryan's bug?"

"She opened up her mouth in the hotel lobby." "Now the hell with your ex and screw my brains out like you keep bragging about."

"I don't brag, I promise woman." Gibbs smirks and aggressively begins to move his body against her.

"Definitely should have kept my mouth shut." Jenny moans out.

"I'm too drunk to drag this out for very long." Gibbs mentally notes, thrusting harder and faster against her.

"Yes, don't stop, yes, yes." Jenny screams out pressing her heels into his lower back. Her hips move against him in a frenzied fervor.

"Two minutes like I thought." Gibbs inwardly laughs, getting off at how easily he had Jenny falling apart underneath of him.

Jenny clutching on to the side of the couch. "Jethro!" She cries out, thrashing underneath of him. Gibbs to intoxicated to hold out on his release, slumps down on top of her, his body shudders in completion. Jenny overwhelmed by her orgasm, trembles underneath of her lover.

Several minutes later after coming down from their releases, Jenny pulls Gibbs' face up and looks into the depths of his deep blue eyes. "Blue eyes is the one thing a woman can't resist about you." Jenny smiles at him.

"I thought it was my ass." Gibbs smirks.

"I'm more interested in your front side than your backside." Jenny mischievously answers.

"My front side needs to recuperate, in the meantime, let's get undressed and have some foreplay in the bedroom."

"That should kill the time for about ten minutes." Jenny teases him and squirms out from underneath of him.

"Five!" Gibbs inwardly laughs and gets up from the couch. "I plan on getting up and out of the house by mid-day."

"I doubt that I'll be up by noon." Jenny laughs and walks off for the bedroom.

"You'll be up by then."

Around dawn, Gibbs lies in bed holding Jenny in his arms with her back up against his chest. "I may have been Gibbs to Shannon, but I'll always be Jethro to you." Gibbs smiles and tenderly strokes Jenny's hair back from her face. "And like it or not you will always be my Jen." He smirks and tenderly kisses the top of Jenny's head.


	117. Last Time I Say I Do

The next afternoon, Gibbs and Jenny are browsing at the wedding rings in the jewelry store display case. "I just found the perfect wedding bands to go with my engagement ring." Jenny smiles.

"Which one?" Gibbs asks and narrows his eyes over at the his and her matching wedding bands.

"The 14 karate white gold his and her tungsten carbide wedding bands."

"The wedding band is fine for me but-"

"I told you that I didn't need anything flashy, besides I want my wedding band to match yours." Jenny impatiently sighs at him.

"Well I want to have a look at them before I have a final say in the matter." Gibbs answers.

Edwin, their salesman approaches the counter. "Have you decided on a purchase yet?"

"Debating, can we both look at the wedding bands on the bottom of the display case?" Gibbs smoothly asks.

"Excellent choice Senor." Edwin smiles and takes out the rings from the display case and hands them over to Gibbs and Jenny to look at. "The quality is exquisite in these wedding bands; notice the white gold tungsten with yellow gold inlay on the facet of ring?" "Our tungsten carbide wedding bands are comfort fit which makes the ring fit more comfortably on the finger." "The length of the wedding bands for the woman is 6mm wide, his is 8mm wide."

Gibbs looks over the ring, remembering that he had a 14 karate gold two tone gold and black wedding band that Shannon had picked out for him. "She worked three jobs just to buy that for me." Gibbs inwardly swallows at the memory. "And here Jenny can afford to buy me an expensive wedding band and ops for a practical one that's suited for me." Gibbs smiles.

"Jethro the rings are perfect."

"Your right!" Gibbs affectionately answers and leans down and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. "We'll take them."

"Even though you know your ring size, I still want to take your measurements."

"My ring size has been the same since I was fourteen." Jenny smiles.

"Such petite hands Senora." Edwin flirts with her.

Five minutes later after measuring Gibbs and Jenny for the wedding bands. "So do you want anything engraved on your wedding bands?" Edwin asks.

"Forever Jen's, on mine."

"And forever Jethro's on mine." Jenny softly answers and notices some earrings at the other end of the store. "I'll be back." Jenny nods and walks away.

"Anything else that you want me to add on to the rings."

"Yes, while I'm spelling out my name I want you to add the date that we get married on the back of it." "Don't tell the little lady."

"I know she'll get on you about the extra cost." Edwin chuckles…."Since business is slow today; your rings should be ready in a few hours."

"Good we have a few things to do in town today." Gibbs smiles and hands Edwin one of his credit cards.

"Jethro, you bought my engagement ring here, I'm purchasing the wedding rings." Jenny calls out over her shoulder.

"Jen-"

"Not another word out of you." Jenny interrupts him and continues to browse at the earrings on the display case.

"You have your hands full with that one Senor." Edwin laughs and leans over the counter. "Stop by later on and pay me the extra cost for engraving." Edwin whispers.

"You don't have to tell me I have my hands full with that one, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Gibbs laughs.

Ten minutes later outside, Gibbs and Jenny bump into Camilla. "Looking for Javier everywhere, the pipe to my sink broke." Camilla sighs in exasperation.

"I'll fix it for you." Gibbs offers.

"It's your last day with Senora Jenny, before you fly back north."

"Jenny will be bored out of her mind watching me fix your plumbing." "Jen why don't you shop in some of the boutiques while I'm over at Camilla's."

Jenny narrows her eyes at her lover with surprise. "You mean you're actually going to leave me on my own?"

"You're packing a gun in your pocketbook, besides I have more fears about your safety in a major city than I do down in Baja." Gibbs tenderly says to her.

"Since you are granting me my temporary freedom I'm going to live it up." Jenny smiles and leans up and kisses him on the mouth. "Call me when you get back into town." Jenny softly answers and walks across the street to browse at one of the outdoor marketplaces.

"How often do you let Senora Jenny go out shopping on her own?"

"Not enough, but what she just went through the past week it's the least I can do." Gibbs smiles.

1800 Hours

Back at home, Gibbs is cooking steaks, baked potatoes and corn on the cob on the grille. "You went a bit overboard with shopping today." Gibbs barks at the prospects of carrying Jenny's clothing on the airplane back to Washington.

"I bought the clothes for here." "So quit complaining." Jenny grumbles returning from the kitchen with a pitcher of Sangria in one hand and two glasses in the other.

"What's that?"

"Sangria is still a Spanish drink Jethro." "I don't think my stomach is up for anything with tequila in it tonight."

"You use to drink them when you were stationed in Madrid."

"It kept me away from bourbon for about fifteen months."

"That's how long you didn't drink bourbon when you left me for the job offer."

"No, I stopped drinking bourbon when you married Stephanie, the minute I heard that the two of you had gotten divorced I went to a bar and celebrated with my first shot of bourbon in nearly a year and a half."

"That's terrible celebrating my divorce."

"The only sleep you lost on your divorce to Stephanie was your alimony payments, which by the way you're still making to her and your first ex."

"Quit reminding me." Gibbs groans.

"Don't worry if I become ex-wife number four, I won't sue for alimony." Jenny teases him.

"No I'll sue you for alimony since you make more money than I do." Gibbs smirks.

"You wouldn't be the first man to sue his wife for alimony." Jenny laughs.

"It's a moot point, because you will be last time that I say I do to another woman." Gibbs smiles.

"And you will be my first and only time that I say I do."

"Makes me feel special." Gibbs grins and flips the steaks over on the grille.

"You should since you're my one and only true love."

"You're my second love and my soul mate." "All that arguing in the bullpen between us when you were first assigned to my team as a Probie." "After the first month it dawned on me why I wanted to put you through a wall with that mouth of yours."

"Because you wanted to kiss me and couldn't because you were unhappily married to ex-wife number two."

"I wanted more than just to kiss you, you don't know how many nights I sat out front of your place in Georgetown and stared up at light in your bedroom window, it took all of my will power not to enter your house and march up into your bedroom."

"No you managed to do that after we wrapped up the Marseille Op." Jenny sensuously answers.

"We made love all night long, and afterwards I slept in your bed for eight hours straight." "I hadn't slept that long since I left for Kuwait."

"Your last night with Shannon." Jenny swallows.

"Six years is a long time not to sleep through the night." Gibbs frowns.

"The first night we slept together in our hotel room in London was the first time I slept for eight hours continuously since my father-" Jenny stops in midsentence.

"Faked his suicide." Gibbs finishes for her.

Jenny pouring the pitcher of Sangria over into their respective glasses. "As far as I'm concerned my father died that night Jethro." "The man in Kalymnos wasn't my father." Jenny bitterly answers.

Gibbs knowing that Jenny one day is going to have to come to terms that Kosmo Galanos is her father, quickly changes the subject so that he doesn't get into an argument with her. "So what are our plans for tomorrow morning?"

"Since we'll be making love for most of the night, how about sleeping in." "I wanted to do that this morning."

"Deal, but I do want to make love to you at sunrise."

"You usually have me up at dawn." Jenny laughs.

"No I'm usually up at dawn and have my way with you, because you're half asleep."

"It's called I couldn't be bothered doing all of the work."

"So I noticed, but I seem to enjoy it when you're passive, I can pace myself with you."

"Trust me; I'm passive when I want to be and when I do decide to be aggressive look out."

"So I noticed after Palmer and Breena's wedding." Gibbs laughs and takes the two ears of corn and baked potatoes from the grille and puts them on top of a tray. "Steaks will be a few minutes more."

Rosa & Rita Saloon

2330 Hours

Tony, Ziva, Abby, McGee, and Cynthia are sitting at the bar sipping glasses of margaritas. "Figured since Gibbs and Jenny must have been living it up on these the past few days." Tony grins.

"Margaritas and real Mexican food, there's a difference from what we eat in the states." Abby smiles.

"Ducky went to bed early?" McGee notes with surprise.

"No he's playing chess with his roommate." Ziva softly answers.

"We're in paradise and Ducky's up in his room playing chess." Tony laughs.

"He's been quite busy with Hetty and his roommate sightseeing in LA." McGee smoothly reminds him.

"Nothing beat what you and I did the past two and a half days Probie." "Venice Beach, beach side all day with the babes, boardwalk at night with the babes." "Now that was pure heaven, to think Callen gets up every morning and has that view of the Pacific Ocean and doesn't think twice about it."

"Maybe because Callen traveled abroad as an agent and has been at better erotic locations." Ziva answers.

"You mean exotic locations Ziva." Tony corrects her.

"Besides, I don't think you couldn't top out Catalina Island." Ziva sensuously answers.

"No, nothing beats out Gibbs and the Director's location." "Other than food expense, their loggings were free and clear for the weekend." Abby says with envy.

"The Director paid for our loggings for the weekend." McGee answers.

"But we were on our own for activities." Abby counters.

"So how was your weekend with Eric?" Ziva curiously asks Abby.

"Fun, I told him he needs to check out Disney World in Orlando, he's never been there."

"But Disney Land is the original." Tony nods.

"True and I did enjoy myself." Abby smiles.

"I wonder what Gibbs and Jenny are doing on their last night alone in Baja?" Tony openly ponders.

"Enjoying the time that they have left with one another Tony." Ziva answers.

Out on the deck, with candles lit everywhere, the lovers lie in quiet contentment on top of the lounge chair Gibbs lies with his back up against Jenny's chest looking up into the stars. "Is there any way that I can get you to change your mind about retirement?" Gibbs sighs at the prospects of going home.

"Not for another four years, I have about another forty-four dirt bags to bring in." Jenny laments.

"Can't you get that loser Granger to bring them in?" Gibbs laughs.

"No, I'm bringing them in." "Vance soiled our agencies name and by being dirty." "It's going to take NCIS years to get over our tarnished reputation because of him." Jenny angrily snaps.

"Never thought of it that way." Gibbs answers and takes his bottle of Corona from the arm of the lounge chair.

"Once I'm satisfied that my mission is complete, we'll retire just like we've both planned." Jenny smiles.

"Rosarito, Mexico, Paris, France, and all the places in Europe that we never got to." Gibbs smiles with anticipation. "We never got to Spain together."

"We never did Greece together and trust me that's not on my list of places to go."

"Noted!" Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his bottle of Corona. "Wonder what the team is up to?"

"Tony's off chasing a skirt somewhere." Jenny giggles.

Rosa & Rita Saloon

It's karaoke night at the saloon. Each member of the team is unsuccessfully trying to sing a Ritchie Valens song. "My ears DiNozzo!" Ziva sighs and annoyance and takes the microphone. "This is how you sing La Bamba Tony." Ziva smirks at him. "Para bailar la bamba, Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia, Una poca de gracia para mÃ para tÃ y arriba y arriba, Y arriba y arriba por tÃ serÃ, por tÃ serÃ, por tÃ serÃ."

The patrons in the Saloon get up on their feet and applaud Ziva at her rendition of La Bamba in Spanish. "Way to go Ziva." Abby cheerfully calls out and begins to whistle.

"Wow!" Tony answers, thunderstruck at Ziva's singing abilities. "And you sung that in Spanish."

"The way it was meant to be Tony." Ziva winks and then takes a bow and waves at the crowd.

Back at Gibbs' house in Baja, Gibbs is lying in bed, with the sheet pulled barely above his pelvic bone with a trace of his pubic hairs exposed. "You better not be putting on a night gown to frustrate the living hell out of me." Gibbs growls in sexual frustration.

Jenny emerges from the bathroom naked. "I was spraying some perfume on." She seductively answers and takes her time walking over towards the bed. Just as she approaches the edge of the bed, Jenny pulls the sheet back and notes that her lover is fully erect. "Was there a reason why you were keeping yourself covered up?" She purrs and climbs over top of him on the bed with her breasts at his eye level.

"Looks like you're not going to be submissive tonight." Gibbs gulps.

"You're up to something and this should get it out of you."

"Not working!"

Jenny sucking on his lower lip. "Remember you taught me most of your interrogation techniques."

"Not all of them Madame Director." He smirks and gets them into a sitting position, pulling Jenny legs around his waist.

Jenny moans out with pleasure as his fingers begin to stroke on her centre. "I was seducing you for a change."

"You are taking too long." He grins and enters her body unexpectedly while his fingers still tease her arousal.

"Jethro!" She cries out with pleasure.

Gibbs getting off at watching his lover coming undone as she arches towards his probing fingers. "I already have you in full orgasm and I haven't done a damn thing to you." Gibbs gloats.

Jenny having had enough of his teasing pushes Gibbs down on to his back. Grabbing a hold of his hands. "And I wouldn't get so cocky Leroy; you were fully erect by the time I walked into the room." She seductively warns him and aggressively begins to move her body against him on top.

"Damn!" He moans out, his hips move up and down, stroking his lover, bucking and colliding on top of the mattress. "Crap!" He cries out feeling the first wave of his orgasm beginning to build. "As long as she stays on top I should be alright, she leans over top of me with her chest in full view in front of my eyes I'm a dead man." He inwardly groans.

Jenny knowing that she has Gibbs where she wants him, leans over him and makes eye contact with him. "Leroy, what are you up to?" She seductively asks him and begins to nip along his jaw line.

"Something that you least expect." He defiantly answers and flips Jenny on to her back.

Jenny caught off guard by his sudden aggressiveness. "Shit!" She inwardly curses out. Clutching on to the back of the footboard, Jenny screams out with pleasure as Gibbs, pounds into her, thrusting harder and faster against her. "Jethro!"

Gibbs tired from holding back his release, thrusts against her one last time in a fiery climax; he collapses down on top of her, panting for air. "Damn!" He breathes out fighting for breath.

"How you have the stamina at your age is beyond me?" Jenny answers with her voice trembling from the after effects from their love making.

Gibbs burying his face in between his lover's breasts. "I have more stamina than Tony and Tim." He chuckles.

"Ducky has more stamina than Tony and Tim." Jenny giggles.

0430 Hours

Gibbs dressed in a pair of shorts and a green Marine t-shirt is sitting on a chair in the bedroom watching Jenny sleeping in bed. Suddenly he hears a vehicle pulling up outside of the house. He gets up from the chair, retrieving his Sig from the dresser as he makes his way out of the bedroom. Jenny awakens and feels for Gibbs on his side of the bed. "Jethro!" She calls out to him.

"Stay in the bedroom, I just heard a car pull up out front of the house." Gibbs calls out from the living room.

To Be Continued


	118. Can't Back Out Now

Previously On NCIS

Gibbs and Jenny spend their final full day in Baja, in town purchasing their wedding rings at the jewelry store where Gibbs had bought Jenny's engagement ring in December. Afterwards they bump into Camilla who has a plumbing emergency back home that Gibbs quickly volunteers to help her out with. Knowing that Jenny would rather be out on the town shopping than to be stuck back at Camilla's, Gibbs suggests that Jenny go shopping by herself.

"You mean you're actually going to leave me on my own?"

"You're packing a gun in your pocketbook, besides I have more fears about your safety in a major city than I do down in Baja." Gibbs tenderly says to her.

"Since you are granting me my temporary freedom I'm going to live it up." Jenny smiles and leans up and kisses him on the mouth. "Call me when you get back into town." Jenny softly answers and walks across the street to browse at one of the outdoor marketplaces.

"How often do you let Senora Jenny go out shopping on her own?"

"Not enough, but what she just went through the past week it's the least I can do." Gibbs smiles.

That evening Gibbs and Jenny enjoy a final romantic evening out on the deck, while the team relaxes at a saloon drinking margaritas and singing karaoke.

0430 Hours

After making love for the most of the night, Gibbs restless gets out of bed and throws on a pair of shorts and a green Marine t-shirt. He sits down in a chair and watches Jenny sleep in bed. Suddenly he hears a vehicle pulling up outside of the house. He gets up from the chair, retrieving his Sig from the dresser as he makes his way out of the bedroom. Jenny awakens and feels for Gibbs on his side of the bed. "Jethro!" She calls out to him.

"Stay in the bedroom, I just heard a car pull up out front of the house." Gibbs calls out from the living room.

"Stay in the bedroom are you out of your mind." Jenny shouts back at him and throws the covers back.

A minute later, Jenny emerges from the bedroom, wearing khaki Capri pants and a white Baja t-shirt. "Jethro!" She calls out.

Gibbs walks back into the house. "It's nothing; somebody got lost and was at the wrong house."

Jenny noting that Gibbs is already dressed. "What are you doing up?"

"I was restless and decided to get up and let you sleep in like you wanted to."

"That's out of the question since I'm wide awake now."

"Want to take a walk out on the beach."

"It's a little dark."

"I'll carry a flashlight."

"I believe you arranged this so we could make love on the beach one last time."

"Since when does an innocent suggestion about walking on the beach have to do with sex?" Gibbs playfully protests.

"Because I know how you think." Jenny sweetly answers and starts off for the kitchen with Gibbs following her from behind. Opening up the sliding glass door to the back deck, Jenny steps out and finds Camilla and her family standing in front of a flowered arbor near the shoreline.

Gibbs following Jenny outside takes in her speechless facial expression. "I'm not leaving Mexico until we're husband and wife."

"Jethro I told you that we have to get married in front of the entire team."

"Well mommy we're all here so you can't back out now." Abby chastises her dysfunctional work mother. Jenny turns and finds, Tony, Ziva, Abby, McGee, Ducky, Cynthia, Jack, Leyla, and Amira standing on the back deck.


	119. Worth The Wait

Previously On NCIS

Jenny awakens around 0430 alone in bed. "Jethro!" She calls out to her lover, who's out in the living room investigating a car pulling up outside.

"Stay in the bedroom, I just heard a car pull up out front of the house." Gibbs calls out from the living room.

"Stay in the bedroom are you out of your mind?" Jenny shouts back at him and throws the covers back.

After getting dressed Jenny walks out into the living room and finds Gibbs returning back inside of the house. "It's nothing; somebody got lost and was at the wrong house." Gibbs shrugs.

Jenny noting that Gibbs is dressed already. "What are you doing up?"

"I was restless and decided to get up and let you sleep in like you wanted to."

"That's out of the question since I'm wide awake now."

"Want to take a walk out on the beach."

"It's a little dark."

"I'll carry a flashlight."

"I believe you arranged this so we could make love on the beach one last time."

"Since when does an innocent suggestion about walking on the beach have to do with sex?" Gibbs playfully protests.

"Because I know how you think." Jenny sweetly answers and starts off for the kitchen with Gibbs following her from behind. Opening up the sliding glass door to the back deck, Jenny steps out and finds Camilla and her family standing in front of a flowered arbor near the shoreline.

Gibbs following Jenny outside takes in her speechless facial expression. "I'm not leaving Mexico until we're husband and wife."

"Jethro I told you that we have to get married in front of the entire team."

"Well mommy we're all here so you can't back out now." Abby chastises her dysfunctional work mother. Jenny turns and finds, Tony, Ziva, Abby, McGee, Ducky, Cynthia, Jack, Leyla, and Amira standing on the back deck.

"I believe that's the first time we've ever seen the boss lady speechless." Tony grins.

"When did you-"

"Yesterday afternoon, we checked into the Rosarito Beach Hotel." Cynthia interrupts her boss.

"Excellent hotel accommodations if I do say so myself." Abby winks.

"Jethro I don't have anything to wear." Jenny protests.

"Yes you do Cynthia took care of that yesterday afternoon." Gibbs smirks.

"So everything is taken care of Jenny, you can't talk your way out of it." Ziva playfully chastises her.

Jenny folding her arms over at Ziva. "Ok, who's going to do my hair?" Jenny playfully baits her.

"My cousin Tierra is a hairstylist." Camilla informs her.

"And Camilla's Uncle Humberto is a judge, so he can officiate our wedding ceremony." Gibbs smiles and pulls Jenny over to him.

"It won't be legal."

"We'll make it legal when we get back home." "Either way we're not leaving Mexico until we're man and wife."

"Jethro we don't have the time to pull this off today." Jenny sighs.

"Yes we do if you quit standing around and arguing with me." "At sunrise we'll exchange our own vows, something that comes from our heart."

Cynthia and Ziva walk over and grab Jenny by the elbow. "Come on Jenny, we need to get you ready for your groom." Ziva sweetly says to Jenny and they escort Jenny back inside of the house.

Tony taking in the view from the back deck. "Wow this is better than Callen's." Tony says with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Give me Baja over Venice any day of the week DiNozzo." Gibbs smirks.

"So this is where you're going to live out the rest of your life Leroy." Jack smiles over at his son.

"The majority of it, fishing, rebuilding old clunkers, and in between spending time with the woman I love." "I can't ask for anything more, I dreamed of doing this six years ago when I first lived with Mike." "In another hour and a half, Jenny finally will be mine, sealed with a wedding ring on her finger." Gibbs smiles in anticipation.

"Gibbs, did Jenny say that your marriage wouldn't be legal." Abby frowns.

"We don't have all of the legal paperwork to legally get married." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"But soon as you get back to DC, you'll legally tie the knot." Abby nods.

"Yes, we'll both get physical, blood tests and then we'll more than likely get married at City Hall."

"Ok, so where do we change at for the wedding?" McGee curiously asks.

"You and Tony take the back bedroom, Dad, Ducky, and I will take the center bedroom, while the hens can get changed in the master bedroom, there's plenty of room in there for five of them." Gibbs grins.

"You're calling your bride to be and her wedding party a bunch of chickens before your wedding." Abby playfully protests.

"Well you are once you gather around and fix up your hair." Gibbs snorts.

Abby taking Amira's hand. "It beats sitting around a sofa burping and farting." Abby giggles and walks inside of the house.

"What shall I do, since I'm already dressed?" Leyla smiles up at Gibbs.

Gibbs smiling at Leyla's beautiful light pink Shalwar Kameez with a matching light pink Dupatta. "You look breath taking Leyla."

"Thank you!" Leyla softly answers.

"You can sit around the deck if you want; I bought some deck furniture when we stopped over in San Diego."

Leyla glancing around the deck. "It's starting to look like home now."

"I don't think Mike would like the fancy deck furniture, I can hear him now, when are you going to build me my hot tub." Gibbs laughs.

"I miss him." Leyla sighs.

"So do I." Gibbs swallows and then glances around the direction of the beach. "But I feel his presence more than ever today."

"He wouldn't miss your wedding for the world." Leyla tenderly says to him.

In the master bedroom a half an hour later Tierra is styling Jenny's hair into a French twist. "All of the members of your wedding party are wearing Dahlia's in their hair, including you." Tierra softly says to Jenny.

Ziva applying her make up. "And we've also taken care of the old Christian Wedding traditions."

"Something borrowed, something old something, blue, something new." Abby smiles.

"Borrowed are my grandmother's ear rings that you love so much." Cynthia smiles.

"The blue is the garter belt that Tony picked up in LA." Abby giggles.

"Figures he would be the one picking that up." Jenny laughs.

"New, is Minnie Mouse charm bracelet that I bought for you on Friday?" Abby smiles.

"Minnie Mouse for your wedding." Camilla laughs.

"It's new why not." Jenny laughs.

"Lastly, old!" Ziva softly answers and hands Jenny a pearl necklace that once belonged to Gibbs' mother. "This necklace belonged to Gibbs' mother Ann, Jack wanted you to wear this at you wedding and he also wants you to keep it."

Jenny stunned as Ziva puts the necklace around her neck. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't cry I don't want to do your make up all over again." Tierra chastises her.

Amira who's now in her flower girl dress. "Amira you look beautiful in your baby blue ruffled dress." "Your Abuelo would find you adorable in your flower girl dress." Camilla softly says to her.

"Don't worry Camilla; Senor Franks will be here in spirit to see her in it." Jenny smiles and then draws her attention to Amira. "Amira could you do me a favor?"

"Me?" Amira squeals with surprise.

"Could you take out my wedding ring to Uncle Jethro?" "It's on top of the dresser in the little black box."

"Ok!" Amira smiles and rushes over to the dresser and retrieves the ring.

"So buying the rings yesterday didn't set your alarm off." Abby giggles.

"No!" Jenny smiles and shakes her head.

"I'll be right back." Amira shouts over her shoulder.

"Just like Senor Franks, big mouth." Camilla laughs.

"I don't know Uncle Jethro has a habit of doing that also." Jenny mutters in annoyance.

Out in the living room, Gibbs is impatiently pacing around the room. "Jethro would you settle down, you're wearing your father and myself out." Ducky scolds him.

"I want this over and done with." Gibbs growls.

"Patients, son." Jack smiles.

Amira walks over to Gibbs and hands him Jenny's wedding ring. "Don't you look beautiful in your flower girl dress?" Gibbs says and awe and picks Amira up in his arms.

"Aunt Jenny said you forgot to take this with you."

"I know, been preoccupied and forgot to take it with me."

Tony and McGee walk out of the back bedroom dressed for the wedding, Tony dressed in an off white Guayabera Shirt with a pleated light green ribbon on the front and back, to compliment his shirt, Tony ops for beige Capri linen pants. McGee dressed in a light peach Guayabera Shirt with brown diamond scroll patterned embroidery, to compliment his shirt, McGee ops for white Capri linen pants. "Don't the two of you look handsome?" Ducky cheerfully calls out to them.

"Boss shouldn't the three of you be getting ready?" Tony curiously asks.

"Unlike my other half, I should only be ten minutes maximum." Gibbs smirks and puts Amira on the floor. "DiNozzo hold this." Gibbs smiles and hands Tony the box containing Jenny's wedding ring.

"I know you wanted Mike to be your best man." Tony says choking up with emotion.

"You'll do!" Gibbs affectionately answers and pats Tony on the back, mirroring the words he once said to Tony before he left for Mexico in 2006.

"Can I take a look at it?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Not until the ceremony." Gibbs smoothly says and walks off for the bedroom.

Tony glances down at Amira. "Psst, how does Aunt Ziva look?" He drools.

"She's not dressed yet." Amira giggles and runs back towards the direction of the master bedroom.

"Come on Jack we better get dressed." Ducky chuckles and gets up from the couch.

"And keep Leroy from walking a hole into the floor." Jack snorts and slowly gets up from the couch. "My son has some fancy digs here."

"We'll enjoy it for a few days." Ducky smiles.

Tony waiting for Ducky and Jack to get out of the room. "No fair, Gibbs is letting Ducky and Jack stay here for a couple of days." "When do we get a crack at it?"

"I believe Leyla and Amira are also staying with them." "They'll be sleeping in Gibbs and Jenny's bedroom, while Jack and Ducky take the spare bedrooms."

"Didn't know that?" Tony shrugs.

"Ducky has some vacation time that he needs to take; Palmer is perfectly capable of handling things on his own." McGee smiles.

"That reminds me, Palmer and Breena are the only two that were missing." Tony frowns.

"They couldn't get away." McGee sadly answers.

"They can't get away, and Gibbs and Jenny have to head back to Washington this afternoon and can't have a decent wedding night."

"Something tells me, they already had it last night." McGee winks.

0600 Hours

At sunrise the groom standing in front of the flower arbor in front of the shoreline is dressed in a light green Guayabera Gaston Shirt with ornate off white ribbon and pleat combination on the front of the shirt. To compliment his shirt, Gibbs has chosen to wear a pair of white linen Capri pants. Standing beside the groom as his best man, Tony, along with McGee, and Jack wearing a light yellow Guayabera Shirt with white decorative embroidery in the front of the shirt. Jack unlike his son, and Tony and McGee, has opted for white linen pants to go with his shirt. Standing to the right of the arbor is a mariachi band playing "Por Un Amor'. "Boss I don't know how you pulled this off on short notice." Tony smiles.

"Friends of friends of friends DiNozzo." "I might have lived down here for four months, but I made a lifetime's worth of friends and a lot of them are doing this for Mike." Gibbs smiles.

"I guess you fixed a lot of cars and roof's in the short four months that you lived down here." Tony grins.

"I was what Diane would call me, Mr. Fix It." Gibbs chuckles.

"I thought it was Woody the Woodchuck." McGee corrects him, with Gibbs giving McGee a mock glare of warning. Tony head slaps McGee on the back of the head. "Ow!" He grimaces.

"It's a no no to mention any of Gibbs' exes on his wedding day." Tony smirks.

With that the mariachi band begins to play 'Amor Amor', Amira carrying a white basket filled with pink and white dahlia's walks off of the deck, a short distance behind her, Cynthia wearing an on and off the shoulder pink calico floral long maxi skirt with ruffle white ruffle trim at top, pinned at the top right side of her hair behind her ear is a salmon colored Dahlia. Cynthia carrying in her hand is an orange dahlia bouquet Just as Cynthia walks off of the deck, Abby appears, wearing an off the shoulder black and pink fitted waist ruffled dress that goes above her knee. Abby ops to wear her black hair down on her shoulders. Pinned to right side of her hair near the side of her right ear is a pink dahlia. Carrying in her hand is a pink dahlia bouquet. "Wow!" McGee inwardly says in awe and smiles over at Abby as she walks down the steps.

Abby noting that McGee is admiring her beauty. "Yes Timmy I do clean up nice when I get out of my Goth clothes." Abby inwardly smiles.

Tony impatiently glances for his partner and Matron of Honor Ziva. "Come on, I want to see what you have on." He inwardly groans. On cue, Ziva steps into view on the deck wearing an off the shoulder pink floral Senorita fitted waist dress that comes below her knee. Wearing her hair in a half up do wavy hairstyle with a Raspberry Ice Dahlia pinned in the right side of her hair above her ear. Carrying in her hand is a pink dahlia bouquet. Tony thunderstruck at Ziva's beauty as she makes her way down the steps. "There are no words to describe on how you look." Tony inwardly says to himself and smiles.

While Gibbs' Junior and Senior Agent are checking out their partners, Gibbs anxiously glances towards the sliding glass door for his bride. "I've been waiting fourteen years for this moment." He says in anticipation. The mariachi band changes their music to 'Somos Novios' for the introduction of the bride. Ducky dressed in a toast and champagne frost Guayabera Shirt with brown decorative embroidery, like Jack, Ducky opts for white linen pants. Escorting on his left arm is the bride, wearing an off the shoulder ivory-lace vintage wedding dress, full skirt, with lovely lace over-lay around the shoulders. Wearing her hair in a French Twist, Jenny has a Turquoise Blue Dahlia pinned in the back of her hair. Carrying in her left hand is a white dahlia bouquet. Gibbs stares in awe at Jenny's beauty. "Not bad on short notice Cynthia." He inwardly smiles.

Amira, Cynthia, and Abby take their positions at the altar, followed by Ziva. Ducky slowly and deliberately walks Jenny down the aisle. "You can wait a few more seconds Jethro." He inwardly snorts.

Jenny taking in her groom's facial expression. "I'll never forget the way you're looking at me at this moment for the rest of my life." She inwardly says to herself and smiles over at him in his light green Guayabera Gaston Shirt.

Standing under the arbor is Camilla's Uncle Humberto Valdez a local judge, to unofficially watch over the ceremony, waits for Ducky and Jenny to approach the groom. Ducky and Jenny walk over to Gibbs, Ducky tenderly kisses Jenny on the cheek and hands her over to Gibbs, where he takes his place alongside of Jack. In attendance standing on the beach is Leyla, along with Camilla and her family and friends of both Gibbs and Mike. "Who gives this woman to be married?" Valdez asks.

"I do!" Ducky cheerfully calls out.

"Good morning!" Valdez smiles over at the bride and groom and then over to Gibbs and Jenny's friends and family members that have attended their beachside ceremony. "My niece Camilla had requested a big favor from her favorite tío." Valdez playfully teases his niece.

"That and you tried to unsuccessfully tried to choza de mi up with Senor Franks." Camilla playfully chastises him.

The wedding party and guests burst out laughing. "I thought that my good friend Senor Mike was a good catch." Valdez chuckles and gets on to the subject at hand. "My name is Humberto Valdez; I'm a local district judge." "On behalf of my niece Camilla and on my late friend Michael Franks, I will be honored to officiate over Senor Gibbs and Senora Jenny's wedding ceremony." "The groom when I spoke to him yesterday wanted to make the ceremony short and to the point."

"It's taking me fourteen years to get a wedding ring on her finger, I can't wait any longer." Gibbs growls.

The wedding party and guests burst out laughing. "You know patients was never one of my son's strong suits." Jack chuckles.

"With that said." Valdez laughs and shakes his head. "The bride and groom will exchange vows from their heart."

Gibbs taking a hold of Jenny's left hand. "Jenny, you complete me and took me to places I never thought possible after the death of my first wife Shannon." "You touch my soul and I want to be with you for the rest of my life as your husband." "I love you!" Gibbs smiles choking up with emotion.

"I'm going to cry Gibbs." Abby inwardly sniffs.

Gibbs glances over at Tony, who teasingly searches his pockets, before handing Gibbs, Jenny's wedding ring. Gibbs places Jenny's wedding ring on her left hand. "This ring is a symbol of my everlasting love for you."

Jenny thunderstruck at his words. "Jethro!" She breathes out his name that the hairs stand up on the back of Gibbs' neck. "I never went with my heart; my mind set was at being a strong independent woman." "That was until I met you." Jenny softly says and stares into the depths of Gibbs' intense blue eyes. "While working with you as a Probationary Status Agent, you infuriated me to no end, I had no idea why, until one day a college friend of mine had suggested that the reason why I hated my boss so much is that I had fallen in love with him." "And damn it Gloria was right." Jenny sighs in annoyance.

"Blue eyes gets the ladies all the time Senor Gibbs." Camilla teases him.

"I wasn't suppose to fall in love with my boss." Jenny smiles and squeezes Gibbs' left hand. "At night I would fantasize what it would be like being with you as your lover." "I tried getting these fantasies out of my head, because not only were you my boss, you were also married at the time."

"Eight months later she became an ex-wife." Ducky chimes in.

"Four months later, my fantasy became true, what started as an argument up in the attic in Marseille led to a night of passion between us." "From there we discretely hid our relationship in Washington for several months before we got stationed out to Europe." "A year in a half in Europe." "London, Naples, Positano-"

"Paris!" Tony smirks.

"Czech Republic, Serbia, and then Paris." Jenny corrects Tony on her timeline with Gibbs. "The time we spent together in Paris will be a part of me forever." "Our night's together, romantic dinners, walks through the park and outdoor market places." "I tried making the most of it with you, because I knew one day I was going to be breaking both of our hearts by leaving you." Jenny tearfully says to him. "Leaving you was my biggest mistake; it wasn't worth what I gave you up for." "It robbed us of our future and we almost lost each other forever, when fate intervened last summer." "When I woke up at Ducky's and saw you standing over at the window, it was fate that I took a bullet for Ziva, it brought us back together." Jenny smiles and then glances over at Ziva, who hands Jenny, Gibbs' wedding ring. Jenny places the ring on Gibbs' left hand. "Jethro, you are my one and only love." "When I fall asleep in your arms at night, I know that I am loved and feel safe a feeling that I have not felt since my mother died when I was a child." "You have brought back my sense of security." "My love for you is endless now and forever."

"Well so much for short to the point." Valdez laughs and then glances over at Gibbs and Jenny. "Surrounded by Senor Gibbs and Senora Jenny's family and friends, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Valdez cheerfully shouts out. "Senor Gibbs, you may kiss your bride."

Gibbs pulls Jenny's face up with both hands and passionately kisses her on the mouth, Jenny grabs on to his shirt with her left hand as he deepens his kiss. Breathlessly Gibbs breaks away, crushing Jenny up against his chest. "Finally your mine." He whispers against the top of her hair.

"It's the other way away around." Jenny whispers back.

"Introducing for the first time Senor and Senora Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Valdez announces with the wedding party and guests cheering on in the background. The mariachi band begins to play 'Mi Linda Esposa' just as Gibbs and Jenny begin to walk off for the ocean with the wedding party following them from behind.

"Aren't they suppose to be heading for the reception?" Lucille, Humberto's wife curiously asks.

"Wedding pictures, than off to the reception at the cantina." Valdez smiles.

For forty-minutes, wedding photos are being taken along the beach and shoreline, suddenly Poncho and Miranda appear with their handler, on their reins are white and pink Dahlia's. "Boss I don't do horses." Tony protests.

"I know that DiNozzo, that's what the two carriages and wagons are for out front." Gibbs barks and waits for Poncho to approach him. Gibbs climbs up on to his horse. Tony and McGee both pick Jenny up by the waist. "DiNozzo watch the hands." Gibbs growls as they hand Jenny up to him. Ziva climbs up on Miranda; Valdez approaches with Amira in his arms and gently puts her on top of the horse. Gibbs and Ziva lead Poncho and Miranda out front, where the two white carriages await for the remaining wedding party and two large wagons to bring the rest of the guests along with the mariachi band to travel to Rosarito.

Few minutes later while the wedding precession travels into town. "I'm still trying to figure out how you managed to pull this off." Jenny says in awe.

Gibbs nuzzling Jenny's neck from behind. "I had to make you mine after what the both of us went through the past two weeks."

Jenny listening to the music that the mariachi band is playing. "What on earth are they playing?"

"Cien anos!" Gibbs smiles.

Ten minutes later they arrive in front of the cantina, Gibbs climbs down from his horse and gently pulls Jenny down on to her feet. "Kind of early for tamale's." Jenny teases him.

"We're having a traditional Mexican breakfast buffet for our reception." Gibbs smiles.

Inside the carriage Tony takes in the sight of the famed cantina that he heard so much about from Gibbs and Mike. "So this is the infamous cantina that we've heard about over the years." Tony grins.

"And fitting that Gibbs and Jenny would have their wedding reception in it." McGee chuckles.

"Wonder if they'll be serving tacos for breakfast." Tony asks rubbing on to his stomach.

"From what Camilla told me yesterday they will be serving a traditional Mexican Breakfast buffet." Abby informs him.

"Well either way the food is going to be spicy." Tony smiles in anticipation.

Inside the cantina a half an hour later with the mariachi band playing, the wedding party along with their guests are eating a traditional Mexican breakfast, huevos rancheros**, ** machaca, chorizo, chilaquiles, with tortilla's and various fruits. The adults are having coffee and Sangrita with their meals; the children are having milk with their meals. "So it's almost an hour, plan on backing out boss." Tony affectionately baits him.

"Not on your life, it took me fourteen years to tame this wild mustang." Gibbs smirks and takes a bite from his eggs in his huevos rancheros."

"Just because you slipped a ring on my finger, doesn't mean you've tamed me." Jenny seductively warns him.

"Face it Leroy you wouldn't want Jenny tamed it would make your marriage boring." Jack teases his son.

"Boring and Jenny Gibbs are not in the same sentence dad." Gibbs chuckles.

"So you're still planning to fly back this afternoon?" Abby curiously asks.

"Abby I have wall to wall meetings for the upcoming week that I cannot get out of, besides I promised my boss that I was going to chew him out tomorrow morning." Jenny answered sharply.

"Meeting and MTAC Ops." Cynthia groans at the prospects of working late.

"That isn't until tomorrow and I don't want you concentrating on that now." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"For the next twenty-one hours my full focus will be on my husband." Jenny smiles.

After breakfast, the champagne glasses at the tables are being filled up, Amira and the other children are getting sparkling apple cider filled into their champagne glasses. Tony as best man stands on top of the bar. "As best man it's a custom to toast the bride and groom."

"Don't take all morning DiNozzo." Gibbs growls.

"I've been working with my boss for ten years now, when I joined his team as a Probationary Status Agent; Gibbs had just got his divorce with Stephanie his third wife." "He seemed thrilled and happy that his marriage was legally over and done with and moved on to dating various women, mostly redheads, Gibbs' ideal choice of women." "The relationships never lasted long, few weeks a month maybe and Gibbs would move on to the next woman." "At the time I didn't know why Gibbs was hesitant about letting a woman steal his heart away." "You came awfully close with Doctor Ryan for a while there." Tony grins over at him.

"So did your father." Jenny smirks.

"He only dated her because she dated Gibbs." Tony protests and gets back to his wedding toast. "The day after Kate Todd was killed, Jenny was appointed as Director of NCIS." "The first time I saw her in the bullpen with Gibbs, I thought that she was one of his mystery redheads that he frequently dated, maybe giving the boss man some condolences on the loss of Kate." "He left the building with this mystery redhead for an hour and then came back." "I was informed about Jenny being the new Director and then later on I found out that she was Gibbs' partner in the late 90's and that they shared a special relationship with one another." Tony mischievously grins.

"DiNozzo you're begging for it." Gibbs barks.

"Ziva came on board to our team to replace Kate and within three months we all started getting comfortable working together at NCIS, we became a dysfunctional family as Abby had frequently put it." "Ducky as our grandfather, Gibbs and Jenny as our parents, myself, Ziva, Abby, and McGee as the kids, and we had our tag along cousin Jimmy Palmer who assisted Ducky down in Autopsy." "We were there through the tough times, Kate's death, Gibbs' coma and leaving for Mexico unexpectedly." "We found out about his first wife and daughter." "While Gibbs was away I became Team Leader." "Being inexperienced Jenny took me under her wing and frequently would sit at my team meetings in the bullpen, which I affectionately dubbed our little campfires." "During this time our relationship with Jenny became close, she and along with Ducky were there for us in Gibbs' absence." "And I will always appreciate her for that."

"Thank you Tony." Jenny smiles.

"Then Ziva got into trouble, Gibbs had a favor to collect on and returned to Washington to help out Ziva." "He got Ziva out of her jam and returned to Mexico only to return a month later to sell his house." "At this time an old case resurfaced from a joint investigation with his FBI buddy Agent Fornell." "While working this case, Gibbs got the itch to come back from Mexico and returned to his position at NCIS as Agent in Charge of the Major Response Team."

"The job wasn't the itch for me to return to Washington." Gibbs smiles and leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!" Abby squeals out.

"For the next two years, Gibbs and Jenny worked together as Director and Special Agent." "They had their squabbles over investigations that they didn't see eye to eye on." "But through it all we're a family and we stuck together until that fateful day when Gibbs thought he lost Jenny forever." Tony chokes up with emotion. "He lost his second love and the day of Jenny's funeral, Director Vance broke up our family." "I was sent on an aircraft carrier, Ziva was sent back to Israel and McGee was sent down with the cyber geeks." "Gibbs was devastated." "We were devastated." "For four long months we endured separation from our pseudo father." "By kissing Director Vance's ass Gibbs got me reinstated back on to his team." "Ziva and McGee had already rejoined the team." "We were all one big happy family again, with the exception of Gibbs." "He would glance up on the balcony looking for Jenny." "The look in his eyes tore us up." "He missed her!" Tony frowns.

Over at Gibbs table. "I hope Ziva is short and to the point with her speech." Gibbs whispers in Jenny's ear.

"He missed their squabbling, late night dinners up in her office, flirtious banter in the office." "All Gibbs had was, Vance menacingly staring down at him, knowing of a secret." "A secret that haunted Vance last summer, when Jenny returned from the dead and into Gibbs' life." "Since that night other than conferences and bickering matches where they would sleep in separate beds." "Gibbs and Jenny have been inseparable making each other complete." Tony smiles over at them and holds up his champagne glass. "My wish for the two of you is to grow old together, what the both of you have gone through during the three years that Jenny was presumed dead, you deserve it."

Ziva getting helped up by Miguel the bartender. "Since Gibbs wants it short and to the point." "Shalom Gibbs, Shalom Jenny." Ziva warmly smiles down at them. With that everybody downs their drink.

Camilla stands up from her chair. "I believe it's time for some traditional gringo wedding celebrations." Camilla cheerfully announces to the crowd. "Will the groom and his bride stand in the center of the room in front of the bar with all of the solteros please gather around Senor Gibbs and Senora Jenny?"

McGee narrows his eyes over at Abby for a translation. "Solteros?" He sheepishly asks.

"Bachelors McGee!" Abby giggles and nudges McGee out of his chair.

Tony, Ducky, Jack, along with McGee and several of the male guests gather around in front of Gibbs and Jenny. Gibbs lifts up the skirt to Jenny's dress up to her left thigh. "Boss you're killing me." Tony inwardly drools.

The mariachi band begins to play 'The Stripper' as Gibbs slowly pulls down the garter from Jenny's leg. Jenny lifts her foot from the floor as Gibbs slips the garter down her ankle and past her foot. "DiNozzo isn't getting this." He smirks and turns and faces the available bachelors that are standing in front of him. He tosses the garter in the direction of his father, Tony and McGee dive for it at the same time crashing into one another.

"Who got it?" Tony groans from the floor.

"I did!" Jack triumphantly gloats down at them.

"If you think you were getting it DiNozzo you had another thing coming." Gibbs laughs.

"Now for the solteras to approach the bride." Camilla calls out to the available bachelorette's in the crowd.

"Ziva out of my way." Abby baits her and gets up from her chair.

"Try me Abby." Ziva smirks over at her dysfunctional older sister.

"If they think they're getting Senora Jenny's bouquet they have another thing coming." Camilla snickers at her competitors.

Ziva, Abby, Cynthia, Leyla, Camilla and all of the single women gather around in front of Jenny. The mariachi band begins to play 'Whatever Lola Wants', Jenny turns her back. "If either Ziva or Abby get this they'll be at each other's throats on flight home to Washington." Jenny inwardly says to herself before tossing the bouquet over her shoulder.

At the same time Ziva and Abby leap up. "I got it!" They both scream out.

The bouquet goes over them where Cynthia jumps in front of Camilla and catches it. "You mean I got it." Cynthia smirks over at her competitors.

"Awwwww!" Abby pouts.

"Look on the bright side Abby, you and Ziva won't be at each other's throats on the flight back home." Jenny laughs.

"We wouldn't do that." Ziva protests.

Jenny giving both Ziva and Abby a knowing look. "A huh!" She affectionately teases them.

"Will the solteras please back away from the groom and his bride, so that they can have their first dance together as husband and wife?" Camilla calls out to the crowd.

Ziva, Abby, Cynthia, Leyla, Camilla and the single women take their places back at the table. The mariachi band begins to play 'Fascination'. "Love In the Afternoon." Tony whispers into Ziva's ear.

"What?" Ziva asks in confusion.

"It's a movie, Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn set in Paris." Tony whispers…"They danced to that music in the movie."

"I'll have to check it out when we get back home." Ziva whispers.

Gibbs and Jenny slow dance for the first time as husband and wife. "Jethro this is to perfect, I couldn't have planned this any better." Jenny softly says to him.

"It was a spur of the moment idea." Gibbs smiles.

"You always think best on short notice." Jenny affectionately says to her husband.

While Gibbs and Jenny dance, Jack smiles over at his son and daughter in law. "I was never invited to his first wedding."

"I was invited to weddings two, three, and four unfortunately." Ducky muses from across the table.

"That bad huh." Jack snorts.

"Three women that were married because they either weren't Shannon and in his fourth marriage Jenny." Ducky sadly answers.

"Do you think Jenny will be more comfortable as Leroy's wife, knowing that Shannon will always be in his heart?"

"If she didn't, Jennifer would never have accepted your son's marriage proposal." Ducky smiles.

After the bride and groom's first dance, the wedding party dances to "Son de La Negra', Tony paired with Ziva, McGee paired with Abby, Ducky paired with Cynthia. "I didn't know that Doctor Mallard could dance." Leyla whispers over to Jack.

"I see Leroy has his father's stiff and awkward dance moves." Jack laughs.

"Tony and Ziva move well together." Camilla winks over at Jack.

"I know they do and so does Tim and Abby." Jack smiles.

1000 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are standing at a table cutting their wedding cake that Camilla had baked for them. They playfully put a slice of cake into each other's mouths. Gibbs leans over and passionately kisses Jenny, licking the vanilla icing from her lips. "Did Gibbs just give Jenny the tongue?" Tony mischievously laughs.

"Why would-" Before Amira can finish, Leyla puts her hand over her daughter's mouth.

Around noon, Gibbs and Jenny step out of the cantina as they make their way over to Poncho, their family and friends throw flower petals at them. Gibbs pulls Jenny up on top of Poncho and then climbs on to the saddle taking the reins from Miguel. "I want to thank Camilla, her family and Mike's longtime friends for helping me out with our wedding on short notice; I couldn't have done this without you."

"We were honored to do it Senor Gibbs; Senor Franks would have wanted nothing else from us." Miguel smoothly says to him.

With that Gibbs and Jenny wave to their wedding guests and ride away. Tony, Ziva, Abby, McGee, Ducky, Cynthia, Jack, Leyla, and Amira smile over at them. "There's another surprise awaiting them when they get home." Abby smiles.

Gibbs' House

1400 Hours

Jenny, Abby, Cynthia, and Leyla are sitting around the various furniture out in the living room. "So when's the honeymoon." Cynthia curiously asks.

"July, we'll sail away to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard like we originally planned." Jenny smiles.

"I can't get over how everything went off without a hitch today." Abby says with surprise.

"I can't believe that Jethro planned all of this without my help." Jenny laughs and shakes her head.

"I got off on your dumbfounded facial expression when you saw all of us standing on the deck." Abby giggles.

"I was stunned at seeing all of you there." Jenny softly answers.

"Where's Gibbs?" Abby curiously asks.

"Outside with Amira walking on the beach." Leyla answers.

"One last walk before we head up north." Jenny sadly answers.

Out on the beach Amira is trying to find the perfect seashell to give her mother. Finding a mauve colored Turris seashell on the beach, Amira finds one and hands it to Gibbs. "Your mom is going to like that." Gibbs smiles and hands it back to her.

"I'm going to show her." Amira squeals and runs off for the direction of the house.

Gibbs takes in the view of the ocean. "Paradise and I have to head back to Washington." Gibbs sadly answers. Unknown to him in spirit his beloved mentor is standing behind Gibbs and affectionately head slaps Gibbs on the back of the head. "Ow! Gibbs grimaces and turns and finds Mike puffing away on a cigarette.

"You didn't think I would miss your own wedding." Mike snorts.

"I knew you were here." Gibbs smiles.

"Bout time, took you long enough." Mike snarls.

"You keep forgetting I thought that Jenny was dead for three years and by the way you knew she was alive." Gibbs barks.

"I had no choice; it kept the both of ya out of jail." "In the end it worked out, the two of you are together where you belong." Mike smiles and begins to walk off towards the direction of the deck with Gibbs following him. "I see you got a hot tub for the redhead and not me." Mike whines and takes a puff from his cigarette.

"You think I want to look at your sorry ass naked body inside of that hot tub." Gibbs growls.

"Camilla never seemed to mind it." Mike winks.

"That's because the lights were out or the both of you were drunk." Gibbs laughs.

"True!" Mike laughs and shakes his head. "Ain't a hammock good enough, what's up with the fancy deck furniture?" Mike scoffs.

"Keep in mind it's not two bachelor's living in your shack, I have a lady living with me who is use to living with the finer things, we're going to be living here permanently once Jenny brings down all of the arms and drug dealers that Vance was on the take with."

"That can take years." Mike frowns.

"I know!" Gibbs swallows…"But she's well worth the wait."

With that Jenny walks out on to the deck. "Jethro, who are you talking to?"

Gibbs turns and looks and notices that Mike is no longer standing beside him. "Mentally getting some ideas about the property when we retire here." Gibbs shrugs and walks up on to the deck. "Everything packed."

"Everything that is needed for our flight back to Washington." Jenny smiles.

Gibbs puts his arm around Jenny's waist and pulls him close to him. "We should be landing in Dulles around 2230 Hours."

"Melvin well be on standby to pick us up." Jenny softly answers. Gibbs starts to walk them towards the sliding glass door, just as he steps inside, Gibbs turns and finds Mike sitting on the lounge chair puffing away on a cigarette and with a Corona in his hand. "Jethro are you ok, you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"No just a spirit playing us a visit." Gibbs smiles and walks Jenny inside of the house.

Half an hour later, Gibbs and Jenny are hugging Ducky, Jack, Leyla, and Amira goodbye. "We'll see you at the end of the week dad." Gibbs smiles at his father.

"I'll help you rebuild your bedroom furniture that was ruined by the sniper."

"Sounds like a plan." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Inside Gibbs and Jenny's bedroom, Ziva is waiting for Tony to walk out of the master bedroom. "Tony, Gibbs is waiting." Ziva sighs at him.

Tony walking out of the bathroom. "Did you see the size of the bathtub in there?"

"Jenny likes taking baths and Gibbs wants her to live in a sense of style when they live down here full time."

"California king sized bed, the only thing that's missing is an I-Pod stereo and a plasma TV and blue ray player."

"Gibbs wants to keep things the way Mike had it, no modern technology."

"Call the hot tub modern." Tony protests.

"I believe Gibbs was going to build Mike one before he returned back to Washington." Ziva giggles.

Tony is about to answer, when the sound and fury of his boss can be heard from the living room. "Today DiNozzo and David." He bellows.

"Coming boss!" Tony shouts back.

"Wait till they see their little surprise back home in Washington." Ziva snickers.

A\N Chapter 120 will be the final chapter of this story, coming soon in the works is 'Resolutions' part 2


	120. To Us

Around ten-thirty that night, Melvin pulls the Towne Car up in front of Gibbs' house; Gibbs glances out of the window and notices that the upstairs bedroom window has been replaced with bullet resistance glass. "We'll have to spend our wedding night in your study."

"Ziva told me about the damage that was done to the bedroom; I guess it will be a week or so before we move back in." Jenny softly answers.

"Try a month, I'm going to have to replace sections of the drywall, and repair the bedroom furniture." "Between working the next few weekends and going away Memorial Day weekend, I won't have the time to work on the bedroom."

"Just remember, when we get into an argument, your ass better be downstairs on the couch." Jenny seductively teases him.

"Pax!" Gibbs laughs and leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Melvin clearing his throat. "I'll get your bags from the trunk." He interrupts them and gets out of the car.

"Melvin was a bit subtle." Jenny giggles.

Gibbs getting out of the car. "It's his way of telling us, get a room." Gibbs chuckles.

Jenny slides across the seat, just as she's about to step out of the car, Gibbs picks Jenny up in his arms. "Jethro!" Jenny protests.

"It's a tradition that the groom carries his bride over the threshold." Gibbs smiles and walks over towards the front door.

"And even if it wasn't a tradition you still would be carrying me inside of the house."

Gibbs walks over to the front door and presses in the security code, he opens up the door, Jenny flips on the light switch as Gibbs walks through the door. They are immediately taken back by the flowers in the living room, over the entranceway leading to the stairs for the bedrooms is a silk floral arbor with a banner above it, 'Congratulations Senor Gibbs, Senora Jenny'. "Noemi!" Jenny says in awe.

"She couldn't have done this on her own Jen, she had to have help."

Melvin walks through the front door carrying Jenny's bags. "Do you want me to take these upstairs?"

"No leave the bags downstairs, Noemi will sort out what has to be washed and what has to be dry cleaned." "I'll see you at 0830 hours tomorrow morning in the parking garage."

"Very well Director." Melvin nods and walks out of the house closing the door behind him.

"Ok Jethro you can put me down now."

"Not until I get you upstairs." Gibbs grins and walks over towards the arbor. "Your right, Noemi did have help."

Upstairs the doorway in front of Jenny's Study is decorated with pink silk orchids and a sign above it, 'Margarita Safari'. "She had help and our children were in on it also." Jenny smiles.

Gibbs walks Jenny over towards the door to her study. "Wonder what other surprises that they have in store for us." Gibbs smoothly says and opens up the door and steps inside.

Jenny flips on the light switch and once again the bedroom has flowers and candles everywhere, the bed is pulled out and made for them. Red and pink rose pedals are spread across the Ivory colored Matelassé bedspread. On Jenny's desk is a bottle of champagne with two champagne glasses, a glass bowl of strawberries with a small glass bowl of whip cream beside it. "Jethro!" Jenny breathes out in awe.

Gibbs spotting the card next to the bottle of champagne. "There's a card next to the bottle of champagne."

"If you put me down maybe I can read it and find out who helped out Noemi."

Gibbs reluctantly puts his wife down on to her feet. "Make it quick my body wants to legally have its way with you."

"How romantic!" Jenny teases him and walks over to her desk and opens up the card, which has a hand written message in it from Noemi, Palmer, and Breena. "Since we couldn't attend your wedding and you won't be able to get a proper honeymoon for a few more months, we thought that we would bring you some wedding night magic.

Congratulations Jethro & Jenny, hoping for everlasting happiness, believe us if anybody deserves to live their lives out together it's the two of you.

Love, Noemi, Palmer, and Breena.

P.S. Tony, Ziva, Abby, McGee, Cynthia, and Doctor Mallard were in on this also.

"Like we didn't doubt that they were." Gibbs chuckles and is about to grab the champagne bottle.

"Let me get out of this suit and slip into something more comfortable."

"Jen-"

"Jethro I'll put on the little red kimono that Noemi positioned on the back of my desk chair."

"While I'm waiting for you to get ready, I'm going to turn on the alarm and turn the lights off downstairs."

"I should only be a few minutes."

"That'll be the day." Gibbs snorts and walks out of the room.

"Don't worry you'll have your way with your toys soon enough my little boy." Jenny purrs.

Twenty minutes later Jenny walks into her study and finds her husband impatiently sitting in the chair at her desk dressed in his white boxer shorts. "I was about to throw your ass up against the wall in the shower." Gibbs impatiently growls.

"How romantic on our wedding night?" Jenny laughs.

Gibbs stands up and walks over to the corner of the desk. "Who says it needs to be romantic when we've been living together for seven months." Gibbs smirks and retrieves the bottle of champagne from bucket of ice.

"True!" Jenny seductively answers and eyes the whip cream bowl on top of the desk.

"Don't get any ideas." Gibbs warns her.

"Who said I had any ideas?" Jenny innocently answers.

"I saw you eyeing up the whip cream bowl." Gibbs answers and pops the cork to the champagne bottle.

"You better not get any ideas, once was enough?"

"I still have your screams of pleasure running through my mind." Gibbs grins, pouring the champagne into the two glasses that were put on top of the desk.

"Well I still have your howls of pleasure from the train heading into Genoa." Jenny smirks.

Gibbs putting the bottle back into the ice bucket. "That was low and a cheap shot."

"Might have been but I got my revenge on you." Jenny sensuously answers.

Gibbs picking up the glasses and hands Jenny her glass of champagne. "To us and our future together." Gibbs smiles at her.

"To us and our future together." Jenny smiles and tips Gibbs glass before they both consume their drinks in one gulp.

"I love you Jenny." Gibbs tenderly says to his wife and leans down and passionately kisses her on the mouth.

Just before Gibbs becomes aggressive with his kiss, Jenny breathlessly breaks away. "We better put the glasses down before we break them."

"You really know how to break the mood." Gibbs snorts and takes Jenny's glass from her.

"No to damn lazy to go downstairs to get replacement glasses."

Putting the glasses down on top of the desk. "Hell with that we would have drank from the bottle." Gibbs mischievously grins and pulls Jenny closer to him, his hands work open the sash to Jenny's red kimono.

Jenny quivering at the feel of his calloused hands on her breasts. "I can't believe after all these years and as many times that we have made love that you still make me feel this way."

"Tonight is different."

"Why is that?"

"Because now I'm your husband and I'm about to make love to you as my wife." Gibbs says in awe. Jenny thunderstruck at her husband's words leans up and kisses him on the mouth. As Jenny deepens her kiss, Gibbs pulls Jenny's kimono past her shoulders and drops it down on to the floor. Gibbs wanting to consummate his marriage, picks Jenny up in his arms and carries her over to the bed, before joining Jenny in bed, Gibbs removes his boxers.

Jenny grabbing a hold of her husband's hands pulls Gibbs down on top of her on the bed. "We're going to smell like sweat, sex and roses when we fall asleep in each other arms tonight."

Gibbs getting his full weight on top of her. "From this moment forward whenever we're in bed together I do not want any separation between us." "That was two weeks of hell for me, particularly the first few days when we were sleeping down in the Evidence Room having you sleeping across the room from me." "I didn't like it one bit." "I'm to be either holding you, or vice versa."

"Pax!" Jenny affectionately teases him.

"Pax!" Gibbs smiles and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Jenny deepens his kiss, running her fingers through the back of his hair. Feeling his erection up against her inner thigh. "Take me now." She purrs in between kisses.

"Not yet!" Gibbs answers leaving her mouth. He slowly and deliberately nips along Jenny's neck and shoulder, working his way down to her breasts.

"You're making me crazy." Jenny moans out at the feel of his tongue circling on her right nipple.

"That's the general idea; you're going to remember our first time as husband and wife for the rest of your life."

Jenny lies motionlessly on the bed, letting her husband mastering her body with his hands, mouth and tongue. Staring up into the ceiling fan above the bed her thoughts go over through the events of the day. Gibbs' unexpected wedding along the shoreline with the team, Cynthia, Jack, Leyla, Amira, Camilla and her family and friends of Mike who had become a part of Gibbs' life the four months he had lived with Mike in Rosario. "I'll remember today for the rest of my life." Jenny inwardly says with a smile on her face.

Gibbs nipping along Jenny's right hip works his way over to the scar from Jenny's gunshot wound at the hands of Julien Benoit's gunman. "You called getting shot fate." Gibbs says to Jenny above a whisper.

Jenny stroking the top of his head. "It brought us back together."

"You almost died that second night." "I was on the verge of driving you over to the hospital." Gibbs answers with his voice choking up with emotion.

"I made it through, because of you." "Ducky told me how you took care of me." "Unconsciously I knew you were there."

Gibbs tenderly kisses the scar. "I thought I had a mirage in front of me, like you weren't real."

"Well I'm real now." Jenny sensuously answers and pulls Gibbs up to her, capturing his mouth with hungry urgency. Gibbs intoxicated by Jenny's kiss rolls on to his back, pulling Jenny on top of him, with the tables being turned on him, Jenny leaves his mouth and slowly works her way down to his neck, nipping along his vein and over to his collarbone. Gibbs lies on the bed, watching his wife teasing her mouth and tongue over his shoulder. "And you're going to remember our first time as husband and wife for the rest of your life also Mr. Gibbs." Jenny seductively answers, nipping her way over to his chest.

"I hope she doesn't drag this out." Gibbs mentally protests. Jenny runs her tongue along his right nipple teasing it ever so slowly, then slowly and methodically works her way over to his left nipple. "Two more minutes and I'm flipping you over to your back." He inwardly groans.

Jenny getting off at watching her husband's cobalt blue eyes darken with arousal, she decides to move her mouth down to his ribcage, nipping down to his abs. "I'll torture him for about five more minutes." Jenny wickedly notes to herself.

"This is torture." Gibbs whines to himself.

Jenny's mouth goes down to his hip, noting that Gibbs is fully erect she begins to stroke on his shaft. "I'm surprised you haven't flipped me over on to my back yet?" She mischievously teases her husband.

"Crap!" Gibbs moans out with pleasure as her fingers touch the tip of his length.

"I gather oral sex is out of the question?"

Gibbs wanting his first orgasm as her husband inside of Jenny's body. "For the first time around." He impatiently answers and pulls Jenny on top of him, getting them into a sitting position.

"I should have-" Jenny stops in midsentence just at the feel of Gibbs' fingers stroking on her centre. "Kept my mouth shut." She cries out arching into his probing fingers.

"Tables have turned huh." Gibbs smirks watching Jenny fall apart in front of him. "As much as we're both enjoying this, I have needs that need to be fulfilled also."

Before Jenny can answer him, Gibbs shoves Jenny down on to her back. "Quit gloating and take me."

Gibbs leaning over her. "I'll take you alright, first time around." He tenderly says to her and captures Jenny's mouth in a deep passionate kiss.

Jenny wraps her legs around his waist. At the feel of the tip of his straining shaft touching her wet hot flesh, Jenny breaks away from his kiss. "Jethro!" She cries out arching up against him.

Gibbs cups Jenny's cheeks into his hands demanding eye contact from his bride. "I love you, from here on out we will be one soul and I will never ever will let you go again." He vows taking in Jenny's facial expression just before he enters her body.

"I love you Jethro and from this moment on we will be true equals and I will never want you to let me go again." She vows locking eyes with him. Gibbs eases himself into Jenny filling her completely. Jenny digs her nails into the side of his arms as her muscles surround his length. Gently Gibbs makes love to his wife wanting their first time together as husband and wife to be paced out. "Yes!" She whimpers with pleasure.

Slowly he thrusts against her over and over again. Time stands still as their bodies move against once another in perfect rhythm in tuned to each other's needs. "Jenny!" Gibbs moans out in pleasure.

With her body in full orgasm, Jenny arches up to meet his next possessive thrust. "Jethro!" She cries out, rubbing her knee on the back of his butt as he quickens his strokes.

Feeling Jenny's muscles convulsing around his length, Gibbs slows down the pace of their love making. "I want to hear you say it." He smiles at her.

"What?" Jenny moans out with pleasure.

"I broke the wild mustang."

"You got to be kidding me." Jenny screams out.

"At this pace I can go for another ten minutes."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me!" Gibbs smirks.

"Jethro!" Jenny protests.

Gibbs getting off at watching Jenny falling apart underneath of him. Her hips move under him in unspeakable ecstasy. "Took me fourteen years to tame you."

Jenny battle weary gives into him. "Alright!" She screams out. "You broke me in, are you satisfied."

"Damn right I am." Gibbs gloats in triumph.

"Jet-" Before Jenny can finish, Gibbs body begins to shudder uncontrollably on top of her.

Gibbs once again makes eye contact with his wife, just as he reaches his peak. "For once you paced yourself with me." He tenderly says to her. With a final thrust, Gibbs climaxes, soaring over the edge in a longest, hottest release of his life.

Jenny soaking with sweat trembles underneath him, as they both try to come down from their respective orgasms. Gibbs after regaining his facilities sits up in bed and pulls Jenny into his arms, cradling her like a child. "You trembled like this after I made love to you the first time in Marseille." He whispers and reins kisses across Jenny's face and forehead to bring her down from her release.

"Difference between Marseille and now, is I paced myself." Jenny mumbles against the top of his shoulder.

"First time for everything." Gibbs laughs.

After making love nonstop for an hour, Gibbs and Jenny had worked up an appetite are lying in bed eating the strawberries and whip cream that Noemi, Palmer, and Breena had left out for them. In between them on the bed is the bottle of champagne. "We're going to be paying for this in work tomorrow." Jenny laughs, noting that it's after midnight.

"Remember I can work without sleep." Gibbs teasingly reminds his wife.

"So can I." Jenny playfully protests.

"Do I have to remind you how many times you fell asleep against my shoulder during a stake out?" Gibbs growls and picks up the bottle of champagne.

"No all I remembered was waking up in your arms the next morning." Jenny smiles and shivers at the memory of waking up in his arms the first time, staring into the depths of his cobalt blue eyes.

"If Pacci hadn't interrupted the moment by jabbering away in my earwig, I would have kissed you." Gibbs admits with a smile on his face.

"You were married."

"I was sleeping on the couch and close to throwing out Diane, who cares." Gibbs shrugs and takes a sip from the champagne bottle.

Jenny noting that there's one strawberry left. "Want to split the last strawberry."

"No, you take it."

Jenny mentally decides to get even with her husband for the stunt that he pulled in Paris last September. She dips the strawberry inside of the bowl of whip cream. Seductively she leans over Gibbs' chest. "Sure I can't change your mind." She purrs.

Gibbs with his eyes focused on her chest. "I'm sure; I have an appetite for something else."

Jenny bites into the strawberry, the cream and juice from the strawberry drips down on to Gibbs chest. "Allow me to clean that up." She sensuously says to him and begins to lick the top of his chest.

"You did that on purpose." Gibbs moans out.

"I prefer strawberries and cream." Jenny mockingly says to him as she works her way over to his right nipple.

Gibbs aroused with the feel of Jenny's tongue on his nipple and at the memory of having his way with Jenny's body on top of the kitchen table after spraying her breasts up with a can of Reddi Whip, shoves Jenny on to her back. "I've just about had enough of the foreplay." He impatiently warns her and grabs the bowl of whip cream.

"I may not survive my orgasm this time around."

Gibbs dumps the bowl of whip cream on Jenny's chest. "That's what you get for teasing a horny Marine and there's always a price for that." Gibbs mischievously answers.

"Can you make this a quick one please; I need my sleep to confront Jarvis in the morning."

Gibbs shaking up the bottle of champagne. "There is never a quick one between us." He laughs and sprays Jenny with the bottle of champagne.

"You son on of bitch." She hisses.

Gibbs kisses Jenny on the mouth, where Jenny quickly gives into him. "To bad I can't have champagne flavored cream on my pancakes." Gibbs seductively says to her in between kisses and begins to work his way down Jenny's neck and chest, where he licks the champagne and cream from her breasts.

"I'd say the sheets and bedspread is ruined between the roses, strawberries and cream and you drowning me in a half a bottle of champagne." Jenny laughs.

"The bottle would have been poured down the drain tomorrow, why waste it."

Feeling his tongue circling around her left nipple. "True!" She quivers with sexual excitement.

After cleaning up the champagne and cream from Jenny's breasts and belly, Gibbs works his way up to her mouth; aggressively Jenny changes the tables on him, by teasing the tip of his tongue. Gibbs groans out with desire and rolls on to his back, pulling Jenny on top of him. "You should be embarrassed Gunny, caving into a woman." She seductively purrs in his ear.

"That's because I'm letting you."

"Mike did say you were whipped when it came to me." Jenny giggles.

"When did he say that?" Gibbs growls in protest.

"Mexico, when I came down to watch Leyla and Amira for him."

Gibbs sits up in bed pulling Jenny's legs around his waist. "What else did he say?"

"That was pretty much it."

Gibbs shoves Jenny on to her back. "If you think I'm giving in first think again."

"I'm not giving in first."

Gibbs captures Jenny's mouth and a deep passionate kiss, Jenny groans out at the feel of his tongue circling around inside of her mouth. Trying to distract her husband her hands venture down to his lower anatomy. "That's cheating!" He cries out breaking away from his kiss.

"It's an exposed weakness." Jenny purrs stroking on him.

"Which you're exploiting." Gibbs protests.

"Damn straight I am." Jenny wickedly answers and gets Gibbs to roll on to his back. Grabbing on to his hands. "Unlike our first time as husband and wife, I want our last time before we fall asleep to be erotic." "I don't want it paced out."

Gibbs feeling him entering his wife's body. "I might not have the energy for it."

"You will!" Jenny smirks down at him and aggressively begins to make love to him on top.

"Crap!" Gibbs inwardly protests as his body thrusts up against Jenny's body. Jenny squeezing on to the side of his hands. She leans her pelvic bone over top of him, his body bucks beneath of her. "Don't stop!" he moans out with pleasure.

Jenny increases the tempo of their love making, tightening her grip on to his hands. "Can't you keep up with me old man?" She seductively teases him.

With that Gibbs flips Jenny on to her back. "Old man!"

Jenny pressing her heels into his lower back. "Old man!"

"This old man will show you after fourteen years that I'm the boss when it comes to the bedroom."

"Prove it boss."

"For that you will be screaming." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny digs her nails into Gibbs' back as he aggressively moves his body against her. "Faster!" She screams out answering his thrusting hips. Gibbs delves deeper into her with each rhythmic push. "Harder!"

Gibbs grinding his body into hers. "Whipped, I believe it's the other way around." Gibbs inwardly smirks.

Jenny in full orgasm leans up and bites Gibbs on his neck. "Yes!" She moans out, bucking beneath him.

Gibbs wanting to hear the words from Jenny's mouth. "Who's whipped now Probie?" He menacingly grins down at her.

"Jethro!" She cries out.

"I want to hear it."

Jenny arching her hips wildly up to him. "I am!" She screams out.

Gibbs satisfied with himself, thrusts into her one last time. His body shudders and convulses on top of his wife. "We both are." He whispers in between breaths.

Jenny trembling underneath of him. "You caught me off guard this morning." Jenny pants out.

"I wasn't leaving Mexico until you were mine." "From today on if I catch another guy glancing at you sideways I'm going to beat the crap out of them and that includes Senators and Congressman." Gibbs growls.

"What about DiNozzo?" Jenny laughs.

"He'll get his usual head slap but harder." Gibbs snorts and rolls on to his back bringing Jenny on top of him. Glancing over at the time clock Gibbs notes that it's twelve-thirty. "At least we'll get five hours sleep."

Jenny buries her face into Gibbs right triceps. "All I know is I'm going to be paying for this tomorrow." She yawns and closes her eyes.

Gibbs encircles their left hands. "Good night Mrs. Gibbs."

Jenny squeezes on to her husband's hand. "Good night Mr. Gibbs." She whispers.

Jenny exhausted from the long day falls asleep. Gibbs picks up Jenny's left hand. "You're finally mine." Gibbs smiles over at Jenny's wedding ring.

0529 Hours and 50 seconds

The newlyweds lie in bed as they fell asleep, Jenny with her back up against her husband's chest, Gibbs clutching on to Jenny's left hand, with his legs overlapping hers. 'Beep!

"Kill it!" Jenny mumbles out half asleep.

"I wish I could." Gibbs groans and rolls over top of Jenny slapping at the alarm on the shelf behind the bed.

"It's going to be a long day in work today." Jenny grumbles and is about to get out of bed when, Gibbs gets his full weight on top of her. "Jethro all I want at this moment is to get a shower, sex is out of the question." Jenny yawns.

"There's always sex in the shower."

Jenny shoving him off of her. "The only thing that I'm concentrating on at this time in the shower is getting soap and water on to my body." Jenny sighs and slips out of bed.

"That's what you think." Gibbs mischievously grins to himself and slips out of bed.

Downstairs, Noemi walks in. "Senora is going to want some coffee after she gets dressed." "Knowing Senor Gibbs he probably had her up for most of the night." Noemi giggles and heads for the kitchen.

Three minutes later, Noemi is sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine, when she hears the sound and fury of her two bosses upstairs in the shower. "Senora you really should play hard to get with him." Noemi snickers.

Upstairs five minutes later after having his way with his bride, Gibbs lowers Jenny on to her feet. "You were saying."

"If it wasn't for the hand held shower nozzle I wouldn't have given into you." Jenny mumbles up against his chest.

"So I cheated a little, in the end result, we got what we both wanted." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny lifts her head up from his chest and playfully glares up at her husband. "You mean you got what you wanted."

"You know damn well I don't take no for an answer when it comes to my lower anatomy at the crack of dawn."

"I know it shares the same thing as head, both are hard headed."

Gibbs shakes his head and begins to laugh. "So you have a busy day today." Gibbs nods and hands

Jenny the shampoo bottle.

"Meeting with Jarvis, then I go up on the hill." "Several meetings in my office this afternoon, plus I have a late MTAC Op, I won't be home until ten the earliest."

"Don't worry we'll have a short honeymoon at the end of the month when we sail away to Baltimore for Memorial Day weekend."

"I can't wait." Jenny smiles.

After six, Gibbs makes his way downstairs, where the smell of coffee invades his senses. "Noemi I owe you one." Gibbs calls out as he walks over to the kitchen.

"I figured you might need it after being up all-night." Noemi winks.

"We fell asleep after twelve-thirty, we were up at the crack of dawn and it was a long day."

"Senora getting ready?" Noemi sheepishly asks and gets up from the kitchen table.

"Picking out her best kiss ass suit."

Jenny walks into the kitchen wearing a light gray suit, with a lavender high collared blouse underneath of it. "Really Jethro!" Jenny chastises him.

"Good morning Senora." Noemi sweetly says to her boss.

"Good morning Noemi." "Did Senor Gibbs thank you for last night's wedding surprise."

Noemi walks over to the counter where the coffee pot is located at. "No he didn't." She answers and pours both Gibbs and Jenny a cup of coffee.

"Can't say that I'm not surprised that he didn't." Jenny affectionately teases her husband. "Thank you Noemi." "We weren't expecting that last night when we came home."

"It was Senor Jimmy and Senora Breena's idea."

"And because you know the code to the alarm they needed you to get into the house."

"Yes and they also included me in it, since I wasn't present at your wedding."

Jenny walks over to Noemi and hugs her. "Noemi Senor Gibbs and I have a favor to ask you."

Noemi pulling away from Jenny. "What is it that you've asked of me?"

NCIS Headquarters

0715 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny step out of the elevator on Ducky's floor and walk over to Autopsy, the doors slide open and they step inside. "Jimmy!" Jenny calls out to him.

Palmer who is sitting at his desk. "Over here, Director Shepard, I mean Director Gibbs." Palmer quickly corrects himself.

Jenny along with Gibbs approaches Palmer. "We both wanted to thank you for the wedding night surprise at the house last night."

"We were floored by it." Gibbs smiles.

"Breena and I enjoyed ourselves in Paris on our honeymoon." "Since we couldn't be present at your wedding in Mexico, we figured that we could return the favor and Noemi was a big help." Palmer smiles.

"Well we already asked Noemi a favor and we are asking you and Breena for the same favor?" Jenny smiles at him.

"And what favor is it that want us to do?" Palmer curiously asks.

Upstairs the team is settled at their desks. "Thank god we're back to normal." McGee sighs with relief.

"I liked being in LA." Tony protests.

"No you liked checking out the hot babes on the beach." Ziva teases him.

"Face it Tony play time is over with."

"It wasn't all play Probie, we flew out to LA, got the job done by blowing away the bad guy." "Then we got the much needed R&R that we deserved." Tony smirks.

"Well we're back to reality." "At any moment dispatch can call Gibbs up for a case." McGee reminds him.

"I hope it's an easy one." Ziva nods over at McGee.

"So do I, a petty robbery is just the case for us." McGee smoothly answers.

"Where's Gibbs?" Tony sheepishly asks.

"Downstairs with the Director, I haven't got a clue if there with Abby or Palmer." McGee answers.

"Probably Autopsy, they have to thank Palmer for the surprise that was waiting for them when they arrived home last night." Tony smiles.

"A surprise that they were not expecting." Ziva softly answers.

Downstairs five minutes later, Gibbs and Jenny step into the elevator. "Director Gibbs!" Gibbs chuckles.

"I didn't have the heart to correct Jimmy since I attend on using my maiden name."

Gibbs taken back that Jenny has decided on using her maiden name for work. "Is there a problem using your legal name?"

"It isn't legal until we exchange vows at city hall remember." Jenny reminds him. The elevator doors close. "Why you actually want the Director using your last name." Jenny teases him.

"Your right I wouldn't want that bitch using my last name."

"Why afraid that she'll screw your brains out in her office?" Jenny seductively answers just as the elevator stops on Abby's floor.

Before Gibbs can answer her the doors open and Abby is standing in front of them. "Gibbs, Director!" She sweetly calls out to them and steps into the elevator. "So did you like Jimmy, Breena, and Noemi's surprise?"

"Yes we were floored by it." Gibbs smoothly answers.

"They figured since they couldn't attend your wedding that preparing for your wedding night was the second best thing." Abby smiles.

"Don't worry we'll be paying for last night's activities." Jenny yawns.

"TMI!" Abby shouts just as the elevator doors close.

Upstairs, Cynthia is waiting up on the balcony with Jenny's pocketbook and a travel cup filled with coffee. "As much as you were glowing this morning, I still could see the bags under your eyes." Cynthia giggles… The bell to the elevator goes off on Jenny's floor; Gibbs, Jenny, and Abby step out. "Melvin is waiting for you down in the parking garage ma'am."

"I can't wait to chew out my boss." Jenny answers with a smirk on her face.

"Is there any chance that you're going to get fired?" Abby frowns with worried.

"I doubt it Abs, Jarvis knows he's wrong." Jenny answers sharply and walks over to Cynthia retrieving her pocketbook and cup of coffee from Cynthia. "I should be back by no later than 1300 hours." Jenny nods and is about to walk down the stairs when Gibbs grabs her by the elbow. "What?" She asks surprised that he would touch her like that in front of the other agents in the Squad Room below.

"We're allowed to do this now." Gibbs smiles and leans down and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth. "Have fun kissing ass on the hill."

"Thanks a lot." Jenny mutters in annoyance and starts to walk down the stairs.

"I'll walk you over to the elevator." Abby calls down and chases after her.

"Back to reality." Cynthia shrugs and walks off for the direction of her outer office.

"No, I'm paying a visit to the Pentagon." Gibbs viciously snaps. "Under my watch as Agent in Charge of the Major Case Response Team I've always knew where the Director's location the few times the Director went into protective custody and this will never happen again." Gibbs vows.

Office of the Secretary of the Navy

0815 Hours

Jarvis and Jenny are sitting around the conference table. "Your fifteen minutes early this better be good." Jarvis scolds her.

"How dare you send me off to the middle of nowhere?" "I would have been safe over at OSP and you damn well know that sir?" Jenny angrily shouts at him.

"I gave you my reasons."

"All you gave me was a bunch of bullshit and you know it." "You wanted to show off Granger at the conference and have him run the sniper investigation." "Well sir it was a major failure and he was the laughing stock at the conference."

"I know the Directors of the FBI and AFT were berating me on Granger's handling of the sniper investigation." "But some of the blame goes to Gibbs for not informing Granger on Johnson showing up in LA."

"And what if Johnson was still in Knoxville or on his way back to Clarksburg to retrieve his Bronco and trailer?" "Gibbs went on a hunch that Johnson was heading out to LA."

"A hunch that Granger should have been informed of."

"That's a laugh, Gibbs was never informed of my where a bouts." Jenny sarcastically laughs.

"I gave you my reasons on that."

"Gibbs has been a Team Leader of the Major Case Response Team since 1995." "He's always been in the loop of the Director's where a bouts Clayton."

"Unlike the previous Directors of NCIS, Agent Gibbs has a personal relationship; I didn't want his judgment being clouded."

"If anything not knowing where I was at might have affected Gibbs' judgment." Jenny angrily informs Jarvis.

"I hope I don't have to make either one of you step down from your jobs."

"You couldn't pry either one of us from our jobs; remember I have about forty-four other arms and drug dealers that the previous Director was on the take with that I need to bring down before I resign as Director." "Gibbs will never quit."

"He did once before."

"He had just got out of a coma and was suffering from memory loss and post trauma stress syndrome." "I never filed Jethro's retirement package, because I knew that after a while Mexico would wear off on him and he would be bored out of his mind."

Jarvis gets up from the table. "I still think it's a detriment." He sighs.

"It was part of the package deal when you offered my old job back and besides you better get use to because Jethro and I got married yesterday."

Jarvis glances down at the wedding ring on Jenny's finger. "Congratulations Director-"

"Shepard, I'm not taking my husband's name on the job." 'Off the job and once we retire I'll use his name fulltime."

"Where did you get married in LA?"

"No Mexico."

"It's not legal."

"I know that, once or marriage certificate comes through, we'll have Doctor Mallard give us a blood test and then we'll get married at city hall."

"Seems that you have your future set."

"It is set with my husband." Jenny answers with confidence. "From this moment forward Agent Gibbs will know my where a bouts at all times, do I make myself clear or do I have to go over your head to your boss."

"You've made yourself crystal clear." "And from here out Agent Gibbs when he's working an investigation that Assistant Director Granger is running he has to report everything to him."

"I'll give him your orders when I get back to Washington." Jenny sarcastically snaps at her boss.

"Now that we've gotten this business out of the way, we need to talk about beefing up security at the Navy Yard so that what happened won't happen again." "Your office needs to be more secure than that."

Arlington, Virginia

The Pentagon

0945 Hours

After a long dragged out meeting with the Secretary of Defense, Gibbs walks inside of Starbucks. "I'm in desperate need of a Venti sized Dark Sumatra blend." Gibbs growls and approaches the counter.

At a table sipping on a cappuccino is Doctor Samantha Ryan. "Wasn't expecting to see him so soon." Sam smiles.

Gibbs pays for his coffee. "Navy Yard needs one of these so I don't have to leave the building." Gibbs laughs.

"I don't think it's in the budget." Debby teases Gibbs and hands him his coffee.

"Usually isn't!" Gibbs smiles…"Have a nice day."

Sam gets up from her chair and walks over to the aisle way. "Is there a reason why you're at the Pentagon Agent Gibbs?" Sam curiously asks.

Gibbs turns and makes eye contact with Sam. "There are thousands of other people in this building besides you Doctor Ryan." Gibbs smirks over at her.

Sam folding her arms. "But you've only slept with me." She baits him.

"How do you know that?" Gibbs mischievously grins.

"Should I be hearing this?" Debbie shouts over at them.

"We'll take this outside." Gibbs chuckles.

Outside a few minutes later. "So you had a meeting with the Secretary of Defense." Sam shrugs and takes a seat on the bench.

"A meeting of the minds and I won't tell you what we were talking about." Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his cup of coffee.

Sam spotting the wedding ring on Gibbs' left hand. "I would have noticed your wedding ring on Thursday morning."

"Jenny and I got married yesterday morning in Mexico." "After what we went through the past two weeks it was something that we needed to get done."

"You mean something you needed to get done, you were never patient Gibbs." Sam laughs.

"Either way she's my wife now." "And out of respect of my wife from now on I don't want you flirting with me."

"What about you?" Sam sweetly says to him.

"I haven't flirted with Doctor Ryan 2012." Gibbs smirks and is about to walk away from her when he remembers Tony's father. "Oh by the way, DiNozzo Senior only went out with you in LA, because you were my sloppy seconds, he moved on to a woman eight years younger than you." Gibbs laughs, walking away from Sam with a dumb founded facial expression on her face. "I love doing that to the Queen of Mind Games." Gibbs gloats.

Abby's Lab

1345 Hours

In Abby's back room, Abby is showing off some of the photos that she took inside of the cantina. "I swear Tony has to left feet." Abby giggles at Tony trying to do the Mambo.

"Fred Astaire he's not, but I'm not going to judge him when I can't dance myself." Gibbs chuckles, glancing over Abby's shoulder from behind.

"So cool that your dad and Ducky are getting a few days extra out in Mexico." Abby smiles.

"Ducky deserved it, and he hasn't gone away on vacation in over two years since his mother passed away."

"And no sense in having your dad spending a few days on the west coast like that."

"I wish I had a few more days with him, we could have gone fishing." "Rent a boat and I would have taken him to the places that Mike and I use to go fishing at." Gibbs says with regret.

"You could have stayed a few extra days."

"Abs, with Jenny's schedule that was going to be impossible." Gibbs sighs.

"I know!" Abby frowns.

"Are you doing anything tonight?"

"No, my boyfriend has to work." Abby shrugs.

"Could you help me carry the furniture from my bedroom down into the basement?"

"Ziva said it was trashed."

"Ziva's wrong, I can repair some of the woodwork."

"Can't let go of the bedroom set from your first wife." Abby asks and gives Gibbs a knowing look.

"I was going to repair it and set it up in the spare bedroom." "Kelly's twin mattress is too small for my dad when he comes over to visit."

"And build yourself a new bedroom set." Abby curiously asks.

"No, don't have the time; I'm going to browse in some of the antique stores."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Sled bed, California King sized." "And I want the dressers, nightstands, and a cushioned cedar chest for the foot of the bed."

"Any particular reason why you want this particular bed?" Abby winks.

"I want the bedroom to be ours and once we retire I'll ship the bedroom set to Paris, it will look great in the bedroom."

"So it's a bedroom set for now and the future."

"Right now my focus is trying to get to the end of the month when Jenny and I go away on our mini honeymoon."

"So your wedding night wasn't what you expected."

"Wedding night was fine; it was waking up at the crack of dawn with little sleep and tired from the day before."

"And you have to work the next two weekends so you won't be able to catch up on your sleep."

"Abs there's no such thing as catch up sleep." Gibbs laughs.

"True!" Abby smiles.

Gibbs' cell phone begins to ring. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers.

Cynthia's Reception Area

"The Director would like to see you in her office sir." Cynthia sweetly informs him.

"I'm on my way up." Gibbs answers and hangs up.

"Mommy!"

"No of your business." Gibbs affectionately slaps Abby on the back of the head and walks away.

Abby rubbing her head. "Hey I'm your favorite."

Two minutes later, Gibbs strolls through Cynthia's outer office. "Couldn't go seven hours without setting her off."

Gibbs stands and glares down at Cynthia. "I don't even have a case yet."

"Since when do you have to have a case to get the Director going?" Cynthia asks narrowing her eyes at him.

"Better go see what Mata Hari wants." Gibbs groans and walks inside of the office and closes the door behind him. "Jen!" He calls out to her, noting that Jenny isn't in the room.

Jenny walks out of the bathroom. "You had to go over my head didn't you?" Jenny angrily snaps at her husband.

"I didn't go over your head." Gibbs growls.

"Going to the Secretary of Defense's office wasn't going over my head." Jenny sighs in disbelief.

"I didn't go there to go over your head." "Since I've been Agent in Charge of the Major Case Response Team, I've always know the location of the Director of NCIS, even when the Director is moved during a security precaution." "There was zero risk in your life while you were under Protective Detail from the OSP." "Jarvis went overboard in my opinion and I also gave my opinion on that clown that Jarvis refers to as the Assistant Director of NCIS." "Hetty Lange can run circles over Granger." Gibbs snarls.

"You made me look like an ass." "Jarvis got reamed out and I just had an unpleasant phone conversation from him about putting my husband on a leash." Jenny hisses.

"I'm glad he got reamed out." "Jarvis was wrong and didn't want to own up to it." "So he took it out on you." "The next time, tell your boss to take it up with me, since I was the one that went to his boss, not you." "But I guess it's easier to take it out on a woman." "Jarvis is ball less." Gibbs barks.

With that Jenny bursts out laughing. "That explains a lot." Jenny giggles.

"What's so funny?" Gibbs laughs and walks over to his wife.

"You called Jarvis like it is." Jenny smiles and leans up and tenderly kisses him on the mouth. Gibbs is about to deepen Jenny's kiss, when her intercom goes off. "Duty calls!" She answers with regret and walks over to her desk and pushes in the button. "Yes, Cynthia!"

"Your two o'clock appointment has arrived."

"Their five minutes early, send them in at two o'clock, I have a few things that I need to wrap up with, with Agent Gibbs."

"Yes Director!"

"What did you want me to wrap up?" Gibbs smirks.

"That will have to wait until tomorrow night, when I get home tonight sex will be the furthest thing from my mind, I need sleep."

"I was way ahead of you on that."

"Oh by the way under order of SecNav Jarvis, you are to play nice the next time you work an Op with Assistant Director Granger."

"What?" Gibbs snarls.

"Jethro!" Jenny sighs and rubs her temple.

"Alright!" Gibbs answers, sucking in his teeth.

"So what are your plans for dinner?"

"Heading over to Fornell's with some Chinese take-out."

"Sounds like a plan."

"I'll save you a fortune cookie." Gibbs smiles and makes his way out of the office.

Jenny waiting for Gibbs to pass through the outer office. "My good fortune came true."

Fornell's House

1900 Hours

Gibbs and Fornell are sitting around the kitchen table eating Chinese take-out. "I can't believe it that you pulled that off." Fornell smiles.

"We pulled it off." "The team, my dad, Leyla, Amira, Camilla, along with her family and friends of mine and Mike's." "Everything went off so smoothly Tobias, I couldn't have planned it any better." Gibbs smiles.

"So you finally got a wedding ring on Jenny's hand."

"Fourteen years of patients paid off."

"So your bride is stuck at work?" Fornell shrugs.

"Meetings, MTAC Op's she has work up her ass." Gibbs groans and takes a bite out of his shrimp roll.

"I heard you pulled the trigger on Johnson."

"Shot the bastard in between the eyes." "Hope he rots in hell." "For the lives he took, two were babies." Gibbs swallows.

"My Director was mentioning about this moron Granger."

"Do not get me started on that asshole." "Jarvis put Jen into Protective Custody, he put her into the middle of nowhere and had Granger in charge."

"I heard where he put Jenny at." "Ridiculous, what was wrong with hiding out at the Special Projects office or sending her down to San Diego?"

"Because he wanted to show off Granger and it back fired in his face." "Granger was over his head, a clueless buffoon."

"Buffoon!" Fornell laughs.

"Now I'm sounding like a 50's TV series." Gibbs chuckles.

"So how's Agent Mann doing?"

"In rehab, it's going to take Holli awhile before she heals up, broken pelvis takes a while." Gibbs smoothly answers.

Fornell noting the glint in Gibbs' eyes. "There's something different about you now Jethro."

"It took me twenty-one years, but I can say it now Tobias, I'm a happily married man."

"Until your first fight."

"Already had it." Gibbs laughs.

"Have make up sex?" Fornell smirks.

"You kidding, Cynthia was sitting at her desk and she would have heard Jen's big mouth."

Gibbs' House

2130 Hours

With the upstairs bedroom empty, Gibbs and Abby stand around and sadly stare at the bullet holes in the dry wall. "I guess you painted this room." Abby frowns.

"We both did." "Shannon wanted it the room to be painted peach."

"Are you going to paint it the same color?"

"No, I might do a half wallpaper half wood look."

"Now where would you get an idea like that?" Abby curiously asks.

"Jenny's bedroom from her house in Georgetown."

"So I gather the bedroom set will be similar." Abby shrugs.

"I doubt that I can find an exact replica." "As long as it looks like a sled bed and it's a California King sized bed I'm buying it."

Around 2245 hours Jenny descends the basement stairs in her stocking feet and finds Gibbs talking apart one of the drawers to the dresser. "Jethro it's going to take you weeks to get the bedroom set repaired, why don't we go out and buy a new set."

"I still have to re-sheet rock the walls and paint the room, and depending if I have a case that's going to take weeks."

"So in the meantime we're sleeping in my study."

"We could sleep on top of the worktable." Gibbs smirks.

"Unlike fifteen years ago, my back can't handle it." Jenny laughs and walks over to him.

"And I don't have my boat on over top of the table to get you into kinky positions." Gibbs mischievously grins and is about to grab his bottle of beer from the table, when Jenny swipes it. "There's another bottle sitting on the workbench."

"I just want a swig from yours, and then I'm headed up for bed." Jenny answers and takes a healthy sip.

"I'll be up in a half an hour or so."

Jenny hands Gibbs his bottle of beer back. "So what did Fornell say about us getting married?"

"Floored!" Gibbs smoothly answers.

"Floored that we're actually married or floored that you pulled everything off without me knowing."

"Both!" Gibbs answers and takes a sip from his bottle of beer.

"You know I felt Mike's presence on the beach yesterday." Jenny smiles.

"So did I, just felt he was there." Gibbs smiles.

"He probably said it's about time." Jenny laughs.

Gibbs keeping the conversation he had with Mike's spirit to himself. "Something like that." Gibbs laughs.

Jenny leans up and kisses Gibbs on the mouth. "Good night!" She yawns and turns and walks off for the stairs. Gibbs puts his bottle of beer back down on top of the table and begins the task of taking apart another drawer.

2330 Hours

Gibbs quietly slips into bed. "Your holding me tonight and I'm not taking no for an answer." Gibbs yawns and buries his face on top of Jenny's right shoulder. Hearing Jenny mumbling in her sleep. "Go back to sleep." He mumbles back to his sleeping wife.

May 3rd 2012

Gibbs' Basement

1930 Hours

Gibbs and his father are sitting at the worktable repairing the dresser. "So you enjoyed yourself in Mexico huh." Gibbs smiles.

"Best vacation I had in years." "You sure have a nice place down there." Jack smiles.

"Maybe we'll do it again in the fall." Gibbs smoothly answers. "Take in some fishing."

"No, you need some alone time with you lady."

"We don't seem to get much of that other when we're off the job." Gibbs grumbles.

"You'll get it in a few weeks when you go away for the weekend."

"It can't come any sooner dad." "Just to sail away on the boat for a few days."

"It's a good thing you found someone whose sea worthy." Jack laughs.

"You mean McGee who gets seasick." Gibbs chuckles.

"Your mom use to get seasick all the time."

"I know, I remember the time we went on the Cape May Ferry." Gibbs grimaces at the memory. "What a mess?"

"That was the last time I had your mother on a boat."

"Speaking of 'The Shepard', want to have lunch on board tomorrow." "Jenny's going to be in Washington, kissing ass on the hill again."

"I'd love to."

"Seems like an eternity since I had you on her last."

"Last spring, we went fishing out in the bay on a long weekend." Jack fondly recalls.

"And got drunk while we played poker in the galley." Gibbs laughs.

"Speaking of poker, I have to get a game in with Jenny between now and Sunday when I to home."

"She'll be home all day Saturday, maybe after she wakes up." "Jenny has been putting in some late hours this week at the office to make up for being away."

"She's home tonight."

"Upstairs having some downtime with her book." "After what she went through with the sniper investigation, I want Jenny to get back into a normal routine and reading up in her study is a normal routine."

"And you need to get into a normal routine also."

Gibbs sanding down a board. "Dad working with my hands down in the basement is normal routine." Gibbs answers.

"The basement beats working out back in the garage with no electricity."

"Dad that's where the camping oil lanterns came into use."

"So how's the car running?"

"Good, drive it to work every day." "And I make sure that my keys are well hidden from Jenny."

"Leroy its 2012!"

"It's called a guy's toy and it has no place for a female behind the wheel." Gibbs growls.

Upstairs in Jenny's Study, Jenny is talking to Abby via Skype. "We got our blood tests today."

"Gibbs said something about getting a physical." Abby answers.

"He's been married so many times; I don't think he can keep track of the proper procedure." Jenny giggles.

"That's true!"

"Feels so good to sit at home and relax." Jenny sighs with relief.

"So how long are you going to be sleeping in the study?"

"God knows how long." "Jethro wants to redo the bedroom." "I think he's going a bit over board, but it's his house." Jenny groans at the prospects of sleeping on her Murphy bed for a few weeks.

"Bed not comfortable."

"It's comfortable for one, not for two and especially when I'm pinned down on my back for most of the night."

"Should I be hearing this?" Abby wickedly answers.

"Sleeping Abs, get your mind out of the gutter." Jenny chastises her dysfunctional daughter.

"It can't be helped." Abby winks.

"Isn't it league night for you?"

"Yes, I'm about to sign off."

"I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Night Jenny!"

"Night Abby!" Jenny smiles and closes out the window for the Skype program. "I'm not in the mood to read my book." "Maybe the Nationals have a game on TV." Jenny softly answers and picks up her TV remote.

0615 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are having breakfast at their favorite diner the next morning. "So everything is now in order." Gibbs asks in between bites of his pancakes covered in powdered sugar. "We're set to go."

"I can hardly wait." Jenny smiles.

"Neither can I." Gibbs smiles and is about to take a sip from his cup of coffee when his cell phone rings. "Yeah Gibbs!" He answers, waiting for dispatch to answer. "We'll be right there." He answers and hangs up. Jenny in between bites of her omelet narrows her eyes over at her husband. "Dead Lance Corporal in Spring Lake Park."

"I'll take care of this while you call the team." Jenny answers and waves for their waitress, Mildred.

"There goes my lunch plans with dad." Gibbs frowns with regret and flips open his cell phone.

"Unfortunately the killer of your deceased Lance Corporal ruined his lunch plans for the day." Jenny sadly answers.


End file.
